Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program Virtual Tour

Driven by a mission to create colleagues in both academic and private practice ophthalmology, our Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program is led by a robust faculty who represent all major subspecialties of ophthalmology, and who teach residents through clinics, surgery, wet-lab training and didactics. 

Jamie Rosenberg, MD, Director, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program

Why our program could be right for you

The Montefiore Einstein Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program offers trainees the opportunity to work with faculty in providing the highest-quality eye care to people in the Bronx, Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley. Our state-of-the-art wet lab allows for early surgical training, and trainees benefit from a lecture portal for flipped-classroom learning. Residents also have access to an elective in Mexico, as well as a joint internship with Internal Medicine. The well-being of our residents informs additional program resources, such as on-campus furnished apartments, wellness days, team-building exercises and social activities. 

What sets Montefiore Einstein apart

At Montefiore Einstein, we are guided by a mission to heal, to teach, to discover and to advance the health of the communities we serve. Comprising 11 member hospitals and more than 300 specialty care sites, Montefiore Health System provides highly specialized, coordinated care for diverse populations in the New York region, across the country and globally.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, home to nearly 1,000 students in its MD, PhD and combined MD/PhD programs, is one of the nation’s preeminent centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. Through the joint efforts of Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Einstein is able to advance research and accelerate discoveries, benefiting patients and ensuring access to state-of-the-art healthcare for all.  

  • Montefiore’s medical specialties ranked as top 1% in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
  • Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM) recognized as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine ranked a top 50 “Best Medical School for Research in the Country, 2023” by U.S. News & World Report 
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Einstein $192M+ in research funding in 2023, placing Einstein in the top 35 among 154 schools of medicine
  • 850+ clinical trials 
Catherine C. Skae, MD, Vice President and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education

Graduate Medical Education at Montefiore Einstein

Representing one of the top 10 largest medical and surgical training programs in the country, Montefiore Health System and our Albert Einstein College of Medicine provide postgraduate clinical training to more than 1,400 residents and fellows per year. Clinicians across Montefiore Einstein’s numerous educational programs actively mentor and cultivate a new generation of healthcare leaders. 

Our mission to improve access and quality of care for our diverse community draws residents and fellows from top medical, dental and PA schools from around the world. We develop and expand programs designed to advance teamwork, communication and decision-making, and our progressive focus on comprehensive care provides an ideal training ground for our residents and fellows.

To make the process of working and training at Montefiore Einstein more seamless, we offer a variety of services for our house staff, physician assistants and interns, including assistance with credentialing and orientation, institutional resources, visas, contracts, HR documents, payroll, notary services and specialty training and certifications. 

Montefiore Einstein by the numbers

7.7 million+

patient interactions annually  

1.1 million+

patients annually, representing the largest network in the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley

200+

specialty care locations, with more coming soon

40,000+

employees

Montefiore Einstein’s flagship ophthalmology center

Home to our largest offices, the Henkind Eye Institute at Greene Medical Arts Pavilion (MAP) offers 27 lanes for patient care, as well as advanced diagnostic testing capabilities, lasers and a minor procedure room. Residents work in a dedicated clinic staffed by an attending, and in subspecialty clinics with faculty. 

Montefiore Einstein feels like home. It’s provided me with a warm environment to grow as a clinician and surgeon.

Sierra Jin, MD

Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Resident, Class of 2021

A partner teaching hospital designated as a Level 1 trauma center

Run by our residents, the eye clinic at Jacobi Medical Center (JMC) allows trainees to directly care for the communities we serve. Clinics, lasers, minor procedures and major surgical procedures are supervised by comprehensive and subspecialty faculty. In keeping with our policy of graduated autonomy, residents take excellent care of patients while also learning how to be independent practitioners. 

The Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program at Montefiore Einstein combines three crucial and unique building blocks: supportive faculty, the diversity of New York City’s population and a family feeling.

Anne Barmettler, MD

Director, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

An advanced ophthalmic surgical training facility

Our Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residents begin their training in the safest possible way, in our highly equipped wet lab, and continue to refine their technique as they progress through our program. The Ronald M. Burde, MD, Microsurgical Simulation Laboratory is one of the most advanced of its kind, outfitted with 14 video-enabled microsurgical stations, five phacoemulsification platforms, interactive presentation and display systems and a dedicated conference room and computer laboratory.

A world-renowned faculty

Roy Chuck, MD, PhD

Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Jamie Rosenberg, MD

Director, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program
Professor, Ophthalmology
Professor, Pediatrics

Matthew Wieder, MD

Associate Director, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program

Anne Barmettler, MD

Director, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Professor, Plastic Surgery

Claudia P. Castiblanco, MD

Director, Uveitis Service
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Norman B. Medow, MD

Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology
Director, Adult Strabismus Service
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor, Pediatrics

Umar K. Mian, MD

Director, Retina Service
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Jeffrey S. Schultz, MD

Vice Chairman, Clinical Affairs
Director, Glaucoma Service
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Joann Kang, MD

Director, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service
Co-Director, Hutchinson Campus Ophthalmology
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Margaret Kealy

Coordinator, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program

A challenging and innovative curriculum

Overview

Our program provides coverage to the majority of hospitals in the Bronx, affording residents exposure to an impressive breadth of pathologies. Over the course of the three-year residency, continual learning experiences in the clinic, operating room, classroom and wet lab allow our Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residents to learn the full spectrum of ophthalmic patient care, including medical and surgical treatment of all types of eye disease.

Strong clinical and surgical experience

At the heart of our curriculum is a drive to provide residents with a strong clinical and surgical experience. The curriculum includes resident participation in formal wet-lab sessions held in the Ronald M. Burde, MD, Microsurgical Simulation Laboratory, with formal didactic and hands-on sessions proctored by faculty and industry leaders. Residents on subspecialty rotations work closely with faculty in clinics, with a strong emphasis on clinical management of pathology. Residents also attend an intensive laboratory-based orbit and eyelid anatomy course, which includes a review lecture on orbital anatomy followed by a cadaveric dissection with neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastic attendings. 

Meetings, presentations, rotations and grand rounds

As part of our curriculum, residents participate in weekly meetings with our Chairman, Program Director and teaching faculty to discuss the most complex clinical and surgical cases, and with teaching faculty in resident clinics to discuss interesting cases of the day. Residents also present cases and grand rounds with appropriate subspecialty faculty. Additionally, residents participate in monthly grand rounds held at the Samuel Gartner Library in the Centennial Building, and present in monthly oral board reviews, pathology conferences, case presentations, journal clubs and morbidity and mortality conferences.

Lectures

Program faculty and invited speakers address our residents on all major subspecialty topics throughout the academic year. A special series of dedicated review lectures are given by faculty in the weeks prior to the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) examination.

Paul Henkind Research Day

Held each year in mid-June, the Paul Henkind Research Day serves as a forum for basic and clinical researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences to present their latest work. Resident-led research projects are featured prominently at this conference, and outstanding projects are awarded by a faculty review committee. As a symposium of learning and research on clinical advances, Henkind Day engages Montefiore Einstein’s audience and its network of eye-care professionals.

Conferences

Our residents are strongly encouraged to participate in regional and national conferences, and are supported by a travel stipend for any original research that’s presented. Senior residents are supported in their attendance of review courses, and are given exposure to and networking opportunities in the greater ophthalmology community.

Curriculum by year

Integrated Internship

During their medicine rotation, interns spend 12 weeks on the ophthalmology service, where they gain invaluable experience working in clinics, assisting in the operating room and helping with consults. This exposure enables them to start their first year of the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency with a strong foundation in eye evaluations and eye disease.

First year curriculum

Residents spend the first year of our program building basic ophthalmologic examination skills and fluency in identifying and treating basic ophthalmologic conditions. The majority of the first year is spent in general clinic at Montefiore and Jacobi Medical Center, where patients are always staffed with a dedicated attending physician. First-year residents rotating on the cornea service observe and assist high-volume surgery. Our program also implements a night float and buddy-call system to limit resident fatigue and allow for proper supervision of consultations.

 

Second year curriculum

Second-year residents advance their training in ophthalmological subspecialties with emphasis on cornea, glaucoma, retina, pediatrics/strabismus, neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastics. The second year of training also allows residents to become proficient and independent at retinal lasers, intravitreal injections and glaucoma lasers. Depending on clinic location, second years also field daytime consultations for their respective hospital. 

Third year curriculum

The third year of our program is dedicated to surgical training in high-volume settings, with senior residents splitting their time between specialized clinics, booking cases and the operating room. Surgical schedulers and perioperative staff are dedicated to third-year residents, allowing for optimal teaching and efficiency. Additional duties include acting as the senior resident and overseeing first-year education and clinical workflows under the supervision of a dedicated faculty attending. Third-year residents also take back-up calls on weekdays and weekends.

