Residence in Ophthalmology

1. The Ophthalmology Residence Program is offered at the Higher School of Ophthalmology only through fellowships granted by the Barraquer Institute of America.

2. The absolute prerequisite to enter the specialization program is a degree in medicine and surgery and one year of rural (social) medical practice or its equivalent in countries that require it.

3. The age limit to enter the program is 29 years.

4. Applications must be submitted two (2) years in advance. For example, applications received in 2007 will only be considered for the residence program starting in 2009). Additionally, fellows enter one by one every three months.

5. Requirements for the application include: grades obtained during medical training; a recent photograph; a hand-written biographical résumé (no Curriculum Vitae); and three (3) letters of recommendation, one from the Director of the Medical School, one from a physician that has observed the candidate during the internship years, and a third one from any other physician who has supervised the candidate’s recent activities. All personal references must be listed with names and addresses, and the letters of reference must be addressed and sent directly to the Director of the Higher School of Ophthalmology, Dr. María Eugenia Salazar.

6. The by-laws state that one year before the initiation of the residence training, on the second Thursday of February, the School’s Board of Directors will meet for a pre-selection of the potential fellows, based on the candidates’ weighted grade averages and résumés. The applicants that fulfill all the requirements will be called to the admissions process.

The Council’s decision, be it a yes or a no, will be communicated to all applicants. Selected applicants will be asked to send an authenticated copy of their medical diploma and birth certificate.

7. Selected candidates will be on probation for two (2) months before being officially admitted as Fellows of the Higher School of Ophthalmology. Should the selection of a persona living outside Bogotá be revoked for any reason, the Barraquer Institute will pay for the return ticket to the candidate’s city of origin.

8. At the end of the three-year specialization program, fellows who have demonstrated their competence and skill will receive their Ophthalmology Diploma

9. Aside from the specialization program per se, the fellowship includes a study grant that varies according to the two modalities selected for the residence (this possibility is exclusive for male students): 1) Internal Resident (living at the Clinic); and 2) External Resident (living outside the Clinic). The grant also varies according to the years into the program.

10. Changes of address must be notified as soon as possible in order to maintain updated student files. Applicants must also inform about their wish to withdraw their applications in order for the School to proceed accordingly.

11. Candidates are selected only on the basis of their own merits. Therefore, apart from the letters of recommendation and the documents required, the Council will not consider any other additional documents and candidates are encouraged to abstain from imposing pressures on its decision.

12. The Council reserves the right to select the fellows of its own accord. In no case will explanations be given in support of its decisions.