NYU Langone’s Department of Ophthalmology offers a comprehensive elective to visiting medical students who are in their final year of medical school.

In this four-week overview course, medical students train with residents and faculty at the NYU Langone Eye Center, NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital and Kimmel Pavilion, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, and the eye clinics and operating rooms at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. You conduct clinical activities for our comprehensive eye service, as well as in subspecialty clinics, including cornea, glaucoma, medical and surgical retina, pediatrics, neuro-ophthalmology, and oculoplastics. You also have the opportunity to observe and participate in ocular surgery in operating rooms and minor procedure suites at our various clinical sites.

During your rotation, you participate in all department conferences as well as medical student–specific virtual didactic modules. You have the opportunity to improve your slit lamp, ophthalmoscopy, and suturing skills. You will also spend time on the cataract surgical simulator. As your skills develop during the four-week block, you begin seeing patients in the clinic independently.

Performance is graded on resident and faculty evaluations of clinical skills and participation. You also complete a final project that may include creating virtual education content, a written report, or an oral grand rounds presentation.

Application Process for Visiting Medical Students

The Department of Ophthalmology’s residency program is accepting applications for visiting student rotations through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program. Learn more about opportunities, application requirements, and deadlines from the VSLO program.

We are offering spots to up to four visiting students for each elective block. Students must be available for the entire four-week elective. No exceptions can be made if your medical school blocks do not line up with those at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Applications must be received 60 days before the start of the rotation. Students will be notified shortly after that deadline.

Elective Dates

Our elective will be held in the months of May, June, July, August, and September. The exact dates can be found on the VLSO website.

Scholarship for Students Underrepresented in Medicine

The Department of Ophthalmology is pleased to offer a $3,000 travel and living expenses scholarship for students underrepresented in medicine (URiM) for two visiting student applicants. The department uses the AAMC definition of URiM as students who are from a racial or ethnic background that is underrepresented in medicine relative to their numbers in the general population.

Accepted students have priority to an elective spot in the month of their choosing. Selections are made on a rolling basis, so students are encouraged to apply early.

To apply for this scholarship, students need to submit a one-paragraph supplemental explanation of how they will add diversity to the field of ophthalmology. Statements can be emailed to ophthalmologyadmineducation@nyulangone.org at the time of VSLO submission. Please note, applicants still need to formally apply for an ophthalmology elective through the VSLO portal.

International Students and Students from Non-LCME-Accredited Medical Schools

Currently, NYU Grossman School of Medicine does not offer an observership opportunity or process visiting student requests from non–Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited medical schools. The Department of Ophthalmology follows the same guidelines. Thank you for your interest in our program. Learn more about information for visiting MD students.

Contact Us

If you have questions, contact ophthalmologyadmineducation@nyulangone.org.