The McMaster University Department of Ophthalmology held their first of multiple Town Halls on November 11th, 2020. It was hosted by the program director, Dr. Enitan Sogbesan and a number of residents.

Here are some takeaways from the discussion:

• Strong research presence with many faculty members who are prolific researchers
• Many international opportunities for residents in places such as India and Ouganda
• Compared to other programs, there are relatively less fellows which gives residents more learning opportunities and opportunities to work closer with staff
• You do cover the entire city while on call but 50% of consults come from the emergency department located right below the main ophthalmology clinic
• Many of the benefits of a “smaller” program while being only 45 minutes from Toronto
• Residents felt that their call load was very reasonable
• While many residents do go onto pursue fellowships, it was highlighted that many residents pursue comprehensive ophthalmology and feel well supported in those goals as well

They will be hosting 2 more Town Hall events on December 9th at 6pm EST and January 6th at 6pm EST! You can sign up for the Town Hall here and follow them on Instagram at @macophtho.

Authors: Cody Lo & Dominique Geoffrion

Cody Lo is a 4th year MD student at UBC and is the Director of External Affairs for the Canadian Ophthalmology Student Interest Group. Dominique Geoffrion is a 2nd year MDCM & PhD student at McGill University and Director of Communications for the Canadian Ophthalmology Student Interest Group.