Overview

We have transitioned to an integrated internship starting with the 2020-2021 match cycle. Our department offered a preliminary internship in the departments of medicine and surgery for many years, then switched to a mandated preliminary internship in 2016. With a strong relationship and working knowledge of the surgical and medicine programs at the University of Kentucky, we are fortunate to have the experience and capacity to create an internship experience that we believe provides optimal learning opportunities for our ophthalmology residents.

The internship schedule includes three months of inpatient medicine, one month of neurology, one month each of emergency medicine, infectious disease, dermatology and plastic surgery, three months of ophthalmology, and one month of a rotating experience.

Picture of all residents together at lunch smiling

The ophthalmology months are spent primarily in the clinic with increasing levels of exposure and autonomy evaluating and treating patients. The interns spend time working directly with technicians to learn the basics of refraction and patient work-ups, as well as how to perform different imaging techniques. Similarly, the interns work alongside the nurses in the operating room to learn about ophthalmology surgical equipment and instruments. The last two weeks of the final ophthalmology month are spent on the consult rotation to prepare for inpatient and emergency room call and consults in PGY2 and beyond.