The goal of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at The Ohio State University is to provide excellence in education and clinical training. We strive to produce a confident, competent, well-trained ophthalmologist after three years of postgraduate training in ophthalmology with the ability to directly proceed into a comprehensive clinical ophthalmology practice, fellowship training, or other academic pursuits. To achieve this goal, the faculty of the William H. Havener Eye Institute have designed a three-year, milestones-based ophthalmology residency program curriculum for an educational cohort of six residents per year.

Our Areas of Expertise

Corneal and External Disease

Our faculty in the corneal and external disease division includes internationally recognized experts in keratorefractive surgery, contact lens and topographical mapping of the cornea. Residents participate in a wide variety of surgical experiences, including various corneal transplantation procedures, refractive surgery and cataract surgery. The department has a long track record of basic science research in corneal biomechanics with research faculty doing work in this area.

Glaucoma

The glaucoma division at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center provides the latest in surgical and medical management of glaucoma. A full range of advanced technologies, including YAG, argon ALT, SLT and diode lasers are available in the management of difficult glaucoma patients. The division participates in a number of nationally sponsored clinical trials. Surgical care includes various filtering technologies. The glaucoma division works closely with our research faculty and are internationally known for their work in intra-ocular pressure measurement as well as work in corneal biomechanics.

Neuro-Ophthalmology

The neuro-ophthalmology section consists of two neuro-ophthalmologists within a large university medical center with technology supporting evolving imaging techniques, including various magnetic resonance imaging and CT scanning procedures. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center contains the largest coil magnetic resonance imaging unit in the country. Used for research this unit provides some of the highest quality images available anywhere in the world.

Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Residents experience a wide variety of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery with three full time in-house oculoplastics faculty as well as multiple community faculty physicians who are nationally and internationally recognized as experts in this field. Ptosis surgery, blepharoplasty, repair of complicated eyelid lacerations, dacryocystorhinostomy, enucleation and socket reconstruction are a few of the surgical techniques expected to be handled by resident staff physicians.

Pediatric Ophthalmology

Residents have clinical opportunities with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, a nationally recognized pediatric hospital. The residency program boasts an active resident outpatient clinic and inpatient service where each resident may expect extensive clinical and surgical experience in the area of pediatric ophthalmology, including ROP screening, exposure to ophthalmic manifestations of genetic, developmental and childhood diseases and trauma, strabismus and intraocular surgery. The experience may rival many pediatric fellowships and is a strong component of training at Ohio State.

Retina-Vitreous, Uveitis and Tumors

Experts in the retina and vitreous areas use a wide variety of state-of-the-art technology for diagnosing and treating of disorders of the retina and vitreous. These include high resolution fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, time domain and spectral domain OCT, Fundus Autofluorescence, ERG, VER and various ultrasound modalities. Residents are expected to order and interpret retinal imaging on their patients. Residents routinely perform laser treatments and intravitreal injections on their patients. The Retina Division participates in a number of NIH/National Eye Institute and private industry sponsored studies. In addition to doing laser treatments on their clinic patients, residents participate in repair of complicated vitreo-retinal surgical procedures. The retina service also includes an active ocular tumor service and is a regional referral center for  management of ocular melanoma and other ocular tumors.

Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC) Textbooks

All residents are provided with a brand new print set of the Basic and Clinic Science Course which is published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology annually. The department also has an electronic subscription to these books, of which residents are welcome to use.

Access to Online Board Review Question Banks

The Department pays for resident access (beginning in the PGY1 internship year through PGY4 year) to two online question banks (OphthoQuestions and AAO Online Question Bank) for resident study proposes.

Equipment

Residents are provided with a brand new, wireless indirect ophthalmoscope, scleral depressor, gonio lens and 3 lenses (typically 20D, 78D, Superfield) during their internship year. The department utilizes a long-standing ‘pay it forward’ program to purchase these items. Three years after a resident graduates, they will be asked to ‘pay’ for the equipment of a current first year resident. If well taken care of, this equipment can last for many, many years of practice.

