At Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School we offer three positions for one-year fellowships in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus — one of them an international fellowship. Since 2008, the positions have been AUPO (Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology)-approved.

Dr. Gena Heidary is the Director of Ophthalmology Fellowship as well as Director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Service.

International applicants should first contact the program coordinator, MaryKatherine Hart, by phone or email to find out the availability of fellowship positions well in advance of the usual deadline to determine whether an international, AUPO-approved position is open for the upcoming academic year.

Program goal

The goal of our training program is to provide broad and extensive clinical activity, academic stimulation, and research experience in order to train the next generation of leaders in the field of pediatric ophthalmology.

Program experience

The clinical experience gained from our program includes broad exposure to every aspect of pediatric ophthalmology that would be expected at a leading children’s hospital, including state-of-the-art pediatric cataract, glaucoma, and oculoplastic surgeries, plus evaluation and treatment of complex adult strabismus. Fellows have access to advanced equipment including a RetCam and digital video for recording surgical cases.

Our office includes a scanned medical record system so records are available securely online. The fellows interact closely with, and supervise, two residents: one rotating from Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary), the other from Boston Medical Center. Nights and weekends on call are shared with the rotating residents and supervised by faculty.

Educational activities include regular conferences and special lectures, including invited speakers from national and international locales. Fellows are required to undertake a research project under the guidance of a faculty member, to present the results at a national meeting, and to submit a manuscript prior to completion of the fellowship year. Our former fellows include Mohammed Jaafar, MD, Chair of Ophthalmology at Washington Children’s National Hospital, Washington D.C.; Douglas Fredrick, MD, Clinical Professor at Stanford Children’s Hospital, San Francisco; Monte Mills, MD, Chair of Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Richard Levy, MD, head of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Cornell University.

A full PGY-5 stipend, including benefits, is provided. Fellows are encouraged to defray the cost of the stipend through external support, such as a Heed Ophthalmic Foundation award, when possible. Applicants must obtain a full Massachusetts Medical license for billing and credentialing purposes.

Our fellowship program is approved by the AUPO Fellowship Compliance Committee. Only graduates of AUPO-approved fellowships may apply for AAPOS (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus) membership after graduation.

To learn more about Boston Children’s Hospital, our department, and the fellowship program, please visit our candidate page.

Apply for fellowship

How to apply to the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital:

If you are interested in applying for a fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital you must apply through the SF Match Central Application Service at www.sfmatch.org. To get to the application, select Ophthalmology from the Fellowship Match tab. You will then be able to select the central application tab which will take you to the application. The fee for this service is $250. This includes your registration, the distribution of up to 8 applications, distribution of rank lists, and the actual matching process. Applications must be completed by the September deadline for the following academic year.

International applicants should first contact the Program Coordinator, MaryKatherine Hart, by phone or email to find out the availability of fellowship positions.

Application requirements

• Applicants will need to submit the application form online
• At least three letters of recommendation from ophthalmologists who have been involved in your training.
• A one-page personal statement
• USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CS & CK, and Step 3 required
• At this time, we can only sponsor the H-1B visa.
• The applicant should have completed residency training in ophthalmology, as well as received certification by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

Contact us

MaryKatherine Hart – Fellowship Program Coordinator, Ophthalmology

Boston Children’s Hospital Ophthalmology
300 Longwood Ave.
Fegan, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-355-8531
Fax: 617-730-0392
Email: MaryKatherine.Hart@childrens.harvard.edu