Cornea fellowship offers versatility for young ophthalmologists
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A speaker at the Real World Ophthalmology meeting offered advice on how to be successful after finishing a cornea fellowship and beginning a career in practice.
Nadia Haqqie, MD, said being a young physician can be difficult. Colleagues may send fairly complex cases, and it is not always easy to have all the answers right away.
“Just yesterday I was still in training, and now I’m supposed to be the expert in this?” she said. “It’s really kind of stressful and anxiety-producing, at least for someone like me.”
Haqqie said physicians who are early in their careers should know their limitations, be up front and honest with patients, and seek help when they need it.
“A lot of times, I would just say to the patient, ‘I’m really not 100% sure what’s going on, and I’m not sure exactly what I should do. I’d love to just touch base with some people,’” she said. From there, she would consult trusted colleagues for their opinions before moving forward.
One of the best things about completing a cornea fellowship, Haqqie said, is the versatility. In a good program, fellows can expect to learn not only corneal pathology but also refraction. They will also get a chance to help a wide variety of patients at different stages of their treatment.
“You really can use it to make what you want of it,” she said. “You can really also use it to make yourself a better refractive surgeon, as well.”
Finally, Haqqie said it is important to have a short memory, at least when it comes to making mistakes. Each new case is a new opportunity.
“It’s really easy, especially early on, to get bogged down by mistakes that happened in the OR, whether they’re your fault or not,” she said. “You have to learn from them, let them go and just be better off for it.”
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Haqqie N. Sharpen your laser — Cornea & refractive. Presented at: Real World Ophthalmology; Sept. 18, 2021 (virtual meeting).
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