Resident Education Fund

Each resident is provided with an educational fund of $800 to use towards the purchase of loupes, textbooks, meeting registration, etc… Prior approval by the program director is required and the purchases must take place during the time of employment as a resident.

Publication Incentive

For each accepted research publication, residents are provided with a monetary award.

Conference Attendance / Participation:

• Wills Eye Review Course
The Department pays for all second year residents to travel and participate in the Annual Wills Eye Review Course.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Department provides $500 to each third year resident towards travel to the American Academy of Ophthalmology national meeting.
• Acceptance to Present at National Meeting
For any resident accepted to present at a national meeting (ASCRS, AAPOS, ARVO, etc…), the department will pay for all expenses (once per year) the resident to attend.

Work-Related Apparel

The department provides multiple sets of embroidered OSU scrubs and a fleece jacket to all residents. The Graduate Medical Education office also provides all residents with two white coats per year.

Vacation Time

Residents are given 20 days of leave per academic year. The 20 days of leave are divided into 15 days of vacation and 5 days conference/interview leave.

Ohio State University Benefits

All trainees of the Ohio State University Medical Center are considered university employees and have access to full employee benefits. You can learn more at: hr.osu.edu/benefits

Residents are required to develop, carry out and ultimately present a research project as part of their training program. Each resident is required to complete, or make significant progress, in one research project per year for presentation at the annual Department Research Symposium. While nearly all successful applicants have performed research as medical students, the emphasis and expectation is that rather than being handed a project already in the works by a faculty member, the resident will identify an area of interest and develop the hypothesis, materials, methods on his or her own with guidance and feedback from a faculty preceptor. The projects are "resident driven."

It is expected that each resident will submit at least one project for consideration at a national forum, such as ARVO, by the completion of residency. In prior years, the quality of this work has been outstanding, with many of the projects subsequently being presented at prestigious meetings such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, ARVO, AAPOS and ASCRS. Many are published later in peer-reviewed journals.

Training Sites

OSU Eye & Ear Institute (Havener Eye Institute) / Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Primary Sites)

Program Director:  Andrew J. Hendershot, M.D.

Months Residents Rotate at Institution Per Year:

            PGY 2:  5.5 months

            PGY 3:  3.75 months

            PGY 4:  3.25 months 

Children’s Hospital (Affiliate Site)

Local Institution Director:  Mary Lou McGregor, M.D.

Months Residents Rotate at Institution Per Year:

            PGY 2:  2 months

            PGY 3:  4 months

            PGY 4:  0 months (elective time in the third year may be selected)

Dayton Veterans Administration Hospital and Clinic (Affiliate Site)            

Local Institution Director:  Aaron Davis, M.D.

Months Residents Rotate at Institution Per Year:

            PGY 2:  2 month

            PGY 3:  2 months

            PGY 4:  2 months

Columbus Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic (Affiliate Site)

Local Institution Director:  Julie Meier, M.D.

Months Residents Rotate at Institution Per Year:

            PGY 2:  2 months

            PGY 3:  2 months

            PGY 4:  6 months

The Eye Center of Columbus (Affiliate Site)

Local Institution Director:  Kenneth Cahill, M.D.

Months Residents Rotate at Institution Per Year:

           PGY 2:  0.5 months

           PGY 3:  0.25 months (Additional elective time in Plastics may be selected)

            PGY 4:  0.75 months

• MD or DO degree from an accredited medical school
• Eligible to receive a medical training certificate by the State Medical Board of Ohio (must have passed Step 1 & 2)
• Must complete PGY1 Internship in the Ohio State University Department of Internal Medicine – Joint Internship Program
• Completion of successful pre-employment background check and drug screen (completed after match)
  
  

The Ohio State University Ophthalmology Residency Program accepts applications through the San Francisco Match only. For more info and to download an application, visit SF Match. Candidates will also need to register through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for the joint internship component of our program.

Learn More

Program Dates

• Application deadline: September 1
• Interview dates:  November 10, November 30, and December 14, 2023 (virtual)
  
• Residency start date: July 1, 2025

It is imperative that your application contains a phone number, pager number and an email address where you can be reached from September through January. 

Program Director
Andrew Hendershot, MD