Application Process

Matching Program

Our residency positions are filled through the Ophthalmology Matching Program. Since we have an integrated internship, matched applicants will NOT need to apply through the NMRP. The next available positions will start internship July 1, 2027 and residency July 1, 2028. These positions will be filled through the Ophthalmology Matching Program process in the Fall of 2026. Please have your application submitted by the suggested SF Match deadline of Tuesday, September 1, 2026. In the past, we have utilized a short secondary application to allow applicants the opportunity to signal our program. With the introduction and expansion of signals, we will not be utilizing a secondary application this year. To indicate specific interest in our program, we recommend you signal the University of Kentucky as well as utilize the program specific personal statement feature within the SFMatch to elaborate on specific interests in our program.

The SF Match has instituted a two coordinated interview release dates this year. We have yet to determine whether we will release our interviews on one or both of those dates, but will provide updates once a decision has been made.

 

Track Hurdle

During the 2025-2026 interview cycle, 536 applicants submitted a secondary application to our program and were all individually and holistically reviewed. The Step 2 mean score was 251 with a range of 216-289. We do not have a minimum score to consider an applicant for an interview, and attempt to review applications holistically, with particular attention to personal characteristics and life distance traveled. We are also a state institution and have a mission of identifying and training a subset of residents that will likely remain in the state to provide needed care for the patients in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Our interview committee additionally screened a final 100 applications, 86 of which signaled our program. The Step 2 mean was 254.3 (range 220-279), 51% applicants self-identified as female, and geographically, 9% were from Kentucky, 49% from the South, 18% from the Midwest, 13% from the West, 7% from the Northeast, and 1% international. We interviewed 42 applicants from this list, including an additional 10 applicants placed initially on a waitlist.

As both medicine and residency training are both an inherently human and nuanced process, we do not use artificial intelligence to aid in review of applications at any point in the application or interview process.

Interview Process

Interviews will again be virtual this year, which we feel is of great benefit to applicants, although there are obviously trade-offs when not able to visit our amazing region and facilities in person. Similar to the past virtual recruitment cycles, the interview day will likely be a morning only session split into two groups that will either interview with faculty or interact more informally with our residents. There will be a few short presentations from the program director and chief resident. Interviewees will be sent additional content about our program prior to the interview, including a tour of our facilities. 

 

 

Important Dates to Remember

  1. We must receive the San Francisco Match Application by  Sept. 1, 2026  for you to be considered for an interview. 
  2. We will utilize one or both of the coordinated interview release dates. There are four positions available. 
  3. Ophthalmology resident interviews for Fall 2026 will be held on three dates: 
    1. Friday, Nov. 20 
    2. Friday, Dec. 4 
    3. Friday, Dec. 11 
  4. Invitations will be initially sent to a list of applicants the exact size of the number of interview slots available. We also have a small list of alternate applicants that we expect to interview at our program as interviews are dropped/added during the process. These applicants therefore are screened and considered the same as those initially invited for interviews, and will be notified of openings per the SF Match interview process. 
  5. While we understand and appreciate that applicants may need to change or cancel interviews, we prohibit changes within a week of the scheduled interview date out of respect for our staff and fellow applicants. 

Please note all applicants must be a graduate from an LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) or an ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) accredited medical institution. We will only accept a J-1 Visa – trainee program. We do not sponsor an H-1B Visa. 

Questions by phone or email may be directed to the residency program coordinator, Madison Seward at madison.seward@uky.edu.