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Curriculum

Our integrated PGY-1 Ophthalmology internship curriculum includes 3 months of clinical ophthalmology and 9 months of ophthalmology-customized broad patient care experiences across internal medicine and surgical subspecialties. Comprehensive clinical and surgical ophthalmology training during the PGY 2-4 years encompasses the entire spectrum of ophthalmic care, with focused clinical experience and didactics in all subspecialty areas:

  • Anterior segment diseases
  • Cataract
  • Cornea
  • Glaucoma
  • Medical retina
  • Neuro-ophthalmology
  • Ocular oncology
  • Oculoplastic and orbital surgery
  • Ophthalmic pathology
  • Pediatric ophthalmology
  • Refraction, contact lenses, and low-vision aids
  • Strabismus
  • Uveitis and ocular inflammation
  • Vitreoretinal surgery

Ophthalmology Global Health Track

Under the direction of Ashlie A. Bernhisel, M.D., for the 2024-2025 academic year we are launching our global ophthalmology/health equities track! This educational opportunity will equip residents to provide equitable eye care with integrity and empathy as well as thoughtfully prepare residents for local and international experiences so that they can contribute in a meaningful and bi-directional way.

Resident perspective

Resident perspective

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Rotations

PGY-1 Rotation schedule

Rotation Length
Oculoplastic surgery 4 weeks
Comprehensive ophthalmology 4 weeks
Cornea 4 weeks
Out-patient neurology / neuroradiology 4 weeks
Emergency medicine 4 weeks
Neurology 4 weeks
Internal medicine 4 weeks
Infectious disease 4 weeks
Elective 4 weeks
Medical genetics 2 weeks
Plastic surgery 2 weeks
Rheumatology 2 weeks
Dermatology 2 weeks
Cardiology 2 weeks
Hematology 2 weeks
MICU 2 weeks
GI 2 weeks

PGY-2 Rotation schedule

Rotation Length
Comprehensive ophthalmology 4 months
Refraction/pediatrics/glaucoma 2 months
Uveitis/oncology/pathology 2 months
Neuro-ophthalmology 2 months
Retina 2 months

PGY-3 Rotation schedule

Rotation Length
Cataract/comprehensive 3 months
Cornea 2 months
Glaucoma 2 months
Oculoplastics 2 months
Pediatric ophthalmology 2 months
Retina 1 month

PGY-4 Rotation schedule

Rotation Length
Chief resident - Rochester 9 months
VA Medical Center 3 months

Didactics curriculum

Our program approaches the science and art of ophthalmology from a variety of different angles: 

  • Weekly AAO Basic and Clinical Science Course didactic lectures
  • Weekly Department of Ophthalmology grand rounds
  • Weekly resident case conferences
  • Weekly COS rounds on PGY-2-oriented topics (July-December)
  • Weekly case presentation conferences
  • Bimonthly retina imaging (fellow-led)
  • Monthly retina imaging (faculty-led)
  • Semiweekly optics didactics series for PGY-2 trainees (July-October)
  • Ocular pathology didactics
  • Monthly video-based surgical outcomes conferences
  • Monthly subspecialty journal clubs
  • Quarterly morbidity and mortality conferences
  • Quarterly video-based ocular trauma conferences
  • Quality Academy didactics program

 Surgical and procedural training

  • EyeSi surgical simulator (24-hour access)
  • Surgical wet lab with eye bank human donor eyes (24-hour access)
  • LASIK certification course
  • Corneal suture course / wet laboratory
  • Oculoplastics suture course
  • Ophthalmology Olympics (procedural training workshop)
  • Dedicated resident retinal laser clinics
  • Resident oculoplastic procedure clinics