What do they do?

Ophthalmologists study the techniques for the prevention of eye disease and injury.

They examine the eye with special equipment and check visual acuity (the ability to see). If a patient’s visual acuity is less than normal, they usually do a check to determine whether the decrease in vision can be corrected with glasses.

If glasses don’t help, they perform the necessary operation such as removal of cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye). They may perform other types of operations that include surgery to correct strabismus (eye misalignment) or other muscle disorders of the eye.

Skills Needed

• S/he should have an aptitude for surgery 
• S/he should have good hand-eye coordination, which is essential in microsurgery
• S/he should be dedicated, calm and ever ready to relate to the patient’s need
• Steady hands
• S/he should have good level of patience

How do I get there?

Take up physics, chemistry, biology in Class 12. Take the pre-medical entrance examination conducted by the Central and state bodies. After completing MBBS and compulsory resident internship, sit for the postgraduate entrance exams at national or state level.

There are three-year postgraduate degree (MD, MS) and two-year PG diploma programmes (DO, DOMS). A three-year course, Diplomate of National Board (DNB), is also available at various medical colleges and some private eye institutes.