Overview
The Penn Ophthalmology residency offers extensive clinical, surgical, and research experience with close mentoring from faculty. The Department's breadth of ophthalmic specialties allows for a broad spectrum of clinical experiences, from general ophthalmic care to the most sophisticated procedures. A full schedule of lectures, wet labs, and conferences allows for a thorough didactic program to complement the clinical and research experience. Graduates of the Ophthalmology residency program at Penn are accepted into top subspecialty fellowship programs nationwide, pursue careers in every kind of practice, and become leading clinicians and researchers across Ophthalmology.
Quotes from past residents
- "The residency program at Penn provides excellent exposure to general and subspecialty ophthalmology in the operating room, and outpatient and inpatient settings. We have the privilege to work with and learn from globally respected clinical and research leaders in ophthalmology on a daily basis." – Drew H. Scoles, MD, PhD
- "What makes the Penn Ophthalmology residency program so special is the unique opportunity to learn best-practice medicine from leaders in the field, while still experiencing supervised autonomy at the VA. Our training is unparalleled." – Brian M. Shafer, MD
Program leadership
Victoria M. Addis, MD
Director, Residency Program
Qi N. Cui, MD PhD
Associate Director of Resident Research
Matthew C. Santos, MD
Associate Residency Program Director
John A. Dempsey
Director, Office of Educational Programs
Phone: 215-662-8069
Fax: 215-243-4696
Email: John.Dempsey@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
About the program
Each year the ophthalmology residency program accepts five trainees. All Ophthalmology residents will complete a joint intern year in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, followed by 36 months of training in Ophthalmology.
Trainees must enter the program at the PGY2 level, having completed general medicine, surgery, or transitional internships. The residency program lasts 36-months, from July 1 to June 30.
Please visit the Innovative Program in Ophthalmology with Exceptional Research (iPOWER) page if interested in learning about the iPOWER program, which allows residents to dedicate a full year solely to research with a faculty mentor before embarking on intern year at Pennsylvania Hospital and Ophthalmology residency at the Scheie Eye Institute"
Interview Dates 2026
Applicants who are invited for interviews may choose from the following dates:
- Residency Interviews -TBD
Application Portal
The ophthalmology residency program accepts applications only from the Central Application Service (CAS). Applications and/or supporting documents sent directly to Scheie Eye Institute will not be accepted.
Register with and apply through the Central Application Service of the Ophthalmology Matching Program.
Ophthalmology Matching Program
P.O. Box 7584
San Francisco, CA 94120-7584
Phone: 415-447-0350
FAX: 415-561-8535
Program #: 4013 Scheie Eye Inst / U Penn
Non-Discrimination Clause
The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam Era Veteran or disabled veteran in the administration of educational policies, programs or activities; admissions policies; scholarship and loan awards; athletic, or other University administered programs or employment. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to:Executive Director, Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Sansom Place East, 3600 Chestnut Street, Suite 228, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106 or by phone at 215-898-6993 (Voice) or 215-898-7803 (TDD)
Residents rotate through all ophthalmic subspecialties and begin surgical training in their PGY2 year, with levels of autonomy, responsibility, and complexity of cases increasing gradually throughout the course of the program. Residents see a high volume of diverse patient cases in the resident-run emergency clinic at the Scheie Eye Institute, which is staffed by an attending physician. To further broaden the scope of training, the program offers an elective block in the third year, which allows residents to pursue international clinical experiences. All clinicians are involved in supervising resident outpatient clinics and surgeries, imparting a variety of clinical management styles and surgical techniques. Residents form strong relationships with faculty, receiving individualized guidance and thorough feedback.
Locations
Scheie Eye Institute / Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
51 N. 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Directions
The Scheie Eye Institute is the Department of Ophthalmology’s central location, and supports a significant portion of resident training in all subspecialties. This recently renovated facility houses state-of-the art ophthalmology exam and procedure rooms; cutting-edge imaging technology, including fundus photography and Optos, OCT, OCT angiography, fluorescein angiography, and ultrasound; laser rooms with the newest ophthalmic lasers; a surgical wet lab open 24-7 to residents; the Kozart Auditorium (for didactic series, grand rounds, visiting professor lectures, and CME events); and corridor access to the rest of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, including the Trauma Center. The Presbyterian Trauma Center houses a fully equipped resident-dedicated ophthalmology lane where post-trauma and emergency room patients are seen 24 hours a day. Residents also manage Scheie’s Emergency Eye Clinic, where patients with diverse and advanced pathology present daily. These clinics are always staffed by attending ophthalmologists.
