Ophthalmology Residency Curriculum | Duke Department Of Ophthalmology

Duke Ophthalmology residents receive world-class training in medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases, and participate in research, presenting at national and international conferences. Above all, residents enjoy a supportive environment in which to develop their knowledge and skills at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, one of the country’s most livable cities.

PGY 1 Rotations

During the PGY-1 intern year, residents spend the majority of their time on internal medicine and related services. However, they spend 3 months of the year with the ophthalmology department. During the Durham VAMC - (12 weeks) rotation, the PGY-1 residents primarily work with the PGY-2 residents at the Durham VA Eye Clinic and assist with seeing patients in their clinics with attending supervision and learn to perform intravitreal injections. In addition to seeing patients in comprehensive eye clinics, the residents get early exposure to subspecialty care including:

• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Glaucoma
• Retina
• Cornea
• Oculoplastics

PGY 2 Rotations

The PGY 2 year consists of several intensive clinical blocks designed to provide autonomy in directing patient care with appropriate supervision.

Durham VAMC - (16 weeks)

Residents work in a broad range of subspecialty and comprehensive clinics under the supervision of Duke attendings at the neighboring Durham VA Eye Clinic. This rotation also offers a surgical introduction to clear cornea cataract surgery as well as numerous laser procedures and minor-room plastics procedures. The clinic space is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, including slit lamps, indirect ophthalmoscopes, SD-OCT and OCTA, Optos, fluorescein angiography, corneal topography, Zeiss Lumera surgical microscope, Alcon Centurion and Bausch + Lomb phaco machine, and Iridex and Lumenis lasers. Support is provided by a full time ophthalmic photographer, ample technician support, and surgical support staff.

Clinical and Consult Subspecialties

• Neuro-Ophthalmology – (8 weeks): PGY2 residents work with neuro-ophthalmology attendings in a busy tertiary referral clinic with the opportunity to see a broad range of pathology and participate in temporal artery biopsies.
• Consults (aka 8040) – (8 weeks): This rotation covers daytime inpatient and emergency department consults at Duke Hospital. Consults are staffed during teaching rounds on a daily basis.
• Night Float: This rotation is a dedicated night call rotation which allows our residents to take evening call without having any clinical responsibilities the next day. It is divided into two rotations, 4 weeks each.
• Comprehensive – (8 weeks): PGY2 residents are introduced to comprehensive ophthalmology at the main Duke Eye Center. This rotation also provides a chance to explore low vision services, specialty contact lens fittings, cornea, and oculoplastics clinics and surgeries.

PGY 3 Rotations

Retina – (8 weeks)

Residents spend time in a busy retina service focusing on clinical skills as well as the diagnosis and management of vitreoretinal disorders, working closely with full-time faculty members in medical retina, uveitis, ocular oncology and surgical retina. Residents assist in a wide variety of surgical cases including retinal detachment repair and radioactive plaque placement for ocular oncology.

Rotation Schedule Summary