Ileana Anika Domondon
Ophthalmology is a very niche and highly competitive specialty, with most recommending that you should start working on your portfolio as early as medical school if possible. However, not everyone knows what they want early on. I , for one, have many interests and did not fully know what I wanted until my FY2 year. It was vital that I rotated in different specialties to determine which was and was not for me.
Ophthalmology portfolio-building demands time, commitment and dedication given the 10:1 competition ratio in 2023. Nonetheless, it is possible to get into even if you start late with a proper strategy in place. As what the other ophthalmology trainees I’ve met said, “someone will get that training number and why can’t it be you”.
Here are my tips to starting your ophthalmology portfolio from scratch in FY2:
1. Secure a taster week in Ophthalmology
This gives insight into the practice, the life of a trainee, allows good networking with the eye department and scores you 1 point in your portfolio. Prior to doing my taster week, I was also considering other specialties. After my taster week, I was reminded of why I loved ophthalmology in the first place and decided to commit to it. Be proactive, maintain good connections with trainees, and try to be involved in projects. The ST1 trainees I met were more than willing to share their tips to get into training. I also managed to secure a project after mentioning to one of the consultants that I was keen to be involved in one.
2. Know the portfolio evidence folder by heart
There are different domains and the key is to work on portfolio points in most domains as much as possible rather than focusing on maximizing points in a few domains. That is possible by planning ahead so as to not burnout. There are also easy points to obtain in the commitment to specialty part but you must be familiar with dates of courses and conferences so it can be aligned with your work schedule. “Eye news” is a good website to check for ophthalmology conferences.
3. Simple Closed Loop Audit/QIP
Work on an audit / QIP that is simple, relevant and can be finished in a few months so you can move on to the next project.
4. Be proactive & network
If you do not have any presentations or publications, the key is to be proactive, ask the trainees in the eye department or department you are rotating in if there are projects you can be involved in. By putting yourself out there, you will eventually meet someone who has a case that needs writing or some sort of project that needs an eager junior doctor for it to start.
5. Avoid burnout
There are many demands of an ophthalmology portfolio. You can easily spread yourself too thin if you take more than you can handle during your F2 year especially if starting from scratch. It is vital to be honest with yourself, assess where you stand portfolio-wise and come up with a strategy to effectively score points within an achievable time frame while ensuring that you still have breaks and holidays. As the proverb goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
If you’re in a similar situation as me, I hope these tips help you maximize the points you can achieve during FY2. Furthermore, if that’s not enough then perhaps consider taking an F3 to further improve your portfolio. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile pursuit to have and hope is not lost in this endeavour.
Further Reading
1) National Health Service England. Workforce, training, and education: Medical Hub Competition Ratios for 2023. [online]. 2024 [Accessed 1 February 2024] Available from: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios/2023-competition-ratios
2) Health Education England. Severn Postgraduate Medical Education Ophthalmology: Evidence Folder [online]. 2024 [Accessed 1 February 2024] Available from: https://www.severndeanery.nhs.uk/recruitment/vacancies/show/oph-st1-24/evidence-folder-lib