Our program is interested in training residents who are engaged and eager to learn, who have a genuine interest in delivering high-quality ophthalmic care during residency and in their future careers, who have excellent interpersonal skills and can work effectively in our tight-knit environment, and who are mature, introspective and self-reflective.

We are interested in residents who will actively contribute to the program throughout their residency.

Beyond the standard application components that make up the CaRMS application, our program has two additional requirements:

• We ask that all applicants to our program complete the CASPer situational judgement test—this online tool assesses non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal values. These are dimensions that we feel are important for assessing the future success of our residents, and members of our community
• Queen’s Ophthalmology has prepared a short questionnaire to assist us the selection process. This brief, 500-word submission is designed to help us learn a little more about a prospective applicant’s personality and compatibility with our program, and whether we are a good fit for them.

Failure to complete these two components run the risk of voiding an application.

We want to get a sense of who you are: What motivates you in general, and what motivates you toward a practice in ophthalmology? What makes you a good fit for a position in ophthalmology, and in particular Queen’s Ophthalmology? What do you hope to achieve in residency, and ultimately in a career in ophthalmology?

The personal letter is an opportunity to give us insight into who you are beyond what we can glean from all of the documentation of your application package.

We do require an ophthalmological report as we want to ensure a prospective resident’s potential for microsurgery. Having excellent stereoacuity is a crucial asset when trying to perform delicate intraocular 3-dimensional tasks like capsulorhexis and epiretinal membrane peeling.

Please upload no more than three (3) abstracts/publications as PDFs. We recommend that you upload those pieces that you feel represent your best work. We encourage you to choose things that are representative of your contributions.

Of course you should list all of your research in the appropriate section and in your custom CV, along with citations so that our reviewers can easily access additional material online should we wish to read more of your work.

No, they do not.

While it is strongly encouraged that at least one letter be from an ophthalmologist (particularly from an academic centre), we are keen to read letters from physicians from any specialty who know you well, and who can attest to your overall abilities and interpersonal skills, rather than from an ophthalmologist who has only spent a small amount of time with you during a short elective.