Education
The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science offers a wide variety of educational experiences for medical students, residents and fellows. Our clinical education program is centered at the University of Chicago Medical Center, with additional experiences at the University of Chicago's affiliates and NorthShore University Health System.
Each year in July, the Department accepts one vitreoretinal surgery fellow, three ophthalmology residents, and one optometry resident to begin training.
Ophthalmology Residency
Our ophthalmology residency program is designed to provide a graduated experience leading to independent responsibility in the medical and surgical management of all ophthalmic patients. The three-year residency offers a diversity of clinical settings, patients, and pathology. Training is centered at the University of Chicago Medical Center, with additional experiences at the University of Chicago’s educational affiliates, and NorthShore University HealthSystem.
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Vitreoretinal Fellowship
The Department of Ophthalmology offers a two-year Vitreoretinal Fellowship that is both AUPO- and ASRS-compliant. The focus of this Fellowship is to evaluate, diagnose, and medically or surgically manage vitreoretinal diseases. Our Retina Fellows work very closely with the Retina Faculty and Retina Resident as part of a “Retina Team” that runs our specialty clinic.
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Optometry Programs
Residency in Ocular Disease
We have the only optometric residency program in Illinois at a teaching hospital with a school of medicine. This 53-week clinical program offers optometrists the unique opportunity to practice hospital-based eye care and train alongside ophthalmology specialists at our academic medical center.
Externship
We support 4th year optometry students from the Illinois College of Optometry as part of their final year of training in clinical rotations. Our faculty serve as mentors to support their learning and growth as young doctors.
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Graduate Education
We have opportunities for graduate students to pursue clinical work with the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science (OVS) for the Master of Science (MS) degree or the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Applicants should have a broad and appropriate educational background across multiple disciplines of the natural sciences. Although clinical work does not earn credit directly for the University of Chicago graduate programs, it can be performed concurrently with medical residency or fellowship programs. The curriculum is customized and designed for individuals who are interested in a career in research in vision and ophthalmology.
