Our eye is one of the most important organs of our body, and the sense of sight is, perhaps, the most vital resource of our body. Without the sense of sight, world wouldn’t make any difference, and it is imperative that the eyes be taken care of. Ophthalmology (pronounced, off-thal-mo-loji) is the branch of medical science that deals with the eye care, both in medical and surgical forms. An ophthalmologist is an expert with the eyes, and since our eyes are very delicate and precious parts of the body, it is required that they should be treated by a thorough professional, and so the exams for becoming an ophthalmologist are one of the most stringent exams.
Ophthalmology trains the medical personnel to monitor the eye, check it for any abrupt behavior, diagnose, and treat the eye disorder. Eye surgery is now becoming popular, because it is easy, painless, and cost effective. Disorders of the eye include cataracts, diabetes-related, hypertension related, partial blindness, and loss of vision, and ophthalmologists are trained to cure these ailments, and even provide lens specifications for those with myopia or hyper myopia.
Ophthalmology, unlike the side branches like physiotherapy and radiography, is a hardcore medical subject. Degrees in ophthalmology are three year PG courses like MD and MS, and these are available only to MBBS graduates. All the seats in the good institutes are filled by an all-India exam. Some of the good institutes providing these courses are the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Manipal University, Manipal, Christian Medical College, Vellore and the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
There is an acute shortage of ophthalmologists, and a person with expertise in this field has numerous career options open to him. Every major super-specialty hospital has an eye department, which needs ophthalmologists. They are also employed by the hospitals run by the PSU’s, Defence, and Railways. These are jobs of good quality, though with a somewhat less salary, and this is the prime reason why many trained eye doctors prefer to set up their own person nursing homes. After gaining an experience, there are posts for professors in medical colleges for them. Employment prospects are also good in the foreign countries.
