Curriculum/Schedule

Each year of residency is broken down into four, three month rotations. During these rotations, residents will spend their time at a variety of clinical locations and focus on different areas of ophthalmology. The clinical locations and rotations by year are described below.

University of Cincinnati Medical Center/Hoxworth Clinic (UCMC) - This institution primarily serves indigent patients. Through the UCMC, UC Residents have a continuity of care clinic and follow their own patients for all 3 years of their residency and when needed perform surgery on those patients.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (CCHMC) - One of the premiere Children’s Hospitals in the US, we have a large pediatric ophthalmology department with 7 pediatric ophthalmologists, 3 pediatric optometrists and 2 orthoptists, who manage many very complex pediatric eye cases.

Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA) - With a free standing VA eye clinic, the state of the art facility takes care of the eye problems of veterans in the Cincinnati area. Residents run the clinics and perform surgeries with attending supervision.

Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) - With more than 50 ophthalmologists, CEI is one of the largest ophthalmic private practices in the US. CEI boast world renowned ophthalmic subspecialists all of whom welcome the residents into their clinics and operating rooms throughout their residency training. Offices are located near the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the Medical Arts Building (MAB), in Blue Ash (where the main facility is), and throughout the Tri-State area.

PGY2

The First Year (PGY2) rotations consist of a Veteran’s Affair (VAI) rotation, Oculoplastics rotation, University rotation (UCMCI) and Cincinnati Children’s rotation (CCHMCI). In additional to attending the various sites for each rotation, every resident will have at least one half day at the Hoxworth clinic per week for continuity clinic.

Veteran’s Affair (VA-1): The resident splits their time at the VA and Hoxworth clinic. While at the VA, the resident will spend time in both general and subspecialty clinics which are all staffed by an attending. In addition 1 half day per week is spent in cataract surgery, and 1 half day per week is spent in the Hoxworth clinic (every rotation has at least a half day of continuity clinic).

Oculoplastics (Plastics): The majority of the time on this rotation is spent in the OR and offices of our 3 oculoplastic attendings (Jeff Nerad, Dwight Kulwin, and Ginger Henson). You will also spend time with Dr. Michael Lyons, one of our optometrists who will teach about contact lenses.

University (UCMCI): - In this rotation the residents' time is split between Neuro-ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery at CEI, and Ocular Pathology and General Ophthalmology at University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Children’s (CHMCI): The majority of the time on this rotation is spent in the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (CCHMC) where the resident works in the clinic, manages the consult service, and is the primary surgeon in many pediatric ophthalmological surgeries including strabismus, nasolacrimal duct obstructions and oculoplastics procedures.

PGY3

The Second Year (PGY3) rotations consist of a majority of subspecialty rotations including Cornea, Glaucoma and Retina. Additionally, the resident will also manage the consult service during the UCMCII rotation.  

Cornea: During this rotation the resident covers the cornea and uveitis services at University Hospital and the VA. In addition the resident starts to be the primary surgeon in cataract surgery, and scrubs in on complex corneal surgeries.

Retina - During this very “hands-on” rotation the resident is in charge of the retina service at University Hospital (both medical and surgical), spends time at the attending Retina practice at the Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI). Additionally, the resident will spend time with Dr. Augsburger doing ocular oncology both in the clinic and the OR. This resident is also in charge of the monthly Fluorescein conferences.

Glaucoma: During this rotation the resident spends time with our various glaucoma attendings both in the clinic and the OR. Much of this rotation is spent with CEI faculty at their private offices. In addition this rotation has a half day per week of protected research time.

UCMCII: This resident is in charge of the consult service and all of the urgent patients at University of Cincinnati Medical Center

PGY4

The Third Year (PGY4) rotations consist of chief resident rotations including Veterans Affair III A and B (VAIII A and B), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC III) and University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC III). During this year is when the residents will get the majority of their primary surgeon cases.

CCHMCIII: Like the first year rotation this resident is primarily at CCHMC, however, as the chief resident, much more time is spent on surgery.

UCMCIII - On this rotation the resident spends approximately 1 full day doing cataract surgery, 1 full day doing glaucoma surgery, and one half day per month doing oculoplastics surgery on University Hospital patients. The rest of the time is spent in Hoxworth clinic.

VA IIIA and IIIB:- These residents each spend 1 full day doing cataract surgery, additionally with one chief doing Retina surgery and the VA Retina clinic and the other doing oculoplastic surgery and oculoplastics clinic. The rest of their time is split between the VA and Hoxworth clinics