Ophthalmology & Visual Science

The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Kentucky, under the direction of Dr. Seema Capoor, Program Director, offers a 3-year ACGME-accredited residency program in Ophthalmology. The program accepts 3 residents per year, all of whom are expected to complete a one-year internship prior to the start of the residency. The training facilities include the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, the Kentucky Clinic Eye Center, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Central Baptist Hospital, all of which are located in Lexington. The residency program places a strong emphasis on training qualified ophthalmologists equally prepared to enter a private or academic practice opportunity or proceed with further training in a sub-specialty fellowship program. 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. The residency provides a vast amount of surgical experience in coordination with an extensive population base of patients and a variety of pathologic disease processes of the eyes. During the three-year residency, 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 increasingly independent in patient management. First year residents begin with a 3-week program designed to introduce diagnostic and management skills needed for the evaluation of ophthalmic disorders frequently encountered on call situations and in clinics. The first year schedule includes three 4 month rotation blocks which take place at the Kentucky Clinic eye center and the Veterans Medical Center. In addition to a wide variety and large volume of clinical exposure, the schedule incorporates extensive surgical training and post-operative management. First year residents are expected to take home-call every fourth night throughout the year. Second and third year residents also have 4-month rotation schedules which include the Kentucky Clinic Eye Center, Veterans Medical Center, and Central Baptist Hospital. In the second and third years, residents perform a wide range of surgical procedures and gain extensive exposure to all ophthalmology sub-specialty fields. The call schedule in the second year is home-call every eighth night throughout the year. Third year residents take back up call on an average of every third night during the year. The residency incorporates an extensive lecture series including basic science studies, clinical patient care, socioeconomic issues, ethics, monthly journal clubs, and ophthalmology grand rounds and chief rounds. Opportunities for clinical and laboratory research projects are available and strongly encouraged. Residents are allowed to present research topics at any of the variety of ophthalmic meetings held throughout the year. The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences has fifteen full-time clinical faculty, as well as research faculty and part-time faculty members. The full-time faculty includes specialists in all fields of ophthalmology including comprehensive, medical and surgical retina, ophthalmic plastics and reconstructive surgery, ocular pathology, corneal and external disease, refractive surgery, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, and contact lens.

University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center The University Hospital is a 473-bed Level I trauma center that serves as the tertiary referral center for Lexington, the eastern half of Kentucky, and border regions of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. The facility includes a 25 bed state-of-the-art emergency department, seven intensive care units (divided among medicine and surgical specialties), the UK Children's Hospital, the UK Birthing Center, the UK Gamma Knife Center, and the Markey Cancer Center. The majority of ophthalmology resident time in the University Hospital is spent in the UK Outpatient Surgical Center and emergency department. Residents also spend time in the hospital during the ophthalmology consultations dispersed throughout the second and third years. Kentucky Clinic Eye Center The Eye Clinic is an outpatient facility which includes faculty offices, 30 fully furnished ophthalmology examination lanes, an electrophysiology testing room, a blink kinematics study room, contact lens facility, two fully furnished operating rooms, two laser procedure rooms, and an ophthalmic photography center. The newest addition to this facility was completed in December 2000 and includes the ophthalmology library, conference center, the resident's lounge, locker facility, and computer center. All residents spend the majority of time in this facility during the three years of training. Veterans Affairs Medical Center This facility is a modern 346-bed facility of which the majority of time is spent in the Veterans Eye Clinic. This clinic includes three fully furnished ophthalmology examination rooms, two technician work-up lanes, two fully equipped laser rooms for YAG and argon laser treatment, a business office, and a resident's lounge. The clinic is staffed by three residents, one from each year, at all times throughout the year. The majority of surgical training during the residency is performed while on the VA rotation. Central Baptist Hospital This facility is a 383-bed community-based hospital that also serves as a tertiary referral center for Lexington and the eastern half of Kentucky. Second-year residents share rotation time at this facility while on the Cornea and External Disease rotation. The time at this facility is divided between clinical patient care in a private practice setting and surgical exposure in the newly completed Outpatient Surgical Center.

Our residency positions are filled through the Ophthalmology Matching Program. The next available positions will start July 1, 2014, and will be filled through the Ophthalmology Matching Program process in the Fall of 2012. Applications may be submitted to the Ophthalmology Matching Program at http://www.sfmatch.org.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

We must receive the San Francisco Match Application file by SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 for you to be considered for an interview. We must receive your recent eye exam by OCTOBER 1, 2012. Invitations to interview will be mailed out EARLY OCTOBER 2012. There are 3 positions available. Ophthalmology Resident Interviews will be held OCTOBER 29, NOVEMBER 2 AND NOVEMBER 5.

All of the following information must be received in order to be considered for an interview:

1. Central Application Service File (from Matching Program)
2. Copy of most recent eye exam [may be faxed to (859) 257-6718]
3. Recent photograph (optional)

Residents are expected to arrange and complete a one-year general patient care internship including at least six months of direct patient care before beginning the three-year ophthalmology residency. A one-year transitional residency at the University of Kentucky is offered to all residents who have matched to our program.

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Documents:

Application Letter

Brochure

Questions by phone or email may be directed to Megan Gonzalez at (859) 218-2631 or by e-mail to mlgo225@email.uky.edu.

While completing a residency at the University of Kentucky, there are hundreds of opportunities to assist in the operating room and to perform surgery as a lead surgeon. Our residents exceed the national median on the numbers of surgeries they assist on and perform as chief surgeon.

Upon completion of residency, our residents have gone all over the country and overseas, with about two-thirds going on to complete fellowships. In the last 5 years, the University of Kentucky Ophthalmology residents have done fellowships in the subspecialties of: Retina, Cornea, Glaucoma, Pediatrics and Plastics.

Here is information on past residents surgeries and placement after graduation: