The Ophthalmology Residency Program

The ophthalmology residency program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital offers a world-class comprehensive training experience. At the core of the program is the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, a leader in ophthalmic patient care, research, and education since its establishment in 1933. The goal of the Harkness Eye Institute is to train outstanding clinicians and scientists who strive to make profound contributions to the field of ophthalmology for decades to come. Our program aims to train outstanding clinicians and scientists who will deliver unparalleled patient care and make profound contributions to the field of ophthalmology for decades to come. We are proud to be rated the top residency training program in New York City and one of the best training programs in the nation.

The “jewel” of the residency is the diversity in its patient population. Residents are exposed to the whole spectrum of life, from uninsured patients to billionaire leaders of society. Patients are evaluated and treated at several different sites: our state-of-the-art residency clinics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Harlem Hospital Center, a major New York City public hospital, as well as the private clinics of our attending physicians. Patients come from all over the world to seek superlative care from our talented physicians.

Educational Leadership

We strive to provide the best clinical, surgical, research and leadership curriculum to our trainees. International leaders in every subspecialty contribute to our educational mission, and with over 50 full-time and voluntary faculty at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, the faculty to resident ratio is over 4:1. Dr. George “Jack” Cioffi is our visionary chairman. Dr. Royce Chen and his core team of dedicated educators, Dr. Glass, Dr. Auran, and Dr. Valenzuela, lead the program as Residency Program Director and Associate Directors. Additionally, Drs. Jason Horowitz and Tony Valenzuela are the bedrock of our residency clinic, and Dr. Noga Harizman leads our site at Harlem Hospital. Our educational leadership team is experienced and deeply committed to the development of our residents, meeting several times a month to discuss and implement improvements in the program. Our residents are intricately involved in these improvement cycles. We firmly believe that striking a balance between formalized instruction and resident autonomy is critical to creating and maintaining a top ophthalmology training program.