Resident Clinical Experience | Israel Englander Department of Ophthalmology

Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY-1)

Our fully integrated, multi-specialty internship is intentionally designed to complement and enhance the subsequent three years of ophthalmology residency training. Unlike traditional preliminary internships, this formative year offers a tailored educational experience that provides a strong foundation for a successful career in ophthalmology.

Residents begin their PGY-1 year within the Department of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine, where they are introduced to the Department, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, and life in New York City. During the year, residents spend a total of four months in ophthalmology developing core clinical and surgical skills, including the fundamentals of the ophthalmic examination, patient evaluation, refraction, ophthalmic imaging, and basic ophthalmic surgical techniques.

The remaining eight months are dedicated to carefully selected rotations in allied specialties, including Emergency Medicine, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Neurology, Neuroradiology, Dermatology, and Internal Medicine, with focused elective opportunities in Neurological Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Endocrinology, Infectious Disease, and Rheumatology. These rotations provide future ophthalmologists with world-class training in the evaluation and management of systemic diseases with ophthalmic manifestations while fostering meaningful interdisciplinary relationships with the physicians and surgeons they will collaborate with throughout their residencies and careers.

Throughout the internship year, residents also benefit from longitudinal exposure to ophthalmology, dedicated mentorship, and opportunities to engage in research and scholarly activity. Together, these experiences create a seamless transition into residency and establish the clinical, academic, and professional foundation for advanced ophthalmic training.

PGY1 residents rotate on the following services:

Ophthalmology
Emergency Medicine
Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Neurology
Neuro-Radiology
Internal Medicine
Dermatology

Elective opportunities are available on the following clinical services:

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Neurological Surgery
Endocrinology
Rheumatology
Infectious Disease
Pathology
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Post Graduate Year 2 (PGY-2)

The second year of residency represents a concentrated introduction to the basic principles and theories of general ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery. PGY-2 residents master the basic techniques of ophthalmic examination and imaging, as well as the diagnosis and management of a variety of ocular diseases. A total of six months is spent in comprehensive ophthalmology rotations. To complement this comprehensive foundation, purposefully selected subspecialty rotations prepare the PGY-2 resident to manage ophthalmic and ocular adnexal pathology seen on-call and provide them with early, diverse exposures to inform career decisions. Prioritizing resident surgical development, PGY-2 residents are consistently assigned to operating rooms throughout the year to gain primary surgical experience in cataract, strabismus, and oculoplastic surgery.

PGY2 residents primarily rotate on the following services:

Cornea and Comprehensive Ophthalmology
Pediatric Ophthalmology
Oculofacial Plastic, Reconstructive, and Orbital Surgery
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Ocular Oncology

Post Graduate Year 3 (PGY-3)

The third year of residency at Weill Cornell Medicine is one of subspecialty immersion. Residents have dedication rotations in glaucoma, medical retina and vitreoretinal surgery, uveitis, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, and oculofacial plastic surgery. During this year, residents obtain significant experience in the diagnosis and management of increasingly complex disease. During the PGY-3 year, surgical and procedural experiences include cataract surgery, strabismus surgery, oculofacial plastic surgery, vitreoretinal surgery and lasers, and glaucoma surgery and lasers. PGY-3 residents also develop skills and expertise on our busy inpatient consultation service at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. During this rotation, increasing autonomy and indirect supervision is granted with residents serving as specialty consultants, working with and teaching those from other disciplines while managing care for patients with routine and complex ophthalmic disorders.

PGY-3 residents primarily rotate on the following services:

Glaucoma
Medical Retina, Uveitis, and Vitreoretinal Surgery
Pediatric Ophthalmology
Oculofacial Plastic, Reconstructive, and Orbital Surgery
Inpatient Consults

Post Graduate Year 4 (PGY-4)

In their final year of residency training, residents develop mastery of their medical and surgical skills while taking on more leadership, education, and administrative roles. The PGY-4 year is a surgically heavy year, and residents typically spend multiple days in the OR each week. During this year, residents are assigned to longer, mini-fellowship style rotations to work closely with select faculty who are judiciously selected for their exceptional surgical teaching and mentorship. Clinics and ORs are closely coupled, allowing residents to gain continuity in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative surgical care. PGY4 residents also spend a dedicated rotation at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and function with increasing responsibility in caring for a high volume of patients with advanced pathology.

Ophthalmology Call

Call scheduling during all three years of ophthalmology residency is 100-percent call-from-home, without overnight in-house call or night float rotations. We maintain compliance with all state, hospital, and ACGME-mandated duty hours.