The goal of the first year rotation schedule is to provide a broad range of ophthalmological experience in a variety of settings and to create the foundation of information needed for competency in ophthalmology.  Exposure to subspecialty services occurs during the entire course of the residency but is particularly intensive during the second year.  Subspecialty services are administered by one or more faculty members with subspecialty expertise in areas including cornea and external disease, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastic surgery, ophthalmic pathology, pediatric ophthalmology, refractive surgery, and surgical and medical retinal disease. The goal of the third year resident rotation schedule is to increase surgical experience and to provide opportunities to learn management, teaching and consultation skills as the senior resident at each rotation site.

Residents divide their time between outpatient clinics and inpatient activities, including surgery and consultations at all five hospitals. The level of faculty supervision is consistent with the experience, independence, and responsibility of individual residents.

At the conclusion of the residency, each resident will have performed more than 100 intraocular and more than 50 non-intraocular procedures as the primary surgeon. In addition, residents assist faculty physicians on an approximately equal number of cases. Our residents learn from a cataract surgical curriculum during their first year of residency which prepares them for acting as the primary surgeon after the first six months of residency.  During their second year, our residents participate in a refractive surgery curriculum to prepare for performing LASIK and other refractive procedures in their third year of residency.

Formal lectures are scheduled each week.  A citywide basic science program is presented on Saturday mornings during the academic year. Grand rounds take place weekly at one of the hospitals. Visiting lecturers are invited quarterly.

Applying to our Residency Program

Candidates must graduate from an approved U.S. medical school or pass the USMLE and TOEFL qualifying examinations.  Foreign medical school graduates must qualify for an Illinois medical license.  An application will not be considered complete until accompanied by at least three letters of recommendation plus a dean's letter and medical school transcript.  Interviews will begin in November or December and end before the Match.

Since we only accept applications (including supplemental documentation) through the Central Application Service (CAS), please do not send any documents directly to us.  Instead, contact Ophthalmology Matching Program to register for your required OMP number (P.O. Box 7584, San Francisco, CA  94120-7584, phone (415) 447-0350, fax (415) 561-8535, www.sfmatch.org).

Deadline for applications is October 1, 2009.  Applications are reviewed as soon as they are received.  Once we have reviewed your application, you may be contacted for an interview beginning in early November 2009.  From those interviews, selections will be made for residents to begin a year after you graduate from medical school.  We have not established a minimum score on the USMLE exam.  Foreign medical graduates must hold a valid ECFMG (Educational Committee on Foreign Medical Graduates) certificate. The office of Graduate Medical Education (312) 503-7975) will also be happy to assist you with any other questions you might have about residency programs at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. For more information, please contact Susan Stuecheli at 312/503-3649. We look forward to seeing your application! ***Please note: Due to the significant number of applications we receive, we are unable to return inquiries regarding application status.  You will be contacted shortly after we receive your application.***