​​​​​

Ophthalmology Residency

An ophthalmic training program with a long history of excellence focused on comprehensive ophthalmic care

We strive to train and educate the highest quality trainee in an effort to enrich the ophthalmic care to our communities and to ignite a passion to care for the needs around the world.

We offer an ophthalmic training program with a long history of excellence focused on comprehensive ophthalmic care. Since 1980, our collective resident average has always scored above the national average on the nationally standardized OKAP examination. Additionally, no graduate has failed to obtain board certification through the American Board of Ophthalmology. Our residents are competent and capable to enter busy ophthalmic practices as well as match into an ophthalmic subspecialty if they desire further subspecialization.

We strive to offer an environment which encourages compassionate care in an atmosphere of community and scholarly activity. Our residents tend to be a tight knit community with a dynamic relationship with the core faculty.

We accept three ophthalmology residents per year.

Curriculum

Integrated intern year under Internal Medicine Residency

We have an integrated intern year that is under the coordination of the Internal Medicine Residency. Our interns join the Internal Medicine Residency as preliminary year. They will manage and learn essential medical conditions through time spent in hospitalized patients. They will also be given a minimum of 3 months of ophthalmic experience in the form of clinic and elective rotations.

A successful completion of the PGY-1 year is required to continue into the ophthalmology residency.

There is a large and steep learning curve during the first full year of ophthalmology residency. To help ensure our trainees accomplish their excellent training, we provide them with the necessary tools. Their first experience during this year is a refraction course to properly learn the techniques required to care for patients. All residents are provided with the full up-to-date set of the AAO Basic Clinical Science Course books as well as faculty didactics.  Additionally, each PGY-2 resident will start on a comprehensive month, rotating in all the major subspecialty areas as well as having their own weekly resident clinics.

During the PGY-2, residents spend nine months at Baylor Scott & White rotating through every subspecialty and three months at Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Center (VA) in their own comprehensive ophthalmology clinic. We expect residents begin operating and performing clinical and laser procedures during this year of training.

During the final two years of training, residents will spend progressively more time at the VA (4 months and 8 months, respectively) assuming more responsibility and performing more surgeries and procedures. All surgeries are supervised and assisted by actively practicing senior faculty. Clinics and procedure locations are all located alongside the senior faculty clinics and procedure areas.

Upper level residents are responsible for teaching weekly BCSC Resident Conferences as well as participating in medical student education for those who rotate through the department.

Call is front loaded during training and the schedule is determined by the residents.  Call is taken at home on a pager system. Call is taken for Baylor Scott & White Memorial (adults), Baylor Scott & White McLane’s Children’s Hospital (children) and Olin E. Teague Veteran’s Center (VA) concurrently with each call period. Call is divided throughout the year into 2-3 day/night intervals.

  • PGY-2 residents will take a total of 10 weeks of call.
    There is always one assigned upper level resident as back-up call to assist with patient management and care.
  • PGY-3 Call consists of 5 total weeks of call.
    They are also responsible to back-up call for the final three months of the academic year.
  • PGY-4 Call consists of 2 total weeks of call.
    They are also responsible for back-up call for the first 9 months of the academic year.

Our Faculty

Our faculty are fellowship trained, board certified physicians representing each of the major ophthalmic subspecialties:

 
  • Cornea & External Disease
  • Glaucoma
  • Neuro-Ophthalmology
  • Oculoplastic Surgery
  • Ophthalmic Pathology
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus
  • Refractive Surgery
  • Retina & Vitreous
 

  • Train at one of U.S. News & World Report's top hospitals in Texas

    Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple is a 640-bed teaching and research hospital with a Level I trauma center.

    Snapshot of our campus

How to Apply

Our program participates in the SF Match - Ophthalmology Matching Program, sponsored by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology.

Application deadline is September 1.

Visit SF Match to apply

Application Requirements

Before beginning residency training, applicants must:

  • Graduate from LCME-accredited medical school or American Osteopathic Association accredited school of osteopathy
  • Pass STEP 2 of the USMLE (only STEP 1 must be passed prior to application to program)
Learn more about Baylor Scott & White's housestaff appointment eligibility, including guidelines for international medical graduates.

Contact Us

Holly Ascherl
Phone: 254.724.4131
Email: Holly.Ascherl@BSWHealth.org
Fax: 254.724.9050

Ophthalmology Residency
Baylor Scott & White Health
MS-32-P1201
1815 S. 31st St.
Temple, TX 76508

Working at Baylor Scott & White Health

Compensation and Benefits

In addition to competitive stipends, we offer our residents a full menu of employee benefits. We help offset the cost of many of these benefits; others are options you can choose to pay for yourself.

Learn more

Life in Temple

Temple uniquely offers a combination of access to big-city conveniences while maintaining a small-town atmosphere. Temple has also been ranked among the Top 20 Fastest Growing Cities in Texas and one of America's most affordable places of 2015.

Learn more

Why Baylor Scott & White

As the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas and one of the largest in the United States, Baylor Scott & White Health includes 48 hospitals, more than 900 patient care sites, more than 6,000 active physicians and more than 40,000 employees.

Learn more

Check out all of our programs in North and Central Texas

View all GME