Even more med school regrets

If you could go back in time and tell your younger self-the impressionable medical school student unaware of everything you will end up exploring, learning, and accomplishing in the world of ophthalmology-what would you tell yourself? In this series, we posed this question to several of our editorial advisory board members.

Mark Packer, MD, already shared his med school regrets. Up next is Uday Devgan, MD, FACS, chief of ophthalmology, Olive View UCLA School of Medicine.

10. There is no substitute for experience: rotate through county and VA hospitals where you will work hard and do a lot.

9. Practice manual dexterity skills such as suturing, particularly with your non-dominant hand.

8. If you interview at a residency program where their current residents are miserable, avoid that program at all costs because you'll be miserable too.

7. Ace the boards (USMLE Step 1) since it's the only way to compare medical students from multiple different schools.

6. Make sure you achieve AOA status (Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society), hopefully in your junior year.

5. Those who actually enjoy psychiatry may have a DSM-5 diagnosis of their own.

4. Work hard and learn as much as possible on all rotations, even if you've decided to do ophthalmology.

3. It's ok to drop the placenta on your shoe as long as you catch the baby (the shoe will be ruined).

2. Leave the attitude at the door and be open and enthusiastic.

1. Don't wait to be spoonfed-see patients on your own and then present them to your attendings with the exam, assessment, and plan completed.