Division of Ophthalmology

For Medical Students

Brown medical students rotate on the ophthalmology service to expand their medical knowledge and clinical skills.

For Medical Students

Brown medical students rotate on the ophthalmology service to expand their medical knowledge and clinical skills.

Ophthalmology is one of 37 specialty profiles represented in the didactic and clinical experiences offered as part of the curriculum at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

It is during clinical electives that Brown medical students rotate on the ophthalmology service to expand their interest, medical knowledge base, and basic clinical skills. Students contemplating ophthalmology as a career are strongly encouraged to participate in other clinical electives and opportunities to interact with faculty members.

Since 1975, nearly 100 Brown Medical Students have successfully matched to ophthalmology residencies across the country, including some of the most competitive programs.

Under the current direction of Division Chief and Interim Residency Program Director Michael E. Migliori, MD, FACS; Associate Residency Program Director Wendy Chen, MD, PhD; and Director of Medical Student Education Nicole Lanza, MD , the Division of Ophthalmology provides a broad educational experience for its residents and medical students and recognizes that the program's success depends as much on the quality of its residents and medical students as it does on the quality of the faculty.

Brown Ophthalmology Electives

Course Coordinator

There are three ophthalmology electives available for medical students. 

Ophtho-4070 - Brown University Health Ophthalmology Rotation

OASIS Course Description Ophtho-4070

This elective introduces students to all aspects of medical and surgical ophthalmology. The elective includes clinic assignments at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) and the Providence VA Medical Center (PVAMC). Students will spend time in the outpatient eye clinic, the inpatient eye consult service, and the operating room. In addition, students will attend didactic conferences, usually at the RIH ophthalmology clinic on Tuesday mornings. 

Students will rotate through the outpatient eye clinics at the Rhode Island Hospital Ophthalmology Clinic in the Coro Building and the PVAMC Eagle Square Eye Clinic, attend surgeries at the PVAMC and/or RIH, and round on the inpatient consult service at Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Individual schedules will be provided to students on the first day of their rotations.

Ophtho-4075 - Brown University Health Pediatric Ophthalmology Rotation

OASIS Course Description Ophtho-4075

The pediatric ophthalmology clinical rotation is a 4-week clinical rotation appropriate for 3rd and 4th year medical students interested in ophthalmology, pediatrics, neurology, emergency medicine, and family medicine. The rotation will include a hands-on experience with various examination techniques used to evaluate bread-and-butter problems in pediatric ophthalmology, including amblyopia and strabismus. Age of patients typically ranges from newborn to age 21. Rotation experience will be supervised directly by an attending in pediatric ophthalmology, ophthalmology residents, and orthoptists.

The rotation may include evaluation of pediatric patients on the inpatient wards in Rhode Island Hospital, Hasbro Children's Hospital, or Women and Infants Hospital. Whenever possible, the student will observe and assist with surgical procedures in the operating room at Hasbro Children's Hospital.   

Ophtho-4030 - RI Eye Institute Ophthalmology Rotation

OASIS Course Description RI Eye Institute Ophthalmology Rotation 

An exposure to a high pathology multi faceted ophthalmology practice. The student will spend time with various sub-specialists in ophthalmology (anterior segment, cornea, glaucoma, retinal diseases, pediatrics and oculoplastics) learning to perform a basic eye exam and gain an understanding of ophthalmic physiology and pathology. Along side the attending physician students are expected to participate in the evaluation of patients with ophthalmic pathology. This will include taking an appropriate history, external examination, performing a slit lamp exam, and direct ophthalmoscopy. They will also observe and/or participate in surgery.

All rotations are available for visiting students through AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program. VSLO Sign-In 

For more information contact Grace Gomes, Course Coordinator 

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