Ophthalmology Fellowship
Discover Our Fellowship
Children's National Hospital Ophthalmology Fellowship provides fellows with unique advantages as the first fellowship of its kind. Watch our video to learn more about our fellowship.
The Division of Ophthalmology at Children's National Hospital is a comprehensive specialty pediatric practice, offering care for children with all eye and vision problems. The fellowship program, credentialed by the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO) and approved by the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, is the original fellowship program in pediatric ophthalmology, established by Frank Costenbader, M.D., and Marshall Parks, M.D., in 1959.
Over 100 pediatric ophthalmologists in practice today were trained at Children's National Hospital. Many graduates from the fellowship have become division chiefs and program directors. International graduates have established pediatric ophthalmology programs and become department chiefs in programs abroad, working to improve the care of children globally.
The Ophthalmology Fellowship prepares graduates for academic or private practice careers, with confidence in managing all areas of a comprehensive pediatric ophthalmology practice.
How to Apply
The one-year Ophthalmology Fellowship seeks three physicians who will have completed three years of training in an accredited ophthalmology residency program and are eligible to sit for the American Board of Ophthalmology examination prior to the beginning the fellowship. The applicant must be eligible for medical licensure in the District of Columbia.
Applicants who are graduates of medical schools and/or training programs outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico should make careful note of the requirements listed below:
- Candidates must be ECFMG certified and eligible for a DC medical training license. Please refer to the ECFMG website for further information
- Candidates must have passed all three steps of the USMLE
- Candidates must obtain J-1 or H1B visa
Contact Information
If you have addition questions about the fellowship please contact Rasheeda Franklin, staff assistant - fellowship program coordinator.
Applicant Registration
All interested applicants must register for the fellowship match on the SFMatch website.
Explore Our Program
The Division of Ophthalmology provides comprehensive outpatient and inpatient consultations, diagnostic testing, ambulatory surgery and follow-up care to more than 12,000 children annually, with approximately 1,000 surgical procedures performed per year. Subspecialty procedures include surgical treatment of complex strabismus, pediatric cataract and intraocular lens implantation, other disorders requiring intraocular surgery, lacrimal abnormalities, congenital and acquired orbital and eyelid conditions, pediatric glaucoma surgery, ocular and orbital tumors, optic nerve sheath fenestrations, and pediatric retinal surgery.
During the Ophthalmology Fellowship, our fellows are involved in every diagnostic and therapeutic step in the care of patients in clinical and surgical practice. Working closely with faculty, fellows provide direct patient care with close supervision in all clinical settings. Physicians in the division care for patients and their families within Children's National. The organization includes the main campus of Children's National in Washington, D.C., as well as specialty care locations in the surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia. Clinical services available in the division include orthoptics, aphakic contact lenses, electroretinography, ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, ultrasound biomicroscopy, visual field testing and complete ocular photography.
For children undergoing eye surgery, the hospital team includes specialists in pediatric anesthesiology, nursing and critical care medicine. For children with complex or multiple medical conditions, our pediatric ophthalmologists collaborate with specialists in genetics, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, otolaryngology (ENT) and oncology. The clinical teaching environment is outstanding, with top training programs in all pediatric medical and surgical subspecialties, as well as world-class clinical research throughout the institution.
Our Team
Fellows will learn from a large staff of experts including ophthalmologists, optometrists and more.