program Highlights
The program in action
Our Mission
At the University of Calgary, we aim to train well-rounded comprehensive ophthalmologists, competent in all subspecialties of ophthalmology. Our goal is to provide a stellar learning environment where residents can learn from each other and their staff. Residents who graduate from our program will be strong both clinically and surgically and will be able to work independently without relying on subspecialists to co-manage their patients.
CORP Synopsis
The Calgary Ophthalmology Residency Program (CORP) is a fully accredited 5-year Royal College residency program that was founded in 2003. In recent years, CORP has established itself as one of the preeminent programs in Canada. CORP prides itself in offering some of the highest surgical volumes in North America. Through a unique agreement with non-hospital surgical facilities, residents will routinely graduate with upwards of 750 full cataract cases.
With over 50 staff surgeons affiliated with the program, CORP has one of the highest staff-to-resident ratios in the country with strong representation in all subspecialties of ophthalmology (3 neuro-ophthalmologists, 3 oculoplastic surgeons, 4 cornea specialists, 4 glaucoma specialists, 5 pediatric ophthalmologists, 6 retinal surgeons, 1 uveitis specialist, 2 ocular oncologists and 2 ocular pathologists). As such, residents are exposed to considerable expertise across sub-disciplines, and achieve substantial depth and breadth in both clinical and surgical ophthalmological training.
Calgary is a major tertiary care centre serving Western Canada and has one of the largest catchment areas in the country. While on general call, the resident will cover the Calgary Zone which serves upwards of 1.4 million people. Certain subspecialties (neuro-ophthalmology, retinal surgery, ocular oncology) serve a population greater than 2 million, including patients from Southern Alberta, Interior British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Territories. Calgary residents routinely participate in the diagnosis and treatment of rare entities otherwise relegated to the training manuals.
CORP offers diverse learning opportunities through a variety of avenues including journal clubs, subspecialty dedicated group teaching, academic half-days, case rounds, M&M rounds and wet lab training. This is complemented by a robust Visiting Professor program that attracts leaders in their field. In the past 5 years, our roster of visiting professors has included Dr. Davinder Grover (co-inventor of the GATT procedure), Warren Hill (creator of the Hill-RBF lens calculator) and Dr. Jeffrey Liebmann (a principal investigator on the OHTS III Trial) amongst others. Visiting Professors are invited to present at Grand Rounds and subsequently provide a three-hour teaching session for the resident group.
CORP supplements these robust learning opportunities with review courses. At the end of the PGY-1 Year, residents attend the Toronto Ophthalmology Resident Introductory Course (TORIC). At the conclusion of the PGY-2 Year, residents attend the Bay Area Ophthalmology course hosted by Stanford University. Finally in the PGY-4 and PGY-5 year, residents have the opportunity to attend a 1-week review session of their choosing.
Our program is flexible and can cater to residents’ individual interests. CORP is invested in the success of their residents and will actively support their career goals by modifying the program to meet their needs. CORP has a mentorship component to pair every resident with a mentor who they can discuss life goals with and specifics in their training and/or career development.
Calgary offers a plethora of resources to their residents. Residents have access to a Wetlab with brand new equipment, 4 operational surgical microscopes and a functional Phacoemulsification machine. Through the Lions Eye Bank of Southern Alberta, residents regularly have access to cadaveric eyes to practice surgical techniques. Residents also have 24/7 access to an updated Eyesi surgical simulator.
Residents trained at the program have achieved excellence both locally and nationally in the areas of research, clinical training and fellowship opportunities. Many of our graduates have secured coveted academic positions throughout Canada.

Program curriculum
The University of Calgary offers a five-year, fully accredited, comprehensive training in Ophthalmology with subsequent eligibility for the Royal College specialty examination. During the first year, the resident(s) will rotate through medical and surgical disciplines related to Ophthalmology followed by four core years in Ophthalmology with graded responsibility. Note that changes to the curriculum may come beginning 2023 as the Royal College implements Competency by Design in the ophthalmology sections across Canada.
- PGY-1
- PGY-2
- PGY-3 & PGY-4 (First half)
- PGY4 (Second Half) & PGY-5
During the first year, residents will complete both medical and surgical rotations to help build a broad clinical background prior to commencing the core Ophthalmology rotations.
Rotations are 4 weeks long and typically fall within the following areas: Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Emergency Medicine, ENT, Pediatrics, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Neuroradiology, Neurology, Infectious Disease and Ocular Pathology. During these rotations residents also attend a surgical skills course with other surgical subspecialty residents to enhance their abilities and understanding of basic surgical techniques offered by the Department of Surgery. Our PGY-1 year dedicated block of Ocular Pathology is unique in Canada and provides residents with time to read through Eagles textbook while getting one-on-one teaching from Fellowship Trained Ocular Pathologists.
At the conclusion of PGY 1 year, residents are sent to the national TORIC course located in Toronto for 6 weeks to learn the fundamentals of Ophthalmology prior to starting their PGY 2 year.
The PGY-2 year is focused on learning the basic Ophthalmological skill set. Residents will rotate through the Urgent Eye Clinic for a total of 6 blocks. The remainder of the year will be spent rotating through subspecialty clinics and gaining early surgical exposure.
Residents will rotate through the following Subspecialties for the remainder of the year:
- Cornea and External Eye Disease (1 month)
- Glaucoma (1 month)
- Oculoplastic Surgery (1 month)
- Neuro-ophthalmology (1 month)
- Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (1 month)
- Retina (1 month)
The PGY-3 and PGY-4 are a continuity of each other and provide the residents with the core subspecialty teaching. Residents will rotate through senior blocks in order to consolidate their knowledge, procedural skills and surgical skills. These rotations include the following:
- Cornea and External Disease (3 months)
- Glaucoma (3 months)
- Pediatrics (3 months)
- Oculoplastics (3 months)
- Retina (3 months)
- Neuro-Ophthalmology (3 months)
Surgical training commences in dedicated fashion in the 4th year. An introductory 1 week course on Cataract Surgery is hosted by recent graduates of the program yearly to help transition to the surgical component of residency. The unique agreement with Non Hospital Surgical Facilities in Calgary allows for residents to complete a substantial number of Surgical Cases. Our average resident will be able to hit 750 Full cases of Cataracts.
Once the resident has been deemed competent with cataract surgery, they can use the remainder of their surgical year to expand their skill set and tailor it to their future practice. Residents pursuing sub-specialty training can spend time with that respective discipline to perfect their skills for fellowship. Residents can also use this time to revisit skills they feel less comfortable with.
The final 8 weeks of the PGY-5 year is dedicated study time for the Royal College.
- Urgent Eye Clinic
- Oculoplastics
- Pediatrics
- Cornea
- Glaucoma
- Retina
- Neuro-Ophthalmology
- Electives
In the Urgent Eye Clinic, the Ophthalmology resident will be exposed to a diverse array of common and rare visual complaints. It is expected that the resident will learn to take an appropriate history, become proficient in examining the patient with the standard equipment used by an ophthalmologist and order/evaluate the appropriate tests.
The resident will be expected to create an appropriate differential diagnosis and prepare a treatment plan. Any surgical cases derived from the clinic (trauma or ruptured globe) will be followed through by the resident for continuous experience. In the afternoon, dedicated time can be used to shadow technicians to learn how to perform basic ancillary testing such as OCT, B-Scan and Visual Fields. The afternoon can also be used to attend subspecialty clinics at the RGH Eye Clinic or used for research. Common procedure during this block include:
- Removal of a corneal foreign body and a rust ring at the slit lamp
- Collection of corneal cultures
- Incision and drainage of a chalazion.
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy
- Various oculoplastic procedures (e.g. canthotomy / cantholysis)
Our center houses 3 high volume oculoplastic surgeons, and we are blessed with the unique strength of having a robust ocular oncology program as well. Residents obtain early exposure to the range of common oculoplastic procedures in their junior rotation, and accumulate large volumes of blepharoplasties, ptosis repair, biopsies, and familiarity with the fundamentals of cosmetic practice in the senior rotation.
Calgary is also home to two oculoplastic fellows at any given time, which augment the learning experience.
Staff : Dr. Karim Punja, Dr. Ezekiel Weis, Dr. Michael Ashenhurst
The University of Calgary provides a robust, multidisciplinary training program in pediatric ophthalmology. At the Vision Clinic in Alberta Children’s Hospital, residents work with pediatric ophthalmologists and orthoptics to become proficient in performing pediatric vision evaluations, extraocular muscle mobility assessments, cycloplegic and manifest examination, and stereopsis testing.
By the end of the senior rotation, residents will be familiar with performing common procedures such as strabismus surgery and nasolacrimal duct probings. Quarterly Pediatric Journal clubs provide a forum for keeping updated on the latest literature in the field.
Staff : Dr. Stephanie Dotchin, Dr. Lisa Lagrou, Dr. Vivian Hill, Dr. Ugo Dodd, Dr. Bill Astle
The University of Calgary is home to a world-class cornea service. This rotation consists of both clinical and surgical experiences designed to equip residents in both diagnosing and managing diseases of the external eye and cornea. Residents have ample and varied learning opportunities ranging from taking part in the care of rare congenital defects such as Peter’s anomaly to applying the latest medical and surgical treatments for more prevalent disease such as Fuch’s Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.
Alongside the four leading cornea specialists in Calgary, the resident will be involved in pterygium repair, superficial keratectomy, corneal cross-linking, PKP, DSAEK and DMEK surgeries as well as therapeutic and refractive laser-based procedures.
Staff : Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghoul, Dr. Jamie Bhamra, Dr. Adam Muzychuk, Dr. Peter Huang
The University of Calgary has an excellent Glaucoma teaching program, which has recently started fellowship training as well. This rotation includes both clinical and surgical training from 4 well respected surgical Glaucoma specialists. Residents on this rotation receive significant hands-on training in both the clinic and OR starting in their junior rotation.
In the clinic, in addition to patient examination, diagnosis, and management there is also designated time to learn and develop laser skills including LPI, SLT, and laser suturlysis. In the OR our preceptors provide a supportive environment for hands-on anterior segment surgical training including, but not limited to trabeculectomy, drainage implant surgeries, angle based surgeries, and preliminary cataract training. Recently the program also had a wet lab to introduce residents to minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).
Staff: Dr. Patrick Gooi, Dr. Bryce Ford, Dr. Andrew Crichton, Dr. Jonathan Wong
The University of Calgary has a highly robust medical and surgical retina program. Residents spend most of their time working through diverse consults with the vitreoretinal surgeon on call and assisting with cases in the operating room. While on rotation and on general call, residents have the clinical support of two Retina Fellows, who teach extensively. Hands-on surgical experience is still a priority, and residents scrub in on +75% of cases while the fellows are assigned to other areas.
We boast 6 vitreoretinal surgeons and a handful of staff who practice medical and paediatric retina extensively. Their training incorporates perspectives from centres including Bascom Palmer, Wills, Weill Cornell (Lincoff), Iowa and Moorfields. Academically, residents present and discuss approaches to complex problems at monthly Retina Rounds, and there are ample opportunities for research.
Unique highlights of the program include seeing impressively high volumes of interesting and rare pathology, and exposure to a very high number of scleral buckles and complex surgeries. The rotation accommodates significant flexibility towards residents’ interests, including opportunities to immerse in medical and diagnostic retina, the Multidisciplinary Ophthalmology-Rheumatology Uveitis Clinic, and our Retinopathy of Prematurity Program.
Staff: Dr. Amin Kherani, Dr. Geoff Williams, Dr. Patrick Mitchell, Dr. Feisal Adatia, Dr. Paul Savage, Dr. Kevin Warrian
The University of Calgary boasts 3 internationally renowned, Neurology-trained Neuro-Ophthalmologists. This rotation is clinic based and residents will learn the fundamentals of the afferent and efferent examination. From neuroretinitis to carotid-cavernous fistulas, residents will be exposed to a plethora of rare pathologies.
The resident predominantly examines the new patients and reviews the case in depth with the staff. Neuro-Imaging is reviewed for each case. Furthermore, residents receive teaching once per month during the Neuro-Ophthalmology rounds. This Neuro-Ophthalmology rotation is one of the strongest in Canada.
Staff: Dr. Fiona Costello, Dr. Suresh Subramaniam
Research
Residents participate in a research project in PGY 2-5 and their results are presented at the annual departmental Ophthalmology Research Day. Residents will be encouraged to present papers and posters at national and international meetings, and can receive support for these endeavours.
There are dedicated faculty to support research as well as staff who will assist in data collection, and statistical analysis. Residents have approximately 1 half day of protecting time for research per week.
Conferences & Review Courses
Option to attend seven weeks of basic science didactic teaching is offered through the Bay Area Ophthalmology Course, a four week course hosted by Stanford, California, USA.
Residents are encouraged and supported to attend the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Annual Meeting, American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, Sally Letson Symposium (Ottawa), Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta Annual Meeting (Banff), Southern Alberta Retina Retreat, Brandon Ophthalmic Surgical Course, Toronto Cataract Course, and review courses such as those offered in San Antonio. Some funding for residents is available to aid in attending these courses and conferences.