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine / Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
West Pavilion, 3rd Floor
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is one of the oldest and most renowned university hospitals in the nation. HUP has historically served as a leader in patient care, innovation, and teaching, and continues to offer the most cutting-edge services and training programs. The Perelman Center is a brand new, state-of-the-art 500,000 square foot outpatient facility located adjacent to HUP and includes an ophthalmology clinic for all subspecialties. Residents rotate at the Perelman Center during each year of training.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
3401 Civic Center Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Directions
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a world-renowned facility and serves as the primary site for resident pediatric ophthalmology training. CHOP provides care for children with all eye and vision problems, and is a unique resource for clinical and surgical training. As one of the leading pediatric hospitals in the United States and a leader in pediatric ophthalmology, CHOP attracts patients from around the world for treatment of both common and rare ocular diseases. Residents will routinely see patients with systemic conditions who require coordinated care with multiple other specialty services.
In addition to the outpatient clinic, residents see inpatient consults and participate in surgery with attending ophthalmologists. Residents start strabismus and oculoplastic surgery in the first year of their ophthalmology residency and continue to perform pediatric ophthalmic surgery throughout the three years of training.
Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center
3900 Woodland Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA) is a 500-bed hospital located one block from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Residents complete a 10-week rotation at the VA during each year of residency and return to the VA during subspecialty rotations. The VA outpatient eye clinic is resident-run under the supervision of ophthalmology faculty. Residents see patients and handle all ophthalmology consultations referred from other services. In addition to managing their own continuity clinics, residents have the opportunity to participate in different subspecialty clinics on a weekly basis.
The VA provides many opportunities for resident surgical training. Starting in the first year, residents can be primary surgeons on lasers and minor procedures. In the second and third years, residents also perform intraocular surgeries.
Orientation
The Ophthalmology Department provides an orientation to familiarize incoming residents with ophthalmic terms and specific tools and techniques for ophthalmic examinations, refraction, and vision testing. Presentations by faculty emphasize commonly encountered ophthalmic problems and differential diagnoses.
Weekly Didactic Program
| Monday | 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM Faculty guided wet lab first Monday of each month & subspecialty lectures on the remaining Mondays |
| Tuesday & Wednesday | 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Fluorescein conferences and subspecialty lectures (e.g. retina and glaucoma) |
| Thursday | 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Grand Rounds 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Visiting Professor Lecture to Residents |
| Friday | 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Subspecialty Case Conferences |
Journal Club
Each month, residents are assigned three to four articles from prominent medical journals (in the fields of retina, cornea, glaucoma, pediatric, or oculoplastics). A discussion is held with residents, fellows, and attending faculty about a current topic in ophthalmology based on these readings. These sessions provide ample opportunity for residents to speak directly with attendings about their area of specialty.
Continuing Medical Education Activities (CME)
Visiting professors who are leaders in their fields are invited to the Scheie Eye Institute to give CME lectures on a regular basis. The CME activity includes lectures by the Visiting Professor and Scheie faculty members with expertise in that specialty area.
Penn Ophthalmology is a leader in clinical and basic research, with over $6.7 million in NIH funding, 227 faculty publications, and an H-index (research impact) of 183 in the past fiscal year. Residents have access to close faculty mentorship and support from the full array of research programs, including cutting gene therapy research at the Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT) and a team of biostatisticians at the Center for Preventative Ophthalmology and Biostatistics. All residents pursue faculty-supervised projects, many of which result in publications, and presentations at national conferences. All 2nd and 3rd year residents present their research during the department’s annual Resident Research Day in June. Attendance at meetings is supported by the Department for residents who are authors or co-authors. All residents are encouraged and offered funding to attend the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting at least once during the residency program.
Visit the news page to learn more about the Department’s latest research advances.
Salary and benefits
All residents receive a salary determined by their PGY level and set by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Residents have health insurance covered through the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Other benefits, including life insurance, are extended as well.
Vacations
Each resident has four weeks of vacation per year.
Resident meetings
Residents meet with the Chairman, Residency Program Director, and Assistant Program Directors regularly to discuss administrative, academic, and other issues related to the day-to-day activities of the residents.
OKAP examination
In the spring of each year, the OKAP (Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program) examinations are administered. Residents throughout the country take this test as an in-service exam to monitor their knowledge base. Penn Ophthalmology’s structured didactic curriculum and two-month review is designed to prepare residents for this exam. The exam fee is covered by the Department.