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Ophthalmology Residency Program
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Joint Internship (PGYI)

As part of the new ACGME requirements, the intern year for all ophthalmology residencies will be incorporated into the home institution of the program. For residents who match at Case Western Reserve University Department of Ophthalmology, the PGYI year will be completed through the Department of Internal Medicine as a preliminary medicine year. This program includes time at both the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. These rotations will help to better familiarize residents with the hospital system, electronic medical record and colleagues in other departments at both institutions. This will also provide them a head start in ophthalmology as interns will spend 3 months in the ophthalmology department.

Rotation schedules are determined by the Department of Internal Medicine, with 3 months (six 2-week blocks) dedicated to elective ophthalmology rotations.

  • The first block is spent at orientation with the PGYII class during the first two weeks of July.
  • A total of 6 weeks is spent at the VA during which interns are encouraged to shadow until they feel comfortable, then start seeing patients on their own. They are also included in the operating room and routinely will have the opportunity to assist in surgical procedures.
  • One 2-week block is spent with the PGYIII resident on adult consults to help familiarize the interns with ophthalmology consults and prepare for primary call during their PGYII year.
  • One 2-week block is spent rotating through different sub-specialty clinics including cornea, plastics, retina, pediatrics and neuro; to get exposure to different specialties and also meet a variety of the department faculty.

During these electives, outside of clinic, residents are expected to complete basic reading assignments, attend didactics and take a total of 4 days of buddy call including one weekend call. For more information on non-elective rotations, please visit the Department of Internal Medicine Website.