The Role of Teaching

As we each progress through residency we learn a large amount of material. I remember as a fourth year student I was quite amazed at just how much stuff there was to learn about two little eye balls and their surrounding milieu of tissues. As I have slowly picked up some of these things, and some of them have actually stuck, I now find myself with a unique responsibility.

Now in my second year, there are three residents now affectionately called "the first years." Although, one of them is a prior trained ophthalmologist from another country. So the likelihood that I could possibly impart anything other than knowledge of how to navigate the local university system is low - I may go to her for ophthalmology questions. As for the other two, I was very recently in their shoes, and I remember well what it was like to know little. Now in my current shoes, and for any other no longer first year, the task of helping to teach the new people is upon me.


This has only reaffirmed, I think, that I want to be involved in an academic setting when I finally grow up. I rather enjoy teaching most days.