Residency Program

Upcoming Events

GW Ophthalmology will be hosting Virtual Open House and Interviews for residency applicants for 2024. The dates are listed below: 

November 16th: Virtual Open House

November 17th: Virtual Interview

We receive hundreds of applications each year, though only a small number of these qualified applicants are invited to interview. Invitations are sent via email and resident selection is completed through the SF Match. 


The George Washington University Ophthalmology Residency is a three-year program that admits four residents each July. The parent and sponsoring institution is the George Washington University, located in Foggy Bottom at the heart of the nation's capital. Participating institutions include:

The program provides comprehensive education in clinical and surgical ophthalmology.  The clinical experience is supplemented by training to evaluate, recognize, and apply clinical investigations and basic research to daily practice. Research is encouraged and residents are supported in presenting at national and international meetings. We were one of the first residency programs in the country with the EYESI® Ophthalmosurgical Simulator, providing our residents and medical students with the most advanced technology in surgical training.

In the first year, residents spend the first month in the Basic Science Ophthalmology Course, which is a series of lectures and workshops for all residents in the Washington, DC area, designed to introduce each physician to the field of Ophthalmology. Thereafter, each first-year resident will spend most of the year at GW in twelve-week clinical rotations covering Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, and Retina. First year residents spend a third of their time at GW managing the emergency triage clinic, helping develop their ability to diagnose and manage eye emergencies. First-year residents will also spend a twelve-week rotation at the VA Medical Center of Washington, DC, where they will have the opportunity to broaden their clinical experience and have early exposure to OR and laser procedures. 

In the second year, residents will spend eight weeks at the VA Medical Center of August, ME, where they will have the opportunity to start performing cataract surgery. During the remainder of the year, residents participate in rotations in Oculoplastics/Neuro-Ophthalmology (12 weeks) and Retina (12 weeks). In addition, a twelve-week rotation in Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children's National Health System will provide opportunity to perform strabismus surgery and to a see a wide variety of pediatric eye conditions.

In addition, a twelve-week rotation at the Washington DC VA medical Center provides a broad depth of clinical and surgical experience. The third-year resident can expect to perform over 120 cataract surgeries in this year alone.

 In summary, The George Washington University Ophthalmology Residency Program provides comprehensive, diverse, and innovative training that prepares its residents for fellowship or practice.

For more information, please contact the Executive Coordinator, Darcelle Pinckens by phone at 202-741-2814 or email at dpinckens@mfa.gwu.edu. To apply to our program, please visit the SF Match website at: www.sfmatch.org.

Highlights of the GW Ophthalmology Program:

  • Fully accredited by the ACGME
  • Joint Internal Medicine/Ophthalmology Residency Program. Internship at George Washington University (9 months Internal Medicine and electives / 3 months Ophthalmology).
  • Attending sub-specialists representing all areas of Ophthalmology
  • Facilities including an in-clinic phaco wet lab and EyeSi™ Virtual reality surgical simulator with cataract and retinal surgical capabilities
  • Diverse population and access to all that Washington has to offer, including rotations at DC Veterans Hospital, Children's National Medical Center and Fort Belvoir
  • Outstanding placement of residents in prestigious fellowships and employment.
  • First time board pass rate 20% higher than the national average.
  • Participation in research and strong representation at national conferences

Application Requirements:

  • Applications should be submitted through SF Match. Deadline for application submission to George Washington Ophthalmology Residency Program will be September 5, 2022.
  • A separate statement, 1 page or less, indicating your interest in our program should be sent via mail to Dr. Keith Wroblewski, Program Director at 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington DC 20037 with attention to Dr. Wroblewski.

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