From June 19 to August 3, ophthalmology residents and practicing ophthalmologists from over a dozen nations converged on the Colby College campus (below) in Waterville, Maine for the Lancaster Course in Ophthalmology (http://lancastercourse.com).

Founded in 1946, the Lancaster Course is the oldest annual ophthalmic educational course. The course is the result of a unique educational partnership between Colby College and Mass Eye and Ear, and is a supplemental training resource used by teaching hospitals in the U.S. and abroad.
The seven week course provides contemporary and extensive coverage of the basic and clinical sciences in ophthalmology. Faculty are from a variety of institutions and are invited for their expertise. The course is particularly appreciated by students for the numerous laboratory sessions including pathology, optics, fluorescein angiography reading, ultrasound, gonioscopy, visual field interpretation and 3-D anatomy labs. Physicians who wish to focus on certain topics in ophthalmology are welcome to register for individual sections.

Lucy Young, MD, PhD, FACS is the director of The Lancaster Course and has been on its faculty since 1990. Dr. Young is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Other retina faculty included Sang Woo Lee (retina) and Mrinali Gupta (tumors) from Weill Cornell, and Rachel Huckfeldt (retinal degenerations) and Yoshihiro Yonekawa (pediatric retina) from Mass Eye and Ear.

The Lancaster Course is held during Maine’s temperate summer months and participants enjoy a congenial atmosphere and natural environment. Weekends are free to explore and experience such delights as the Atlantic coastline, fresh lobster, vast woods and hiking trails, and elusive wildlife. It all combines into a truly exceptional, one-of-a-kind learning experience!


Spencer Onishi, DO
Ophthalmology Resident
Geisinger Eye Institute, Danville
Bill Hewak, MD MPH
Asia-Pacific Leadership Program Fellow
East-West Center, Honolulu