Dr. Blanchard attended medical school at the GA - Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Blanchard completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as part of the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? I chose UK for many reasons, but first and foremost being the feel of the program, which was apparent even on a Zoom interview. I felt like the attendings and residents seemed genuine and dedicated to the good of the program. There was a strong emphasis placed on work-life balance without compromising our education, and the leadership seemed responsive to suggestions for improvement. Now over a year into residency, I can wholeheartedly attest that all of these things I thought that interview day still hold true today.

What do you like about the Residency Program? Our program has an approachable and laidback culture that is evident from every person you meet. There is a strong emphasis placed on individualized learning, so you feel supported no matter what you desire from your career (academic or private, comprehensive or fellowship, etc). Also, I feel a particular strength is our UK GO program, which I am a part of, where we receive longitudinal education in global health, equity, and sustainability while also getting a chance to apply these skills in an international setting.

What are your hobbies and interests? I enjoy playing tennis, disc golf, and pickleball with my co-residents. On most Saturdays during the fall, they will humor me and my love for Georgia football (Go Dawgs!). Lastly, I love traveling with my wife and our long haired dachshund, Oscar.

Dr. Harpole attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Harpole completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as part of the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? I feel at home at UK. Everyone treats you like family and all the faculty are extremely enjoyable to work with. On top of that, UK offers top-notch training in state-of-the-art facilities.

What do you like about the Residency Program? UK residency program has a great mix of almost every ophthalmology specialty and offers resident autonomy early on in training. We also get great surgery numbers and trainees are more than prepared to take care of patients upon graduation

What are your hobbies and interests? In my spare time, I love spending time with my wife and kids. I also love to hunt and fish and I spend a lot of time in the woods. I also enjoy sports, and play golf and basketball regularly. I'm also a gamer and am not ashamed to say I like Pokémon.

Dr. Khair attended medical school at the Lebanon - American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Khair completed her intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as part of the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? It was evident early on that this program offers strong training. With many residents going into comprehensive practice, I was confident that I was getting a well-rounded experience. Early surgical exposure and having incredible mentors in various sub-specialties was very important to me. Also, the attendings and residents stood out. This program was very welcoming and catered to each resident’s own interests and career goals.

What do you like about the Residency Program? My favorite thing about the program is the people. There is a remarkable sense of community and camaraderie among residents and attendings. I have already formed very strong bonds with various co-residents. I am amazed by the strong support we have from our faculty. Our feedback is well received and implemented.

What are your hobbies and interests? I enjoy any sport that involves a racket. I spend my free time playing tennis and pickleball with my co-residents as well as discovering new restaurants. We occasionally play ping pong at my favorite bar downtown- and I have yet to be defeated! I also enjoy traveling and discovering new cities and I am very excited to discover more parts of the US.

Dr. Wang attended medical school at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Wang completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as part of the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky? From the moment I finished my interview with UK, I knew this would be a fantastic place to train for residency. The faculty were extremely kind and welcoming, the residents all seemed down to earth and friendly, and being closer to family in Nashville while doing residency training was important to me. Many of the faculty have stayed with the program training residents for a long time, which told me they were very invested in the residents and also simply enjoyed working in the department. I also wanted a program with a heavy clinical emphasis, robust and early surgical experience, and exposure to a broad variety of pathology, all of which UK was able to offer. All in all, it seemed like a very well-rounded program that fit my personal values and priorities, and it has lived up to these expectations.

What do you like about your program? There are many things, but what I love most of all would be the culture here. The faculty are very approachable and invested in the residents (even inviting us to their houses frequently for dinners and journal clubs), my seniors never hesitate to help me when I need it, and my co-residents have become a fun and inspiring group of close friends in my life. Secondly, UK is a very clinically and surgically focused program. For example, we spend three months at the VA eye clinic during intern year honing our exam skills and doing lasers and injections. I also completed my first full cataract in the first month of my PGY2 year. Call can be quite busy, but I've learned a lot simply from the volume we see. Lastly, I have really appreciated the program's mission of serving some of America's poorest and most unhealthy communities. We have outreach events locally in Lexington and in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, our catchment area spreads into multiple surrounding states, and UK is constantly looking for ways to improve its outreach in the region and globally through the UK Global Ophthalmology program which I'm a part of. It's been an exciting and joyful journey so far, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to train at such a great program.

What are your hobbies? I enjoy hiking, swimming, cycling, and exploring national parks. I also enjoy playing the piano and playing board games and pickleball with my co-residents (most of whom beat me easily).