April 11, 2026
Mayo Clinic's Ophthalmology residency training program provides an essential foundation in clinical, surgical and academic ophthalmology. This foundation ensures that graduates are well-prepared to excel in comprehensive clinical practice or pursue further subspecialty training. In addition to learning clinical care, residents and fellows participate in innovative research, quality improvement, advocacy and educational opportunities.
"Residents have distinctive interests, aspirations and goals," says Matt R, Starr, M.D., a vitreoretinal surgeon and program director for the Ophthalmology Residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "They might aspire to pursue a subspecialty fellowship, seek a career in academic medicine or be interested in pursuing comprehensive ophthalmology. Regardless of the end goal, our dedicated faculty of physician educators offers invaluable mentorship to maximize each resident's potential."
Mayo Clinic's clinical and academic environment uniquely positions graduates to contribute to the field of ophthalmology throughout their career. The internship curriculum includes three months of clinical ophthalmology and nine months of ophthalmology-customized broad patient care experiences across internal medicine and surgical subspecialties.
"Residency at Mayo Clinic provides an incredibly solid foundation," says Grayson B. Ashby, M.D., chief Ophthalmology resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. "In addition to the steady support we receive from the faculty, we've experienced a phenomenal breadth and depth of opportunities that we'll continue to build on throughout our careers."
Residents' comprehensive clinical and surgical ophthalmology training encompasses a wide spectrum of ophthalmic care, with focused clinical experience and didactics in diverse subspecialty areas, including cataract, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, ocular oncology and vitreoretinal surgery.
"I feel really blessed to have had good mentors throughout residency," Dr. Ashby says. "For example, I've had the opportunity to work with Dr. Brian Mohney on about a dozen different papers over the last six years. He's helped shape how I view myself as a budding academic ophthalmologist and how I approach patient care. So many people in the department have been very supportive."
"After graduation, I anticipate there will be a learning curve when navigating a new environment and getting used to the autonomy," says Darrell Kohli, M.D., chief Ophthalmology resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. "The training at Mayo Clinic prepares residents well, however, for comprehensive practice. I feel confident that by the end of this final year, I will feel prepared surgically and medically to treat a wide range of patients while also understanding limits — and recognizing when to reach out with questions or refer for subspecialty help."
Dr. Kohli will join SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and practice general ophthalmology.
"My goal is to have a comprehensive medical practice and perform surgery that will encompass a mix of cataracts and some oculoplastics procedures," Dr. Kohli says. "I look forward to developing this practice and joining my wife, who is an OB-GYN in the same multispecialty group."
Dr. Ashby's post-residency plans include a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at Vanderbilt Eye Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and he anticipates what lies ahead.
"Big picture, I hope to work as an academic pediatric ophthalmologist," Dr. Ashby says. "Which would ideally give me the opportunity to continue pursuing my research interests, while also working with residents and fellows both in clinic and in the operating room."
Although stepping into post graduation life brings its own hurdles, Dr. Ashby and Dr. Kohli recognize the promising possibilities waiting in the next chapter of their careers.
"I feel comfortable and ready to go on to fellowship and to build on the foundation that I've been given here," Dr. Ashby says. "It's definitely a change of pace, but it's something I'm looking forward to."
"I will always appreciate the bonds I've formed with my co-residents," Dr. Kohli says. "Residency can be a challenging yet rewarding time — contributing to the strength and enduring quality of the relationships formed."
As ophthalmology continues to evolve, graduating residents are eager to shape what comes next.
"It's an exciting time to join the field," Dr. Ashby says. "With ophthalmology being a smaller, relatively competitive specialty overall, pediatric ophthalmology in particular is an area with significantly unmet needs. Given the general trends of incoming ophthalmology residents, retention, retirement, growing populations, and more, it will take some creative thinking on how to expand our field in the future while continuing to meet patient needs."
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