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  1. Medical ophthalmology

    Medical ophthalmologists (also known as ophthalmic physicians) are doctors who diagnose and treat medical eye conditions, many of which are related to diseases such as diabetes.

    Training usually starts with a five year first degree in medicine, two years foundation doctor training, then either two years core training (CT1-2 ) or two years Ophthalmic Specialty training followed by followed by five years specialist training (ST3-7). This period of training will include your royal college exams. Length of training can vary according to your circumstances.
    Doctors may work up to 48 hours a week. The working hours may sometimes extend beyond the normal working day to include early mornings, evenings and weekends. You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. The basic salary ranges from £29,384 to £34,012. Once you start your specialty training as a medical ophthalmologist employed by the NHS, you can expect to earn a salary of at least £40,257, which can increase to between £84,559 and £114,003 as a consultant.
    You'll need excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families. You'll be emotionally resilient, have excellent problem-solving and diagnostic skills and work well in teams and under pressure. You'll also be very organised for the benefit of patients.
    In 2021, there were two consultants in medical ophthalmology working in the NHS in England. There is considerable growth of the specialty while opportunities exist for research and teaching. In 2021, there were 21 applications for four training places. You could specialise or conduct research, teach medical students or postgraduate students in training or get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector.
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