Our Residency programs at Illinois College of Optometry offer post-graduate training for those interested in all aspects of optometry, including clinical practice, optometric education, and business. Residents gain advanced competency in eye care through education, scholarship, and patient care. Such experience aims to provide ICO residents with the expertise and confidence needed to treat complex clinical patients. We can help you find the right residency for you. Explore our on and off-campus options below.
On-Campus Residencies
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Pediatric Optometry and Vision Therapy and Vision Rehabilitation Residency (PDF) (see video)
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Cornea and Contact Lenses and Ocular Disease Residency (PDF) (see video)
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Vision Rehabilitation, Geriatric, and Ocular Disease Residency (PDF) (see video)
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Ocular Disease and Neuro Ophthalmic Disorders Residency (PDF)
Affiliate Residencies
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Cornea and Contact Lenses / Anterior Segment Disease Residency – Davis Duehr Dean, Madison, Wis.
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Ocular Disease Residency - University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Ocular Disease Residency - Insight Vision Group, Parker, CO
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Ocular Disease, Anterior Segment, and Glaucoma Eye Care Residency – Minnesota Eye Consultants, Bloomington, Minn.
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Ocular Disease and Anterior Segment Residency – Associated Eye Care, Stillwater, Minn.
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Ocular Disease / Low Vision Rehabilitation Residency – Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
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OD Residency in Ocular Disease / Refractive and Ocular Surgery / Glaucoma – Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Ocular Disease Residency at Center for Sight and Dry Eye Institute - Center for Sight and Dry Eye Institute; Carmel, Indiana
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Primary Care / Ocular Disease / Geriatrics Residency - Jackie Walorski VA Clinic, Mishawaka, IN
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Primary Care / Ocular Disease Residency – Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Ill.
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Primary Care / Ocular Disease Residency - HealthPartners, St. Paul, MN
To Apply
All ICO and affiliated residency programs use Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch) to fill our Residency positions. In order to apply for Residency, prior to matriculation, you must have attained the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from a school or college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education. We evaluate all applicants without regard to sex, race, color, creed, age, religion or non-disqualifying physical disabilities. Application information and an interview are used for the selection process.
To apply, please register online in the NMS Match System to participate in ORMatch. Required components of your ORMatch application include:
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Letter of intent
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Curriculum vitae
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OD Transcript
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Three (3) letters of recommendation
For more information about ICO’s residency programs, please contact the program coordinator of each residency, or ICO’s Residency Director, Dr. Christine Allison.
All ICO Residency Programs are ACOE accredited with the exception of our newest program at HealthPartners which is in Preliminary Approval status*. The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) has granted the ICO programs the accreditation status of "Accredited". Accreditation is a classification granted to an educational program indicating that the program generally meets the Standards for accreditation.
*The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education has granted HealthPartners Primary Care Residency the pre-accreditation status of "Preliminary Approval". Preliminary Approval status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation. Achieving Preliminary Approval is not a guarantee that the ACOE will grant HealthPartners an accreditation status. Participants who graduate from a program in Preliminary Approval status are not deemed to have completed an accredited program. HealthPartners will be evaluated for the granting of accreditation status during the academic year the first cohort is schedule to graduate.
For more information, see the ACOE's website at www.theACOE.org or contact the ACOE at accredit@theacoe.org.
Residency Information Session
A wide range of topics were discussed in our November 2021 online info session. Below you can watch the live discussion covering topics like why you should consider a residency program, what is available through ICO, what the application process is like and a live Q&A covering common questions.
