Optometry Externship Program

Thank you for your interest in the Rochester Regional Health Eye Care Externship Program.

Our goal is to provide fourth-year optometry students with an immersive clinical experience focused on medical optometry, ocular disease, and interdisciplinary patient care. As the first optometry externship site in Rochester, our program was established to prepare students for successful careers in ocular disease, hospital-based optometry, and residency training.

Whether your goal is to pursue residency or enter clinical practice, our externship is designed to strengthen your diagnostic skills, clinical reasoning, and confidence in managing complex ocular disease.

Why Choose Rochester Regional Health?

Our externship offers a unique blend of outpatient, hospital, and interdisciplinary experiences that are not commonly found at traditional private practice sites.

Students rotate primarily with residency-trained optometrists who provide individualized teaching and mentorship while caring for a diverse patient population.

Highlights include:

• High-volume ocular disease clinics
• Comprehensive medical eye care
• Glaucoma
• Retina
• Cornea and anterior segment disease
• Neuro-ophthalmic conditions
• Urgent eye care
• Dry eye disease
• Contact lens complications
• Diabetic eye disease
• Macular degeneration
• Uveitis

Students become active members of the clinical team while developing efficiency in patient care, documentation, and evidence-based clinical decision making.

Interested in Rotating With Us?

We welcome students who are passionate about medical optometry, eager to challenge themselves clinically, and committed to providing exceptional patient care.

For more information about our externship program, please contact:
Alek Karthikeyan, OD, FAAO
Director, Optometry Externship Program

Email: Alek.Karthikeyan@RochesterRegional.org

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