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Applying to the Casey Eye Institute Ophthalmology Residency Program

We offer five positions for a four-year ophthalmology residency, including an integrated internship, through the San Francisco Match. Please apply through the SF Match website.

Important Application Information and Requirements

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Our application deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. All completed applications received by this date will be reviewed by our program for consideration to interview. Interview invitations are usually sent out in mid-October.

All applicants to our program must successfully complete Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). USMLE Step 2 CK submission is required by Oct. 2, 2026.

In the SF Match application, our program also strongly suggests selecting the resilience personal statement question as one of the two essays completed. If this essay is not chosen for the application, then we highly recommend submitting the resilience personal statement essay to us directly.

Applicants must legally be able to work in the U.S.

Interview Process

We do not rank candidates without interviewing and typically interview 45-50 candidates out of nearly 700 applications received. We are looking to recruit a diverse group of residents who show outstanding promise as future ophthalmologists. We do not select candidates based on a single criteria, and we review the applications in a holistic fashion. 

On interview day, we provide presentations about our program by residency leadership, our residents, and the CEI Community Outreach Program. We typically have three interview rooms plus additional non-interview rooms with faculty and residents to give candidates a chance to learn more about our program.

2026 interview dates:
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026
Monday, Dec. 7, 2026

For additional information about the application process, please contact: Susan Minnieweather at 503-494-9255. 

Visiting Medical Student Ophthalmology Rotation Scholarship

As part of our efforts to increase improve access to vision care in ophthalmology, we are honored to provide scholarship support for qualifying visiting medical students accepted into our 4-week ophthalmology elective.

The experience includes:

  • 4-week rotation in clinical ophthalmology
  • Mentorship
  • Possibility for scholarly projects in collaboration with faculty and residents
  • Stipend

Application process

Interested medical students must complete all of the following steps in order to be considered for the scholarship:

  1. Apply via the VSLO® for Students & Residents. 
  2. Receive acceptance from VSLO to the 4-week ophthalmology elective at Casey Eye Institute.
  3. Complete the Casey Eye Institute application form.