Joint Internship
Our joint internship (PGY-1 year) is based on a strong relationship between the internal medicine and ophthalmology departments. The joint internship is required for our interns.
This internship will include four-week rotations on the medicine service and three four-week rotations on ophthalmology. The interview for the internship will occur along with our ophthalmology residency interview.
As an intern on the ophthalmology service, you will learn basic examination skills and be ready to take care of most simple problems and triage complex eye problems. While on the ophthalmology service, you will have no call, thus allowing you to focus on study.
Advantages and Strengths
- Providing ophthalmology experience before taking any call, will make the transition to clinic and call responsibilities smoother and more effective.
- Becoming an integrated member of our ophthalmology team early in your training.
- Avoiding multiple interviews for other intern year positions, saving time, money and stress.
- Monthly lunch lectures directed towards interns on basic, commonly encountered diagnoses in ophthalmology.
- Moving only once during residency.
- Gaining familiarity with the hospital, electronic medical record, and members of other services with whom you will be working throughout the remainder of your residency.
- Having access to our structured wet lab and EyeSi surgical simulator.
- Acquiring exposure to a broad range of available research projects that can be carried forward through your ophthalmology residency.
We are excited to offer this joint opportunity that we believe makes our program the best in the country. In the additional time in ophthalmology training, our residents will learn systems-based skills, have ample time for independent study, and learn basic ophthalmology exam and assessment skills which will put them far ahead by the time they begin their PGY-2 year.
The intern year consists of thirteen 4-week rotations:
- Two 4-week ophthalmology rotations at the Iowa City VA Medical Center, caring for patients in clinic.
- One 4-week rotations on the University of Iowa Health Care comprehensive ophthalmology service, caring for patients in clinic, the emergency department, and the inpatient units.
- One 4-week rotation on medical imaging and emergency medicine each.
- Eight 4-week rotations on the medicine service, covering the wards at University of Iowa Health Care and Veterans Affairs. Two of the eight rotations will be outpatient ambulatory medicine rotations, 1 block of rheumatology and 1 block of either general ambulatory medicine or endocrinology, during these blocks there is no call, allowing further time for study. The objective during these rotations will be to hone your basic medical skills, including the management of inpatients.
- Three weeks of vacation over the year, two during medicine blocks and one during ophthalmology blocks.
First Year Residency (PGY-2)
The first year is spent in a combination of comprehensive ophthalmology service and subspecialty clinics. The year is arranged to allow the resident to acquire skills in complete ocular examination and refraction of ophthalmic patients at the UIHC Comprehensive Ophthalmology Clinic and during a 8-9 week rotation at the VA.
In this year, Residents also rotate through subspecialty clinics with the intent of learning some of the vocabulary, examining techniques, and equipment used in each area. There are 6 rotation blocks per year, however, some of these rotations are split between two or more services.
First year service areas
- Comprehensive Ophthalmology Clinic
- Cornea/External Disease
- Glaucoma
- Neuro-Ophthalmology
- Oculoplastics
- Ocular Pathology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology & Adult Strabismus
- Retina
- VAMC-Iowa City
More information on our rotations and services page regarding each service line.
Second Year Residency
During the second year, residents begin their surgical rotations. There are six rotations spending 8-9 weeks in:
- Pediatric ophthalmology/strabismus
- Oculoplastics
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Retina
- Night Float
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City
While on the neuro-ophthalmology rotation, residents spend one day a week in the cataract surgery OR. They spend less time on call during this phase of the residency program and often work on their required research project and case presentations for eyerounds.org.
Third Year Residency
The third year the resident has increased clinical responsibility. This year is mostly spent with leadership and surgical experiences in the Iowa City and Des Moines VAMCs and University Comprehensive Service. Residents also train in:
- Glaucoma
- Cornea / External Diseases and Refractive Surgery
- Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Cataract Surgery
- Veterans Affairs Medical Centers
- VAMC Des Moines
- VAMC Iowa City
- Elective Rotation
- Opportunity to customize learning experience and participate in global or other healthcare opportunities.
- International Ophthalmology Experience Option
Residents have a 8-9 week rotation each at the Des Moines VAMC and Iowa City VAMC, which includes clinical and OR experiences.
International Training Experience
The University of Iowa provides a global perspective. Ophthalmology Residents have an opportunity to participate in an international training experience during their third year of training. This experience exposes residents to different health care systems around the world and helps shape practice and career choices. In some cases, residents travel with Iowa alumni on global health and mission trips. Our residents have traveled to places such as Nigeria, Philippines, India, Peru and the Dominican Republic.