Delivering excellence in ophthalmic education

The residency program is at the heart of OHSU Casey Eye Institute's mission: to eliminate preventable blindness and improve quality of life through leadership in the art, science, and technology of 21st century eye care. We seek to train the very best of the next generation of ophthalmologists for this vision in a supportive and nurturing environment.

The Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University is the main site for the ophthalmology residency program. As the only ophthalmology residency program in the state of Oregon, we care for a diverse population of patients from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The department is a top recipient of NIH funding with a nationally recognized faculty in all subspecialty areas of ophthalmology. The residents also spend a significant portion of their training at VA Portland Health Care System, where a superb faculty dedicated to teaching provide thoughtful guidance to residents as they take the lead in care of our veterans. As a part of their final year, the residents have an urban comprehensive ophthalmology experience at Devers Eye Institute (3 miles away), with outstanding support of the dedicated faculty.

Leveraging the academic and clinical resources of these institutions, we hope that we will not only train residents with the best and the latest knowledge and skills, but the passion and vision to lead and push our field forward.  

Related article: Resident physicians thrive in program's collaborative culture

Applying to our program

We will offer five positions with integrated internship that starts in June 2021 through the San Francisco Match. Please apply through the SF Match website. 

Due to the current pandemic, the timeline and format has been changed for the year. The deadline for application is October 1, 2020. We will send invitations for interviews following review of the MSPEs after October 21. 

The interview dates for 2020 are:

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020

This year's ophthalmology residency match will be different than previous years. In particular, all interviews for ophthalmology residency will be virtual, including ours. Our virtual interview day will consist of presentations about the program by residency directors and residents, four interviews with two to three faculty members each, opportunities to interact with and ask our residents questions and videos of our hospital system and eye institute.

We do not rank candidates without interviewing, and we do not offer alternate dates. Last year, we offered interviews to 46 candidates out of 538 applications received. Due to the virtual format this year, we expect to offer 36 interviews this year. 

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 do review the applications in a holistic fashion.  

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

Clinical rotations are offered at OHSU, Portland VA Medical Center, and Devers Eye Institute at Legacy Health. The integrated internship year provides a balanced introduction to general medicine and ophthalmology. There is an ongoing ophthalmology experience throughout the year, along with dedicated rotations and didactics. 

The residents will transition into 100% ophthalmology experience in the PGY-2 year, building on the fundamentals through comprehensive ophthalmology, retina, uveitis, pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology, and pathology. In the PGY-3 year, residents continue developing as ophthalmic surgeons and consultant, with emphasis on hospital consultations, glaucoma, cornea, and pediatric ophthalmology. Throughout PGY-2 and PGY-3 year, residents have a half a day of continuity clinic every week at OHSU, where they have the opportunity to direct the care of a panel of patients longitudinally. The final year offers opportunities for independent clinical management and intensive surgical experience.

Before the residents operate in the patient eye, they are led through a curriculum of wet lab and the EyeSi surgical simulator. The faculty provides individualized instruction for residents and the program provides dedicated time for the residents to practice and improve. By the end of the second year, the residents perform 30-40 cataract surgeries as the primary surgeon. In the final year of the program, the residents perform routine and complex surgeries with an emphasis on quality, safety, and efficiency. Over the last few years, the residents have graduated with around 200 primary cataract surgeries on average.

Lectures and conferences are held every Friday from 7 a.m. to noon and on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 -6:30 p.m.. Informed by tradition, education science, and a vision for life-long continuous improvement, the lectures and conferences complement the clinical learning by providing forum for case-based discussions, interactive learning, and wellness. Some key features include:

• Grand Rounds take place weekly and consist of a mix of case presentations and lectures from local and renowned guest faculty from around the world.  

• Basic and Clinical Science Course focuses on the core medical knowledge and goes through all subspecialty areas every year.  

• Journal Clubs are held monthly and hosted by faculty on rotating basis. The residents discuss the classic landmark articles as well as important recent publications with the faculty in a non-threatening environment. 

• Wellness Conference focuses on practical skills to improve resilience and wellness during residency.  

Casey Eye Institute offers exceptional research opportunities with a large complement of clinical and research faculty engaged in projects who are eager to work with residents. Every resident is expected to engage in a research project and the department provides support with dedicated research time, a statistician, as well as support for presenting original works at national meetings.

In the spring of each year, the residents present their work at the Casey Eye Institute Research Day. You can find last year’s Research Day program here to see a sampling of scholarly work done by our residents. A list of peer-reviewed publications by our residents can be found here. You can also view a sampling of our faculty research activities and publications from the program. 

Many of our residents come to Casey with an amazing record of service and they continue to make a difference while they are here. The residents play a central role with the Casey Community Outreach Program Mobile Clinic, which provides free, on-site vision screening throughout Oregon through partnership with community agencies. Led by the residents, the Respectacle chapter of Casey Eye Institute contributes to the campaign to eliminate preventable blindness by cleaning, measuring, and matching donated eyeglasses for distribution in resource-poor settings.

The residents also have an opportunity for a 2 week-long experience to serve in a regional or international setting. We do not envision these as a chance for the residents to supplement their surgical experience, but for adding value for our partners by providing our unique expertise. Examples of recent resident service rotations include performing needs assessment for a residency training program in Myanmar; assisting in cataract teaching course in South Africa; assisting in wet lab course in Angola; and extended vision screening program in rural Oregon.

Mentorship

Casey Eye Institute matches every resident with a faculty member through our mentorship program. The purpose of the program is to leverage our faculty’s experience and insight to support residents’ wellness, focus their career development and optimize their learning. Through regular meetings and informal conversations, the mentors advise the residents on their growth and act as their advocate. We believe that mentorship is a key element in helping residents achieve their potential at Casey.

Portland, Oregon is famous for its natural beauty and vibrant city life. Situated at the confluence of Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Portland offers easy access to the Oregon Coast, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River Gorge. With a mild climate all year around, the city offers great parks, walkable neighborhoods, and a sophisticated public transit system. Local music, food and drinks regularly draw national attention, yet the restaurants and entertainment remain accessible.   

In recent years, Portland's housing market has become more expensive, but remains more affordable than other cities on the West Coast with good options close to the hospital.

Residency program leadership

Susan Minnieweather - Education Manager

Thomas Hwang, M.D. - Program Director

Daniel Tu, M.D., Ph.D. - Associate Program Director

John Clements, M.D. - Associate Program Director

Ambar Faridi, M.D. - Associate Program Director

More questions?

The residents have compiled answers to the frequently asked questions by the applicants about our program, including vacation policy, call, salary, and parking. To learn more, contact:

Susan Minnieweather, Education Manager

OHSU Casey Eye Institute
Residency Program
515 SW Campus Dr.
Portland OR 97239