SSM Health-Saint Louis University School of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a four-year, university-based ophthalmology residency sponsored by SSM Health in partnership with Saint Louis University School of Medicine, built around an integrated PGY-1 year combining internal medicine rotations at SLU Hospital and the John Cochran VA with an ophthalmology "ramp-up" block. Clinical training spans SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, the adjacent Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, and the Anheuser Busch outpatient surgical center, giving residents broad subspecialty exposure (retina/uveitis, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatrics/strabismus, neuro-ophthalmology, cornea) plus a structured wet-lab surgical curriculum and progressive independent clinic and call responsibilities culminating in PGY-4 surgical autonomy. The program is embedded in a Jesuit, cura-personalis mission emphasizing whole-person care and community engagement, and the small size (four spots per year) fosters a stated "family" culture with resident input shaping program direction; research is present within the department and broader SLU research infrastructure (including MD/PhD pathways) but is not positioned as the program's defining feature. Selection is holistic, explicitly weighing research, service, and personal experiences alongside academics rather than emphasizing board-score cutoffs.