I am an eye surgeon but could soon be your doctor in the ICU. I'm terrified
I am fearful for the future, uncertain for how my skills will hold up when put to test
I am an ophthalmologist. I am the doctor you see for your cataract surgery, the doctor your grandmother sees to have her age-related macular degeneration checked, the one who prescribed the bedtime drops to slow down your grandfather's glaucoma. In the next few weeks I will be the doctor your father sees for his stroke, the doctor who treats your grandmother's heart failure, the doctor you see in A&E to treat your asthma. Potentially the doctor you meet in intensive care.
The landscape of medicine has changed in only a few weeks. Ophthalmology has one of the largest outpatient services. We see hundreds of patients per week for surgery or in clinic to fix common eye complaints. We have now cancelled all routine outpatient activity and kept only urgent care.
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