New York University/MEETH residency program highlighted

The departments of ophthalmology at the New York University Medical Center and at MEETH both enjoy a long and storied history, producing some of the leading ophthalmologists of our time. In July 2000, a historic merger took place, combining the two programs into one. The program was expanded to seven residents per year, 21 in all, allowing our residents to experience the benefits of all of the hospitals we serve.

Our residents rotate through five different hospitals: the New York University Hospitals Center, MEETH, Bellevue Hospital, the Manhattan Veterans' Administration Medical Center, and Lenox Hill Hospital. Each hospital has a unique character and patient base, providing our residents with an extremely diverse and comprehensive experience in ophthalmology.

In July 2002, Dr. Jack Dodick became the acting chairman of the department of ophthalmology and a year later, the permanent chairman. Since that time, he has worked to unify and strengthen the residency program at the five hospitals, improving upon an already outstanding department.

In addition to rotating through the five hospitals, our residents enjoy an extensive didactic lecture series, taught by the ophthalmologists from all of our institutions. The Greater New York Ophthalmologic Clinical Lecture Series, attended by all of the ophthalmology residents in the New York area, is held at our institution, adding to the rich academic environment provided by our program.

This academic environment, combined with the diverse patient populations and attending ophthalmologists, as well as the resources of a major medical center, provides our residents with ample opportunity to conduct and become involved with research projects in the many subspecialties of ophthalmology. These research projects usually result in publications in the major ophthalmology journals as well as presentations at the major annual international ophthalmology meetings.

To help guide our residents through their training, we have instituted a mentoring program in which we assign each resident to two or three mentors, members of our faculty, usually in their primary area of interest, who provide support, advice, and guidance in research and in obtaining post-graduate fellowship training. This occurs at the end of the first year of residency or beginning of the second, and these mentors help guide the residents through their career choices.

At the beginning of the first year, each first year resident is assigned a third-year "buddy" to help them adjust to their new position.

Our residency program provides a unique training opportunity for resident applicants who wish to obtain medical and surgical ophthalmology training in a rich, diverse, exciting and challenging residency program.

-Laurence T.D. Sperber, MD, is a Residency Program Director Department of Ophthalmology New York University School of Medicine.