Ophthalmology ( OFF -thal-MOL-ə-jee) is a surgical subspecialty within
medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in
medical and surgical eye care. Following a medical degree, a doctor
specialising in ophthalmology must pursue additional postgraduate residency
training specific to that field. This may include a one-year integrated
internship that involves more general medical training in other fields such as
internal medicine or general surgery. Following residency, additional
specialty training (or fellowship) may be sought in a particular aspect of eye
pathology.