THE WISH LIST

Below are some of the important issues that I think should be addressed to help assist in the training and development of ophthalmologists.

EXPOSURE TO SUBSPECIALTIES
During the early years of training, we want exposure to as many ophthalmology subspecialties as possible in order to get a flavour for what each one is like to work in. This way we can decide which subspecialty holds the greatest appeal for us or indeed decide that general ophthalmology is the path we want to take. I have never met a young ophthalmologist who did not want to get surgical experience early on in his or her career. We do not all decide to pursue surgery in the end, but we all want to immerse ourselves in the surgical experience at the beginning. It is the only way to truly know if surgical ophthalmology is for us.

TEACHING
We want to be taught. We want to benefit from the experience and wisdom of more senior colleagues and this can be passed on in many ways. Teaching can take place in formal tutorials, at the bedside on ward rounds or at the slit-lamp in clinic. Journal clubs and case presentations are very educational for young ophthalmologists also. Advice on which books to read or where to find good quality self-teaching material on the internet is also useful, or simply being told that a patient with interesting clinical findings has been admitted to the ward and it is worth examining. Some of us will be won over by the allure of laboratory research and some by the appeal of clinical projects. Regardless of which choice we make, we want to ask intelligent research questions and find ways to answer them! We want to learn how to critically appraise and write a paper, skills that are hard to teach but will be of great benefit in our practice of evidence-based medicine.

ROLE MODELS/MENTORS
We want role models. Someone to look up to, admire and aspire to. When we find ourselves in demanding clinical situations, we want to be able to ask (and answer) the question: “What would my role model do?”

ATTENDING MEETINGS
We want the opportunity to go to international meetings of high educational value, to listen to experts talk about the current “hot” topics, to attend courses that will help us further our education and our careers. We want to meet fellow trainees from other countries and exchange ideas and experiences. And finally, we want career pathways, both surgical and non-surgical, that are well-defined and offer posts at the end of training.

* Dr Sonia Manning is a member of the ESCRS Young Ophthalmologists Committee