New Rankings of Programs by Ophthalmology Times

[Andrew_Doan]

I think this ranking is more dependable than the US NEWS ranking because it's the result of surveying the department heads around the country.

You can see the best overall program here:

http://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/op...185/chart1.jpg

Programs are also broken down by clinical service, best residency programs, and best research programs.

http://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/op...il.jsp?id=2185

[chef]

thanks andrew!!

btw, check you PM...

[Yogi Bear]

randomly browsing this thread....
here's usnews's stats for best hospitals...

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/nycu/he...pecrepopht.htm



Rank Hospital Reputational score
1 Johns Hopkins Hospital (Wilmer Eye Institute), Baltimore 72.0
2 University of Miami (Bascom Palmer Eye Institute) 68.5
3 Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia 53.3
4 Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston 40.1
5 UCLA Medical Center (Jules Stein Eye Institute), Los Angeles 33.1
6 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City 20.7
7 USC University Hospital (Doheny Eye Institute), Los Angeles 10.9
8 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 8.7
9 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. 8.5
10 Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis 8.5
11 Cleveland Clinic 7.1
12 New York Eye and Ear Infirmary 6.9
13 Emory University Hospital, Atlanta 6.4
14 University of California, San Francisco Medical Center 5.8
15 Methodist Hospital (Cullen Eye Institute), Houston 4.9
16 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 4.3
17 University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, Chicago 4.1
18 University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison 3.5
19 Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, New York 3.3

[chef]

why is Kellogg/U Mich eye ranked #6 on one list but not even ranked on the usnews??

[Yogi Bear]

my guess is that the program might be good but the hospital doesn't match the requirements of usnews.

[LazyEye]

Just a word or two of unsolicited advice regarding choosing an ophtho program for residency. I am a glaucoma specialist in private practice, so I've been there. These rankings are great, and they certainly make the programs that receive the honors feel good about themselves. But in all honesty, they say little about the experience you will have at that program. Reputation does matter to some degree, and no doubt certain programs are better aligned to move residents into specific fellowship slots. That aside, the programs which rank in the top 10 to 15 are almost always the same, with some minor shifting of position from year to year. These rankings are based on either the pooled opinions of department chairpeople, or are based on certain hosptial criteria. I interviewed at nearly all these top programs, I trained at two of them, and had friends at most of them. Despite reputation, our experiences varied widely in terms of clinical experience, surgical volume, and didactic training. Some of these top programs barely meet the surgical requirements of the ACGME.

I only recommend that when you're deciding where to train you consider the criteria most important to you and not be starstruck by a fancy name. Do you want a program where you have autonomy or one where all the patients you see are directly supervised? Do you want to perform 50 cataract cases or 300? Do you want a strong research program where you can be directly involved in projects? All of this matters far more than a program's name.

Anyway, just the ramblings of a crazy doc trying to make sense of it all. Good luck on matching.

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by LazyEye
Just a word or two of unsolicited advice regarding choosing an ophtho program for residency. I am a glaucoma specialist in private practice, so I've been there. These rankings are great, and they certainly make the programs that receive the honors feel good about themselves. But in all honesty, they say little about the experience you will have at that program. Reputation does matter to some degree, and no doubt certain programs are better aligned to move residents into specific fellowship slots. That aside, the programs which rank in the top 10 to 15 are almost always the same, with some minor shifting of position from year to year. These rankings are based on either the pooled opinions of department chairpeople, or are based on certain hosptial criteria. I interviewed at nearly all these top programs, I trained at two of them, and had friends at most of them. Despite reputation, our experiences varied widely in terms of clinical experience, surgical volume, and didactic training. Some of these top programs barely meet the surgical requirements of the ACGME.

I only recommend that when you're deciding where to train you consider the criteria most important to you and not be starstruck by a fancy name. Do you want a program where you have autonomy or one where all the patients you see are directly supervised? Do you want to perform 50 cataract cases or 300? Do you want a strong research program where you can be directly involved in projects? All of this matters far more than a program's name.

Anyway, just the ramblings of a crazy doc trying to make sense of it all. Good luck on matching.

Hi LazyEye,

I like your handle and thanks for the great advice. I completely agree with you that the rankings do not indicate what your experience will be at these institutions. You need to look at all the factors you pointed out when you're applying for residency programs. The top 10-15 programs are very different in their philosophy of how to setup a training program. The best thing to do is visit and see for yourself.

The ranking is useful in regards to helping applicants decide which programs to apply for. One good thing is that candidates from these top programs tend to match very well for fellowship training. For instance, graduates of Bascom, Wills, and Wilmer generally will have no problems landing a top-notch fellowship.