Global Health

The Department of Ophthalmology participates in IU School of Medicine’s interdisciplinary Residency Track in Global Health, which engages highly motivated residents from diverse specialties to better understand the social, economic, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to health and disease throughout the world. The program seeks to equip residents to address health disparities and encourages long-term commitment to global health issues, both domestic and international.

Residents are supported with time and funding to pursue experiences in international ophthalmology with Orbis International.

The department has a long partnership with this nonprofit organization, which fights avoidable blindness across the globe. Residents are given a week off from their work and studies to travel with the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital to underserved areas and care for patients of all ages. Orbis International treats cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, trachoma and trichiasis.