Medical Students

Why Choose Pediatric Ophthalmology?

It's never too early to consider a career in pediatric ophthalmology. In this career, you'll help children see for a lifetime! Choose a specialty where you provide long-term comprehensive care for kids with great work-life balance from lower after-hours and less on-call responsibilities. Pediatric ophthalmologists are in high demand globally, by patients, academic institutions, and private practices. Have the freedom to practice how you want, where you want.

Hear from a Medical Student

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Why choose Pediatric Ophthalmology? Medical Student, Resident, & Attending Perspectives. Listen now!

"I always knew I wanted to work with children in my future career in medicine. After college, I started to work as a medical assistant in a pediatric ophthalmology office. The continuity of care and longitudinal relationships I saw with the physician and the patients and their family's was not necessarily unique to pediatric ophthalmology, but I think is a core part of this practice and one that I absolutely loved." — Angela Ngo, Medical Student '25


Tips for Medical Students Pursuing Pediatric Ophthalmology

  • Gain exposure to ophthalmology through job shadowing or volunteer opportunities with ophthalmology clinics.
  • Seek out research opportunities in ophthalmology or pediatrics.
  • Join the AAPOS network through a Provisional Membership to stay up to date on professional development, networking, advocacy opportunities and free resources in the field of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

 

Pediatric Ophthalmology Mentorship (POM) Program 

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The Pediatric Ophthalmology Mentorship (POM) Program is dedicated to inspiring and supporting the next generation of pediatric ophthalmologists through comprehensive mentorship, education, and research opportunities.

Our mission is to cultivate a passionate and skilled workforce committed to advancing children's eye health and adult strabismus to address the critical shortage of pediatric ophthalmologists. Our aim is to empower medical students, making them competitive applicants for the ophthalmology match by providing them with the necessary tools, knowledge, and experiences to excel in this specialty.

Students receive one-on-one mentorship, valuable guidance in medical career planning, networking opportunities and access to a variety of educational resources.

POM PROGRAM STATUS

The POM Program is currently closed. It will reopen in the Fall of 2026.

We encourage interested participants to check back closer to the reopening date for application details and deadlines. Thank you for your interest and patience.

AAPOS 4th-Year Medical Student Away Rotation Grant Program 

This program provides a stipend up to $1,500 to defray expenses for 4th-year medical students seeking away rotation electives in pediatric ophthalmology.  This is a competitive program and there are only 8 awardees per year.  

For questions regarding the Away Rotation Grant, please Email:  Info@aapos.org 

PROGRAM STATUS

The Away Rotation Grant Program is currently closed.  It will reopen in the spring of 2026.

List of Away Rotation Programs

The below list is of known universities and institutions that can meet the AAPOS criteria for pediatric ophthalmology away rotations.

**This list is not exhaustive and there may be other universities and institutions that provide 2-4 weeks of dedicated pediatric ophthalmology rotation and meeting the AAPOS criteria.  For more information, contact:  Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO).

Institution MSE Point Person

Baylor College of Medicine

(Contact VSLO)

Boston Children's Hospital

Ankoor Shah, MD, PhD

Brown University

Wendy Chen, MD, PhD

Duke University

Jullia Rosdahl, MD, PhD

Indiana University

Tyler Knight, MD

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Zachary Elkin, MD

Ohio State University

(Contact VSLO)

Oklahoma University Dean McGee Eye

Tammy Yanovitch, MD, MHSc

Oregon Health and Science University

Lorri Wilson, MD

University of Cincinnati

(Contact VSLO)

University of Colorado Anschutz

Michael Puente Jr, MD

University of Florida - Gainesville

Lauren Jeang, MD

University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary

Ann Tran, MD

University of Michigan

Anjali Shah, MD

University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute

Matthew Haynie, MD

University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Angeline Nguyen, MD

University of Texas Southwestern

Jessica Thayer, MD

University of Washington/Seattle Children's

Shu Feng, MD

Vanderbilt University

Anvesh Reddy, MD

Wills Eye Institute

Kammi Gunton, MD

Best Practices for Matching into Ophthalmology 

The first step on your pediatric ophthalmology journey is to match into ophthalmology. 

If your medical school offers ophthalmology residencies, that’s a great place to start. A conversation with the residency director can yield valuable information on what they’re looking for in potential residents, as well as tips that contribute to a successful application. But if not, don’t worry – there are plenty of resources to help you!  

The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers Residency Match Basics for Ophthalmology. In addition to earning high grades in medical school, students can enhance their application through activities such as research, job shadowing, and building professional contacts in ophthalmology. 

     

Additional Resources: 

American Academy of Ophthalmology Guide to the Ophthalmology Match 

         

Resource Catalog

Find academic resources like textbooks, simulators, webinars, podcasts, videos, journal articles and more in the AAPOS Resource Catalog.

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