Ophthalmology Residency
Welcome to the Residency Program in Ophthalmology
Welcome to the University of Kentucky’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences four-year integrated ACGME-accredited residency program in ophthalmology. Here, you will find a thorough description of the program including applicant information, details on training experience, a roster of current residents and past graduates and their placement. Please also follow us at “ukophthalmology” on Instagram. The program has historically accepted three candidates per year, but increased to four candidates per year during the 2016 match cycle. We also have required a preliminary year internship with our medicine department, but transitioned to an ophthalmology run integrated internship in the 2020-2021 match. More information on the internship can be found HERE.
The residency program was established in 1967 and has a strong history of producing excellent ophthalmologists and highly skilled surgeons. Our program offers a unique blend of strong academic learning experiences with a variety of clinical and surgical exposure in each of the sub-specialty fields within the discipline of ophthalmology. During the four years of training, emphasis is placed on progressive knowledge of ophthalmic diagnostic procedures and methods, clinical patient care and ophthalmic surgery. A graded responsibility approach is taken, with upper level residents becoming ultimately independent in patient management. Residents in our program graduate with a solid foundation in comprehensive and surgical ophthalmology with the necessary hands-on experience required for a busy practice or a successful subspecialty fellowship. All of this rigorous training is well-balanced with a congenial and supportive learning environment, complementary didactics, an internationally recognized translational research program and a wealth of outside activities available in our region of the Bluegrass and Kentucky.
The training facilities include the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, the Kentucky Clinic for Advanced Eye Care, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital and Central Baptist Hospital, all of which are located in Lexington within very close proximity of each other.
Click HERE for more information about Graduate Medical Education at the University of Kentucky including benefits, contract and house staff policies.
If you have further questions about the program not addressed on this page or the tabs at the top of this page, please do not hesitate to contact the ophthalmology residency coordinator, Madison Seward, at madison.seward@uky.edu.
I chose the University of Kentucky for residency because it felt like home to me. The faculty are excellent clinical instructors that are willing to take extra time to teach you during the day, and the residency fosters a collaborative environment between residents. We also benefit from a broad surgical and clinical experience as we see patients from all over the Eastern part of Kentucky.
I chose UK because I wanted to train somewhere that felt like home. Nowhere else that I interviewed did I feel more welcomed than by the residents and faculty here at Kentucky. That combined with the quality of the facilities and training made it an easy choice.
I feel like all of my co-residents are already close friends that I can rely on. The program is agile in making changes that support residents above all, starting with our interns. There are numerous research opportunities, and faculty are more than happy to support you in all endeavors. I am especially proud of our program’s Global Ophthalmology Track, with faculty who have connections to multiple international sites. Ultimately, I feel that my time is valued even in the busy clinical and surgical volume of this program, such that I feel confident that I can achieve my goals in residency.
Out of all of my interviews, UK stood out as the most genuine. The program itself has ample opportunities to develop clinical experience, and every effort is made to assist residents in pursuing their interests. The multiple fellowships UK has provides experience with conditions you would not otherwise see at programs without fellowships as the patients are transferred elsewhere. There are options for rural exposure as well, which is a particular interest of mine.
