The enrichment experience provides students with an opportunity to spend one week in our off-site office. Here, you will be in clinic, alongside residents and available faculty ophthalmologists in all subspecialties. You will also spend a half-day in the operating room, either at KUHA or in our onsite ASC. During this week, you will be introduced to the exciting and fulfilling ophthalmology field, as well as will learn about a basic eye exam There are seven total Enrichment weeks during the preclinical years: four in M1 year and two in M2 year.

We offer half-days in clinic or the OR shadowing opportunities for all M1 and M2 students between January and June. This is an excellent way to gain exposure to our specialty, while also meeting our faculty members and residents.

For more information, please contact: 
Darwin Ball
913-588-6660

During this three-week elective, you will be exposed to patient care, in both the clinic and operating room settings, with faculty in the following sub-specialties: cornea/refractive and external disease, oculoplastics, vitreoretinal diseases, neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma, and comprehensive ophthalmology. You will learn facility with the external eye examination, slit lamp and direct ophthalmoscope. The rotation will take place primarily at the KU Eye clinic, our onsite ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and KU MedWest. Required reading will correlate with the goals of the rotation.

• OPTH 910 General Ophthalmology Field Studies. This is a 4-week course for those with advanced knowledge of ophthalmology. There will more opportunities to examine patients during clinic and to participate in the operating room. Students will be expected to attend lectures and grand rounds. At the end of the course, students will present a grand rounds presentation over a case study they have seen on the rotation.
• OPTH 916 Ambulatory Specialty Selective in Ophthalmology. This is a 2-week course designed for fourth year medical students who are not going into ophthalmology but would like to learn basics of eye anatomy, an eye exam and management of common ocular problems. Students will primarily be observing in the clinic and operating room.
• OPHTH 915 Research Problems in Ophthalmology. This is a 4-week course to provide the interested student with clinical research experience necessary for investigation of research problems related to ophthalmology. The student may pursue an independent research problem or participate in a project currently under investigation by a staff member. A faculty mentor must be identified prior to submission and approval of this elective by the Ophthalmology department.
• Please email a statement about why you are interested in KU.

Away rotation -available to all M4 non-KU students - The KU Ophthalmology department welcomes medical students to apply for a 4-week rotation. This rotation is for those interested in ophthalmology with a higher understanding of ocular anatomy and disease. To apply please see the Visiting Medical Students page on the AAMC website.

This is a summer research program between M1 and M2 years where you will be paired with a faculty advisor to begin one or more research projects. You will gain experience in ophthalmology and subspecialties, IRB application and approval processes, scientific writing, statistical analysis, database building and audiovisual communication. The expectation, at the end of this summer program, is you will have a project to submit to journal and/or a poster presentation at the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference. At the left is a picture of one medical student with her poster. One medical student will be accepted each summer and receive a stipend in the amount of $2,500, paid in two installments. To apply please complete the KU Ophthalmology Summer Research Program application form and send it, along with your CV to Dr. Radwan Ajlan, rajlan@kumc.edu. Applications are due by April 1st. 

In 2020, we held a Medical Students' Virtual Poster Session, which was prerecorded and added to the recording of our annual CME physician meeting, the Kansas EyeCon.  View recordings of the Medical Students Virutal Poster Presentations.