Ophthalmology Residency FAQ's

Our residents answer frequently asked questions

1. What is call like? Call as a first year is approximately once every five nights. We take call for the entire Henry Ford Health but see patients only at the Main Campus. It is home call, and we are required to leave the following day after morning lecture and finalizing care plans on emergency patients seen during the past 2 hours. We generally are free to leave by 11:00 a.m. and typically see three patients per night. In case of busy call or resident fatigue, a fully furnished apartment with kitchen amenities, located on campus, is available at any time.
2. Is staffing adequate? Yes. There is a staff physician designated to residents each day of the week. This staff's only responsibility that day is to staff residents' patients. We also have staff available in the subspecialty clinics to staff specific or complicated problems with resident patients.
3. How is the surgical training? Excellent! We receive surgical training throughout all three years of residency, with increasing responsibility as our education progresses. We comfortably meet and surpass the ACGME requirements for surgical categories. We also have surgical lectures, microsurgery laboratory courses, and ongoing opportunities to practice in our on-site microsurgery lab with the EYESI microsurgery simulator to develop our surgical skills. Fellowship directors comment on the overall exceptional surgical IQ of our residents, a testament to the senior staff guidance, didactic structure, and the surgical resources allocated to resident education.
4. How are the lectures? We have lecture every morning at 7:30 a.m., before clinic begins. The resident lectures are prepared and presented by the staff and are based on the AAO Basic Science Series. We attend weekly departmental Grand Rounds with cases presented by residents and staff, and System-Wide Grand Rounds with nationally known visiting professors. In addition, we have lecture reviews led by the senior residents for the OKAPs throughout the year.
5. Do you get conference and book allowance? Yes. First year residents receive the entire AAO Basic Clinical Science Course plus $900; Second and third year residents have a professional development allowance of $1250 per year which can be used for travel, books, or equipment. In addition, the Department will reimburse travel/meeting expenses up to $1,500 for each resident who presents his/her research at a regional or national meeting.
6. How much vacation and conference time do you get? First year residents have 4 weeks of vacation plus a full month of conference time to attend a Basic Science Course in Ophthalmology. Second and third year residents have 4 weeks of vacation and 1 week of conference time each year. Third year residents may take an additional 5 work days to complete employment and fellowship interviews.