The Residency training program at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) is designed to provide a focused didactic education along with graduated clinical and surgical responsibilities. While many graduating residents go on to fellowships in subspecialty areas of ophthalmology, each graduate is competent to pursue a career in comprehensive ophthalmology.

Intern Year

During the intern year, residents will spend three months rotating through all the ophthalmology training sites. This will allow them to meet the faculty and staff at all locations, become familiar with the electronic health records at each site, and establish relationships with other residents in other specialty training programs. In addition they will be oriented to the Jorge N. Buxton, MD, Microsurgical Education Center so they can begin practicing surgical techniques early in their residency.

PGY-2

The first year of residency will include 10 five-week rotations with 60 percent of the time spent at NYEE and the rest at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Elmhurst and James J. Peters VA Medical Center. Residents receive a comprehensive series of introductory lectures during the month of July, prior to assuming their full clinical duties. They spend most of the first part of the year concentrating on basic medical eye care. Inpatient ophthalmology consults are performed by the PGY-2 residents at both Mount Sinai Beth Israel and The Mount Sinai Hospital. Minor surgical procedures are performed through the Oculoplastic, Orbital, and Reconstructive Surgery Service across all training sites.

Special courses are given in the use of instrumentation, refraction, and minor surgical procedures, as well as the management of ocular emergencies. They participate in the weekly lecture series and deliver grand rounds presentations on a rotational basis. Special rotations are also provided in ophthalmic pathology, clinical research, and introduction to orthoptics, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. In the second part of the year, clinical responsibilities increase to include inpatient management, introduction to laser surgery, and basic microsurgery.

PGY-3

Junior residents will participate in 10 five-week rotations with 60 percent of the time spent at NYEE and the remainder at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Elmhurst and James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

In the second year, residents assume responsibility for the strabismus service, the laser clinics, and the consultation service at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. They will also have greater exposure to the rich surgical environment at NYEE. In addition to strabismus surgery, surgery of simple oculoplastics and external disease pathology are part of a shift in responsibility for surgical management, which culminates with introduction to intraocular surgery in the latter part of the year. Cataract surgery will begin in the second year as well.

In their junior year, residents are expected to demonstrate progressive roles in leadership and teaching for first-year residents. Opportunities to become involved with clinical investigation will be available as competency with delivery of clinical care increases. During the final portion of the second year, a variety of surgical laboratory courses are provided to introduce trainees to different aspects of major ophthalmic surgery.

PGY-4

Senior residents will engage in 10 five-week long rotations with 60 percent of their time spent at NYEE and the rest at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Elmhurst and James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

In the third year, senior residents are expected to function as mentors to the first- and second-year residents. Two senior residents are selected by their co-residents and the departmental faculty as Administrative Chief Residents to assist in the organization and running of the teaching program.

The major focus of the third year is the acquisition of surgical competency in each of the subspecialty areas. Ongoing surgical forums are provided to promote the maturation of skills and problem solving. Seniors share case presentations, which are then reviewed by attendings who help to analyze complications and discuss alternative approaches. In addition, there are numerous opportunities to attend outside surgical conferences at the AAO, ASCRS, ARVO, and various meetings throughout the country. With the completion of the residency program, graduating seniors will have had the opportunity to develop facility in medical and surgical management in all aspects of ophthalmic care.