Indiana University School of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

Founded in 1908, this is the only ophthalmology residency in Indiana, a fully integrated four-year program built on a broad, multi-site clinical structure spanning the VA, county safety-net hospital (Eskenazi), university hospitals, a nationally ranked children's hospital (Riley), and private practice settings. Residents accumulate roughly 500 primary surgical cases with a clear graduated-autonomy model, culminating in PGY-4 chief roles and heavy primary-surgeon responsibility, particularly cataract surgery concentrated at the VA. Research is structurally embedded (Trainee's Day, protected time/funding for presentations, an optional Glick Eye Institute research fellowship, and translational work in AMD, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and stem cells) but not mandatory, reflecting a program that produces both fellowship-bound and direct-to-practice comprehensive ophthalmologists, with about 40% staying in Indiana and over half pursuing fellowship. The program's stated culture emphasizes teamwork, camaraderie, and long-term faculty mentorship over pure academic output.