Surgical experience by year

First year surgical experience

During their first year of training, residents staff the minor procedure clinic, which includes chalazion and eyelid biopsies at Montefiore and Jacobi Medical Center general clinics. First-year residents begin learning anterior segment laser procedures, including YAG capsulotomy, laser peripheral iridotomy and argon laser trabeculoplasty, and they learn to perform retinal lasers and intravitreal injections. Additionally, first-year residents participate in a 10-week rotation on the cornea subspecialty service, during which time they work two times per week as assistant surgeons with an attending surgeon. First-year residents are instructed by attending physicians in a suture lab, held at the Ronald M. Burde, MD, Microsurgical Simulation Laboratory, which provides an introduction to proper surgical techniques under the microscope.

Second year surgical experience

As part of their glaucoma rotation, second years begin performing cataract surgery. During this year, residents also assist and have the opportunity to be primary surgeons in vitreoretinal surgeries. A pediatric rotation provides residents ample opportunity to perform strabismus procedures as primary surgeons.
 

Third year surgical experience

Compared to other New York residency programs, our third-year residents perform among the highest volume of cataract surgeries. Montefiore Einstein’s dedicated third-year cataract booking clinic helps throughput of patients to the operating room, and serves as a referral base within the department. Third-year residents also spend time operating alongside teaching faculty, who mentor residents in surgical technique.

An unmatched diversity of experience

As a premier academic medical center serving the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley, Montefiore Einstein offers its postgraduate trainees comprehensive exposure to a broad diversity of patients and pathologies. The diverse range of experience available prepares our postgraduate trainees for future careers in their chosen field, be it in the research or clinical and/or non-clinical setting.

Our highly engaged and approachable teaching faculty takes enormous pride in guiding our residents throughout their careers.

Anurag Shrivastava, MD

Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Hear from our residents

As one of the top 10 largest medical and surgical training programs in the country, Montefiore Einstein provides postgraduate clinical training to more than 1,400 residents across 106 accredited residency and fellowship programs. Here, our postgraduate trainees share their own first-hand experiences.

Resident research opportunities

Montefiore Einstein is a premier medical research institution with faculty engaged in a diverse range of interests. Within the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, clinical research is centered around Montefiore, with basic science research focused among several laboratories at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. We are the recipient of multiple awards from the NEI and NIH, among other institutions.

Residents actively engage in faculty-mentored research activities over the course of their residency, and have the opportunity to present their research at the annual Paul Henkind Research Day. Our department encourages research presentations at national meetings and provides a yearly stipend to each resident to cover travel and lodging expenses.

In addition to clinical and laboratory research, we have invested tremendous resources into the development of the Center for Ophthalmic Innovation (COIN) and the Ronald M. Burde, MD, Microsurgical Simulation Laboratory. COIN is designed to foster resident and faculty exploration in the development and advancement in microsurgical techniques.

Live and work close to the best of everything

The Bronx, New York City’s northernmost borough, is a culturally rich neighborhood placed at the intersection of Manhattan and its surrounding regions. Our postgraduate trainees typically live in hospital housing or off-site in nearby Riverdale, Lower Westchester or Manhattan, and have access to an unmatched diversity of experiences beyond the program itself. 

In the Bronx, with its ample parks and gardens, you’ll learn first-hand why it’s known as “the City’s Greenest Borough.” The neighborhood offers plenty of local food, art, sports and culture, and is just a subway ride away from Manhattan’s famed theaters, museums and attractions. 

As a resident of the Tri-State region, you’ll have unmatched access to the city’s cultural offerings, not to mention the bounty of outdoor excursions that are available just beyond. Day-trips and weekend excursions to the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Long Island or New Jersey provide ample opportunities for swimming, hiking, biking, skiing and other seasonal activities. 

Drag map or zoom to explore things to do in the Bronx, Manhattan and beyond. 

Residency Application Information

We’re seeking residents who will shape the future of healthcare.

If you would like to apply to become an Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Resident at Montefiore Einstein, here’s  some information to keep in mind.

  • Interviews will be held November 29th - December 1st 2023.

Montefiore Einstein recognizes that having a diverse and inclusive institution is critical to success, and we reaffirm our fervent commitment to fostering a culture in which diversity is a central tenet.
 

Have questions? Get in touch.

Margaret Kealy
Coordinator, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency
mkealy@montefiore.org

Learn More about the Montefiore Einstein Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences