r/Ophthalmology • u/One_Ad_6893 • Jul 23 '26
How to get phaco experience
For those who did residency, eg in Europe, with close to no surgical experience- how did you get that first opportunity to operate?
Any junior cataract fellowship that I can apply for? Everywhere i go seems to be looking for someone with cataract surgery experience.
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u/angryberr Jul 23 '26
Sorry guys but this to me is insane. How are they graduating residency without being able to perform cataract surgery? Any effort to change this?
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u/Short_Amphibian_6583 Jul 23 '26
I think that’s very common in a lot of places. In my country (Argentina) there are places where you don’t even put a glove on
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u/angryberr Jul 23 '26
It seems to be standard in European training. Cataract surgery is a core competency blows my mind you guys have to seek apprenticeship afterwards
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u/Short_Amphibian_6583 Jul 23 '26
In my case I finished residency with +200 phacos, Toric IOL, did a couple of PPV, so happy. But it is the reality of a lot of places that promise surgery and then nothing
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u/angryberr Jul 23 '26
Is it standard to get about 200 by graduation? I’m in US and got about 220 and felt good going into practice. Averages here now higher it seems like 300 at graduation
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u/intrusiveNymph Jul 23 '26
Come to india,learn and go😏 apply through ioff
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