Some things are almost too good to be true. This feeling resonates with me every time I look back at my taster week in Ophthalmology at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. It was February 2022 and I had just started a new job in the Orthopaedic department of Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Medical students have limited exposure to ophthalmology (1) and foundation placements in the specialty are rare. Taster weeks give applicants a chance to broaden their experience and make an informed career decision, and the recruiting bodies for ophthalmic specialist training (OST) in the UK have hence allocated weight in the application for the completion of an ophthalmology taster week (2). However, OST is highly competitive and, while a taster week itself carries 1 point in the application, applicants can use this experience to unlock more opportunities to strengthen their chances of securing a post. The following article explores how those looking to apply for the specialty can get the most out of their taster weeks.