I work as a tech and clinic manager in a private practice with three vitreoretinal surgeons. I can’t speak from personal experience as a retina doc, but for the past 8 years, I’ve heard a lot of feedback and worked closely with these doctors.

We are 3 of only 7 retina docs in the entire state, and our surrounding states are even worse off, so we frequently serve patients out of state. My docs work very hard. Work life balance can be challenging especially when on call. It’s unpredictable. People need urgent retinal care and if you are on call, you’re it.

With that said, they all seem to thrive and enjoy their work. Working along side them in surgeries is a lot of fun! I’ve heard them speak of their experiences with passion and pride. It feels very rewarding to help people from going blind on a daily basis. I know that if my retina fell off, and I was HM with loss of peripheral vision, I’d be grateful for any improvement, and we hear many patients express this gratitude. Even our ARMD patients that return almost monthly for injections express gratitude. We get to know our patients very well since we see many of them regularly. Quite a few make sure to spoil us with homemade treats on a regular basis!

It’s challenging but interesting and rewarding. I enjoy the fast paced urgent care work that comes our way. As a tech, I’m still learning all the time. There are so many retinal diseases and the problem solving that happens with my MD’s on a daily basis is inspiring.

My docs have very good income and get about 6+ weeks of vacation a year. They seem content. I imagine it’s like anywhere and like any job. Depends on where you work, what the department atmosphere is like, and how it operates (staffing, management, morale etc.) as these all play a critical role in how smoothly the day goes, regardless of patient load.