Residency

First year-PGY 2

The first year of training begins with a two-week introduction to the ophthalmology program, as well as to the UCI School of Medicine's policies and procedures. First-year residents next begin clinical rotations at either the UCI Medical Center in Orange or the VA hospital in Long Beach. For the first month, the resident gains experience in the practice of direct skills, including patient examination, refraction and  ophthalmoscopy supervision. The senior resident and attending faculty members provide direct supervision and back-up.

By the second month, first-year residents are performing minor surgical procedures such as lasers and office-based oculoplastic surgery. By the end of the first year, residents usually have performed one or two intra-ocular operations. The annual rotation is a total of four months at UC Irvine Medical Center and eight months at the VA.

Second year-PGY 3

Second-year residents have increased autonomy.  Second-year residents gain additional surgical experience. 

Third year-PGY 4

In the third year, the emphasis is on surgical mastery. Residents perform four to 15 cases a week. They also have increased autonomy in the clinics.

A chief resident selected from among the third-year class takes on additional administrative duties, including schedule preparation, surgical assignments and serving as a representative of residents at faculty meetings. 

Research is an important aspect of the ophthalmology residency program. Residents are required to complete at least one research project that is worthy of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Submission of the completed paper is expected before graduation.

Each resident must submit a research proposal by the fall of the first year, outlining the aims, methods and budget for the project. First-year residents are expected to present this along with possible preliminary data at the annual resident's research day in May. For the remainder of the first year and into the second year of residency, more data are collected and analyzed. A paper or thesis is written under the supervision of a research mentor, with final results and conclusions presented at the May or June research day.

Third-year residents are expected present a completed research project that has been submitted—or is suitable for submission—to a peer-reviewed journal.

Department financial support is available to attend major scientific meetings when the resident is the first author on a paper or abstract. A request for financial assistance must be made in advance to the Residency Education Committee.

All residents are required to attend the Basic Clinical Science Lecture Series presented by faculty members on Wednesday afternoons throughout the academic year. All subspecialty topics are covered in this 18-month series of lectures, which are followed by weekly lectures.

Residents are excused from academic clinics and other clinical duties for this protected didactic time.

Other regular academic sessions include:

• Journal club (monthly) 
• Refractive surgery rounds (monthly)
• Management rounds (informal case presentations once or twice a month)
• Grand rounds (formal case presentations once a month)
• Ethics/chair rounds (monthly)
• Morbidity and mortality rounds (monthly)
• Ocular imaging conference (monthly)
• Veterans affairs quarterly conference

Residents also are required to attend sponsored wet labs, lectures given by guest speakers, events sponsored by Continuing Medical Education and billing seminars, as well as financial and career workshops.

Surgical training increases gradually during the residency program, with an emphasis on gaining clinical proficiency and competence by the end of the second year.

A state-of-the-art wet lab with microscope is available. Residents must achieve competency in basic techniques in the wet lab prior to engaging in active human patient surgical care.

By the end of the third year, residents will have performed the approximate number of the following procedures:

• Cataract - 210-300
• Strabismus - 10-20
• Corneal surgery - 10-20
• Glaucoma filtering - 10-20
• Glaucoma laser - 25-30
• Retina/vitreous - 5-10
• Other retinal - 100-150
• Oculoplastics/Orbit - 85-125
• Globe trauma - 5-10

U.S. applicants for UCI’s ophthalmology residency program must meet the following requirements:

• Have a medical degree from a U.S. or Canadian medical school approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) 
• Be eligible for licensure in California by the second post-graduate year
• Have successfully completed steps 1, 2 and 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) before beginning the residency program
• Beginning in 2021, ophthalmology residents will take their post-graduate clinical year (PGY-1) in a program accredited by the ACGME accredited Preliminary Internal Medicine program though UCI.  

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must:

• Have a certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates® (ECFMG)
• Have a J-1 clinical visa or proof of permanent residency status
• Provide a current evaluation status letter from the Medical Board of California certifying qualification to pursue post-graduate medical training in the state.

To request an evaluation status letter, contact:

Medical Board of California
1426 Howe Ave., Suite 54
Sacramento, CA 65825
916.263.2382

Applicants to UCI’s ophthalmology residency program must register through the San Francisco Match Residency and Fellowship Matching Service.

The Central Application Service (CAS), which is an automatic part of the San Francisco Match registration, distributes applications to specified programs. Applications not received directly from CAS will not be considered.

UC Irvine’s Residency Selection Office must receive applications by September 15.

Requirements for the CAS application are:

• Completed and signed CAS application forms
• College transcripts
• Medical school transcripts
• USMLE scores
• Three letters of recommendation
• ECFMG certificate (for international graduates only)
• Dean's letter (applies to graduates).

To apply, contact San Francisco Match.

Please send the following materials via email directly to the Program Coordinator:

• Curriculum vitae
• Photo
• Additional letters (optional)
• Postgraduate training authorization letter (foreign medical graduates only)

• Academic credentials (e.g. performance in medical school and clinical rotations, USMLE scores)
• Evidence of academic and research potential
• Evidence of commitment to ophthalmology
• Evidence of service
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

Residents receive medical, dental and vision insurance, including coverage for their dependents (spouse/children) at no cost.

Long-term disability insurance is provided as is profession liability coverage for all activities that are approved components of the residency program.

Other benefits include:

• Four weeks of vacation each academic year
• Meal allocations while rotating at UC Irvine Medical Center
• The American Academy of Ophthalmology basic and clinical science course book set
• Department financial support to attend major scientific meetings when the resident is the first author on a paper or abstract
• Access to the university campus recreational center

Class of 2018 (from left to right):

James Tucker, MD, PhD:  Private Practice - Medical Vision Technology, Roseville, CA

Sarah Farukhi, MD:  UCSD Glaucoma Fellowship

Emily Charlson, MD, PhD:  Stanford University, Byers Eye Institute - Ophthalmic Plastic and Orbital Facial Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship