Ophthalmology Residency Program
The ophthalmology residency program at the University of Colorado focuses on developing outstanding clinical and surgical skills. Our resident experience is both broad and deep, with extensive exposure to the evaluation and management of both common and rare ophthalmic diseases.
Our residents' growth is assisted by faculty dedicated to resident education, cutting-edge research programs that keep them up-to-date on the latest developments, teaching sessions that build a solid fund of knowledge, and busy clinic settings that balance autonomy and oversight. At the end of the program, residents have a foundation that allows them to become highly competent leaders.
After the intern year in partnership with the University of Colorado Department of Internal Medicine, residents complete three years of ophthalmology training. Here, they attend science lectures and journal clubs given by faculty to enhance their fund of knowledge and their ability to review literature critically. Weekly clinical conferences give them experience in presenting cases as well as exposure to a variety of approaches to disease management. Organized wet labs guided by faculty allow them to hone their surgical skills prior to working on live patients.
As the only academic medical center
for hundreds of miles, our residents have the advantage of working at a range of unshared university-affiliated hospitals that see patients from the entire state of Colorado as well as surrounding states. These include a Veterans Administration Hospital, Denver Health Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center. The high surgical volume and balanced clinical experience at these facilities allow for an exceptional learning environment. We are proud of our training program and our residents, and we constantly strive to maintain an environment that
allows them to develop into skilled ophthalmologists.
The University of Colorado Ophthalmology Residency Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Residency Rotations
Preliminary Medicine Year (PGY-1)
All of our incoming ophthalmology residents spend their first year as internal medicine interns. In addition to required rotations on the internal medicine wards, interns spend three rotations on ophthalmology to start building the foundation for their future residency. These ophthalmology rotations include one month of each of the following:
- Working alongside our optometrists and low-vision specialists, including:
- Becoming familiar with refraction
- Using the slit lamp
- Performing a basic eye exam in the clinic
- Inpatient consults
- Working alongside the consult resident
- Seeing patients in the emergency department and inpatient hospital
- Introduction to the operating room, including
- Pre and post-operative care
- Working in our dedicated ophthalmology operating rooms to become familiar with surgical tools and equipment
Each of the three years of ophthalmology residency is divided into six rotations, each lasting approximately eight weeks. Details for each year are in the following tabs.
The First Year (PGY-2)
The first year focuses on attaining the basic clinical skills and fund of knowledge needed to properly evaluate and manage the majority of ophthalmic pathology encountered. Lectures, clinical conferences and wet lab training combine with extensive guided clinical experience to achieve this goal. First-,year rotations include:
- Glaucoma (University of Colorado)
- Neuro-Ophthalmology (University of Colorado)
- Pediatrics, subspecialty potpourri, and night float (split between the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital of Colorado)
- VA Clinic (Veteran’s Affairs Hospital)
- Denver Health Clinic (Denver Health)
The Second Year (PGY-3)
Having developed their clinical skills in the first year, second-year residents begin a year that includes a high volume of procedures in the fields of strabismus, oculoplastics, and retina. Additionally, they perform their first cataract procedures as primary surgeon. Second-year rotations include:
- Pediatrics (Children’s Hospital of Colorado)
- Oculoplastics (University of Colorado)
- Retina (University of Colorado)
- Inpatient Consults and Ocular Pathology (University of Colorado)
- VA Clinic and OR (Veteran’s Affairs Hospital)
- Denver Health Clinic and OR (Denver Health)
The Third Year (PGY-4)
The third year is an intense year of surgery, including focusing on:
- Cataract
- Cornea
- Glaucoma
- Oculoplastics
- Retina Procedures
Our cataract surgery numbers are well above the national average and far exceed the minimum surgical requirements established by the ACGME.
The senior resident also serves as a consultant for the junior residents, both in the clinics and on call. They have a high level of responsibility in both the care of patients and the organization of their surgery schedule. Though functioning with greater independence, senior residents have an attending available at all times for questions and surgical supervision. As the year progresses, the residents’ surgical skills and decision-making mature so that upon completion of residency, they should feel comfortable addressing any ophthalmologic situation that arises.
Third-year rotations include:
- Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery (University of Colorado)
- Subspecialty Refresher (University of Colorado)
- VA Clinic and OR (Veteran’s Affairs Hospital) – 2 blocks
- Denver Health Clinic and OR (Denver Health) – 2 blocks
Application Eligibility, Process and Deadline
Training begins in July for six first-year residents. Appointments to the residency program are made through the Ophthalmology Residency Matching Program via the SFMatch. Our joint intern year in partnership with the Department of Internal Medicine is required, and instructions for matching into that program through ERAS/NRMP are distributed to applicants that match our ophthalmology program. Graduates of foreign medical schools may be considered for the residency if they are eligible to obtain a physician license from the Colorado Medical Board.
All applicants must meet the following requirements by the residency appointment date:
- Graduation from a Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school in the United States or Canada
- Possession of or eligibility for a Colorado Medical License
- Satisfactory completion of a PGY1 internship year in an accredited program in the United States or Canada (now completed as part of the University of Colorado Internal Medicine training program, as described above)
- Satisfactory completion of the USMLE, Part 3
The residency application process is managed through SF Match, where application requirements and deadlines are listed. Please contact our Residency Coordinator with questions.
Residency Program Director
Monica Ertel, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
Residency Program Director, Department of Ophthalmology
Residency Program Coordinator
