Education / Residency Information / The Residency Program

Our program has many distinguishing features:

• The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences serves several excellent hospitals. Washington University Medical Center consists of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (North and South Campus), and St. Louis Children's Hospital. The St. Louis Veterans' Affairs Medical Center and Connect Care Medical Center are two miles from the main medical center campus. These five hospitals have over 2,900 patient beds as well as extensive laboratory and diagnostic facilities.
• The training program utilizes two types of learning experiences. The first is the one-on-one work in the offices of the full-time faculty with exposure to all the subspecialties (glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics, cornea and external disease, pathology, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatrics, oncology). The second involves independent work where the resident is responsible for the evaluation and care of general and subspecialty ophthalmology patients. All clinics and surgeries are supervised by faculty.
• All residents have an opportunity for clinical and/or basic science research projects. There are 17 scientists in the department actively engaged in research programs. The Department ranks second in the nation in terms of NIH funding for eye research, and first in basic research.
• The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is associated with the Postgraduate Medical Science Training Program whereby residents with a Ph.D. can maintain laboratory research projects and participate in the scientific programs of the medical school.