Academic Half-Days
Academic Half Days are scheduled on Friday Afternoon. The academic half day schedule follows the Basic and Clinical Science Course Manuals from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The curriculum has been redesigned to focus and highlight the material most important for the Royal College Examination. Wetlabs are incorporated into certain half days.
Seminars
Grand Rounds will be held each Friday (September to May) from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and residents will be required to present with an assigned staff member. Academic seminars and didactic teaching will be held weekly on Friday afternoons.
In addition to regular seminars, there will also be Interesting case rounds, Journal Club meetings, subspecialty rounds, and surgical teaching held for the residents.
Visiting teachers
CORP has a robust Visiting Professor program that attracts leaders in their field. In the past 5 years, our roster of visiting professors has included Dr. Davinder Grover (co-inventor of the GATT procedure), Warren Hill (creator of the Hill-RBF lens calculator) and Dr. Jeffrey Liebmann (a principal investigator on the OHTS III Trial) amongst others. Visiting Professors are invited to present at Grand Rounds and subsequently provide a three-hour teaching session for the resident group.
Visiting Teachers (click on pictures for more details)
Dr. Allan R. Slomovic
University of Toronto
- Dr. Slomovic is the UHN Endowed Chair in Cornea and Stem Cell Research, and Research Director of Cornea/External Disease at Toronto Western Hospital
- Past President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS), and past Program Director of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto.
- Previously honored as Mentor of the Year by the Royal College of Physicians in Canada, and one of Toronto’s best doctors by Toronto Life Magazine.
Dr. Peter Netland
University of Virginia
- Dr. Netland has had multiple prestigious appointments, including at Harvard Medical School, the Siegal Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology and Dupont Guerry, III.
- Recipient of the Achievement and Senior Achievement Awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
- Dr. Netland has written over 300 original scientific articles, reviews and published abstracts. He has published five textbooks, most recently The Pediatric Glaucomas (Elsevier) and the second edition of Glaucoma Medical Therapy.
Dr. Warren Hill
East Valley Ophthalmology, Arizona
Improving IOL Power Calculations: Understanding Corneal Abberations
Dr. Warren Hill
East Valley Ophthalmology, Arizona
- Dr. Hill has delivered more than 550 papers and 12 named lectureships to ophthalmic societies both in the United States and internationally in 36 countries and on six continents.
- Recipient of American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Achievement and Secretariat Awards as well as the Distinguished Service Gold Medal in Ophthalmology of the International Academy for Advances in Ophthalmology
- World-expert on challenging anterior segment surgery and the mathematics of intraocular lens power calculations in unusual clinical situations.
Dr. Jeffrey Liebmann
Columbia University, New York
- Dr. Liebmann is the past-president of the World Glaucoma Association, American Glaucoma Society, and New York Society for Clinical Ophthalmology
- He is the current Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Glaucoma
- Dr. Liebmann was the principal investigator at Columbia for the African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES) and Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS III)
Dr. Ron Adelman
Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut
- Dr. Adelman is the current Scientific Director of the European Vitreo-Retinal Society (EVRS)
- Recipient of Senior Honour Award from the American Society of Retinal Specialistsb (ACRS) and the Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
- Dr. Adelman has published extensively, primarily in the area of retinal and macular diseases and surgery, with over 90 publications and 250 abstracts.
Dr. Clara Chan
University of Toronto
- Dr. Chan is the president of the Canadian Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery Society
- She received the 2015 Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- Dr. Chan was included on the 2021 Ophthalmology Power List as one of the world’s 100 most influential female figures in ophthalmology.
Dr. Robert Devenyi
University of Toronto
- Dr. Devenyi is the Retinal Surgery Lead at the Kensington Eye Institute, Karen and William Barnett Chair Ophthalmology at University of Toronto, and Toronto Maple Leaf Team Ophthalmologist
- First Canadian surgeon to have successfully implanted the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis
- Ongoing research into the development of the world’s first bioengineered permanent vitreous substitute, and the use of pico-second laser for ophthalmological surgeries.
Dr. Davinder Grover
University of Texas Southwestern
- Dr. Grover is a pioneer of the gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT), and other innovative surgical techniques for the management of glaucoma
- He is the clinical research lead at Glaucoma Associates of Texas
- Dr. Grover has authored more than 40 incredibly high-impact articles, with over 1000 citations of his work in the collective literature