Dr. Fowler attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Fowler completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as the first class to participate in the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? As a medical student at the University of Kentucky, I appreciated the excellent training opportunities that the program offers. We see a broad spectrum of pathology from across the commonwealth and have ample opportunities to improve our surgical and clinical acumen. Over my years of working within the program, I have been extremely impressed all prior UK residents across many classes and have no doubt that a great deal of this competence is a result of the program. 

What do you like about the Residency Program? We have an excellent culture here. The residents all go above and beyond to help each other out and are a tight knit group. The faculty are all supportive, collegial and prioritize our learning. Furthermore, our surgical and clinic staff are friendly, experienced and facilitate exceptional patient care.  

What are your hobbies and interests? I enjoy running marathons (actually!) and have run five so far. In addition, I enjoy playing basketball and tennis with my co-residents, and exploring national parks across the country.  

Dr. Hughes attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Hughes completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as the first class to participate in the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? I chose UK because from my first introduction to the program, I felt a sense of community among the attendings and residents. It is a very supportive learning environment with good surgical volume, which prepares learners well to enter practice or fellowship confidently come graduation day. I also got to experience the camaraderie among the residency classes; even as a medical student, I felt welcomed at every turn.

What do you like about the Residency Program? I like the fact that I am surrounded by extremely knowledgeable and friendly faculty. I also like the fact that at UK we see a very wide range of ocular pathology, given the large catchment area we serve. Many of our patients are extremely grateful, as they come from areas with limited access to eye care. Finally, our curriculum allows for early exposure to procedures and patient care, beginning intern year.

What are your hobbies and interests? I enjoy travelling, hiking and camping. My wife, Caroline, and I want to eventually camp in every US national park. I am also very interested in food and cooking; I love exploring Lexington's restaurant scene and trying out new places when travelling. I spend a lot of my free time grilling, making pizza, coffee, and experimenting with new recipes. I also enjoy tennis, golf, UK and UVA college athletics.

Dr. Huffman attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Huffman completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as the first class to participate in the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky Residency Program? The main thing that stood out to me about the program was how friendly and sociable both the residents and attendings were. Everyone seemed to get along well and work together well as a department. Nearly everyone in the department hangs out with each other socially in some degree, fellows and attendings included. Lexington is a great city with a mix of “big” city and rural elements and is an absolutely fantastic area to live. Due to the isolated and rural social context of our main patient populations (Appalachia), there is a surprising variety of pathologies to learn from in clinic and many common diseases present in more advanced stages.

What do you like about the Residency Program? The culture of the program is relaxed without compromising educational or behavioral standards of integrity, which is a hard balance to strike. I daily feel supported by my attendings and fellow residents; the emphasis on my daily activities is on learning, not as a tool to facilitate busy clinics. There is a lot to like here at UK Ophthalmology, I could not ask for a better group of people to learn and grow with. 

What are your hobbies and interests? Hiking, mushroom hunting and other general foraging, capturing animals, collecting plants, playing video games (recently: Demon Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Sekiro, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, FF7 remake, God of War, DOOM Eternal, Witcher 3), reading science fiction and fantasy (recently: Dune, LOTR).  I love listening to music, mainly Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.

Dr. Tarter attended medical school at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Tarter completed his intern year with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as the first class to participate in the integrated internship. 

Why did you choose the University of Kentucky? The program had everything I was looking for – excellent surgical training, diverse pathology, a global ophthalmology track, and a supportive faculty with a culture of hard work, mutual respect, and teamwork. Not to mention, being from Kentucky and having attended UK for both college and medical school, I was excited to be able to stick around!

What do you like about your program? In addition to the above, so far in my training, I have really appreciated the level of support I have received from faculty and residents. Everyone is very welcoming, and they really do their best to help you succeed. 

What are your hobbies? In my spare time, I enjoy playing in local recreational sports leagues, spending time with friends and family, and playing card/board games!