Residency

First year - PGY 2

The first year of training begins with a two-week introduction to the ophthalmology program, as well as to 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 or indirect supervision and back up.

By the second month, first-year residents perform minor surgical procedures, both office based and in the operating room. By the end of the first year, residents usually have gained significant intra-ocular surgical experience. 

First-year residents also begin call duties, and are initially paired with the senior surgical resident through a ‘buddy call” system.  Residents gain experience managing a wide range of acute emergent ocular and orbital pathology at the UCI Medical Center and the VA Hospital in Long Beach.  

Second Year-PGY 3

Second-year residents have increased autonomy and assume leadership roles in running the clinics at the VA Hospital in Long Beach and at the UCI Medical Center. 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 primary cases per week. They also have increased autonomy in the clinics and are responsible for all pre- and post-operative management.

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 Sciences Lecture Series presented by residents and proctored by faculty members on Wednesday afternoons throughout the academic year. All subspecialty topics are covered in this 12-month series of lectures, which are followed by weekly lectures led by faculty in their area of expertise. 

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

Other regular academic sessions include

• Journal club (monthly)
• Grand rounds (formal case presentations once a month)
• Ethics rounds with the department chair (monthly)
• Morbidity and mortality rounds (monthly)
• Ocular imaging conference (monthly)

Residents also are required to attend sponsored wet labs, lectures given by guest speakers and visiting professors, 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 microscopes 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
   

Residents are a vital part of the UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, School of Medicine and UCI Medical Center community. Residents attend monthly quality improvement meetings with the department chair and the program director to discuss system improvements.

The chief resident is the representative and advocate for all residents, responsible for attending monthly department faculty meetings and serving as a member of the Residency Education Committee.

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 
• Be eligible for licensure in California by the second post-graduate year
• Having 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 the ACGME accredited Preliminary Internal Medicine program through 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

Application process

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.

UCI’s Residency Selection Office must receive applications by Sept. 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 optional additional materials directly to the UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute:

• Curriculum vitae
• Photo (a printed copy or electronic copy via e-mail)
• Additional letters (optional)
• E-mail address.
• Selection Process

The Residency Selection Committee considers:

• 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
• Evidence of leadership
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

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.

UCI'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:

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

The annual salary scale as of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 is:

Resident Physician I: $64,362
Resident Physician II: $66,495
Resident Physician III: $69,107
Resident Physician IV: $71,835
Resident Physician V: $74,775
Resident Physician VI: $77,554
Resident Physician VII: $80,132
Resident Physician VIII: $84,350

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 professional 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 UCI Medical Center
• The American Academy of Ophthalmology basic and clinical science course book set
• Department financial support to attend major scientific meetings, especially when the resident is the first author on a paper or abstract
• Access to the university campus recreation center

For further inquiries contact:

Stephanie Lu, M.D.
Residency Program Director
Department of Ophthalmology
sylu@hs.uci.edu

Pauline David
Residency Coordinator
Department of Ophthalmology
pbc@hs.uci.edu
 

The Residency Selection Committee considers:

• 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

Step 2 scores are not required but highly encouraged. However, you must pass USMLE Steps 2 and 3 before beginning your residency.

Foreign medical graduates need a J-1 visa and an ECFMG certification.

Optional: provide your CV, photograph and any supplemental information directly to the residency coordinator, pbc@hs.uci.edu

No absolute selection criteria exists, but the residency selection committee considers:

• Academic credentials
• Evidence of academic and research potential
• Evidence of commitment to ophthalmology
• Strong communication skills
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

No, the ophthalmology department does not sponsor internships or transitional years, but our program is joint with the PGY1 Preliminary Internal Medicine program at UCI

Yes. We have a small wet lab in our basic science lab. We also hold sponsored wet lab events throughout the academic year.

Buying a set of lenses and surgical loops is encouraged by the third year of residency. The department provides each resident with a set of academy books.

No. Outside elective rotations are not permitted.

At UCI, fellows and residents work closely to manage both the clinical and surgical patient load. In clinics, fellows help train the ophthalmology residents in the fundamentals of the fellows' expertise.

In the operating room, the resident is generally responsible for a case from start to finish, including the pre-procedure work-up, informed consent, being primary surgeon for the case, procedure notes and follow-up.

Residents also participate in other cases to the level of their abilities. When working with the residents, the fellows serve as a mentor for the resident. At UCI, the ophthalmology fellow enhances rather than detracts from the resident's experience.

Presentations at national meetings such as AAO and ARVO are strongly encouraged. Department financial support is available to attend major scientific meetings when the resident is the first author on a paper or abstract.

Clinical and basic research is an important aspect of a resident’s training. At UCI, we believe this is vital for the education of the total physician. The clinician must learn to analyze the literature for efficacy and scientific merit.

Each resident is required to complete at least one research project suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Submission of the completed paper is expected prior to graduation.

Having a car is strongly recommended because you will be rotating through different clinical locations – UCI Medical Center, VA Long Beach, and GHEI during your residency.

More than half of UCI’s recent graduating residents have entered top fellowship programs. Specialties represented in recent years include oculoplastic surgery (ASOPRS), cornea and refractive surgery, vitreoretinal surgery and glaucoma. Other graduates have joined established and successful private practices.

Michael Han, MD: Neuro Ophthalmology fellowship at USC (2024) and Oculoplastics Fellowship at Indiana University (2025)

Stephanie Noh, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU)

Claire Kwan, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

Michael Yang, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at Stanford University

Andrea Tham, MD: Pediatric fellowship at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU)

Itamar Livnat, MD, PhD: Uveitis fellowship at UC San Francisco/Proctor Foundation

Thanh-Thao Vu, MD: Private Practice in Whittier, CA

Steven Carter, MD: private practice in Ventura CA

Kevin Gustafson, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

Catherine Shiels, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at UC San Diego

Jordan Conger, MD:  Oculoplastic fellowship at USC

Jeffrey Tsao, MD: Private Practice in Bay area CA

Andrew Smith, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

Paul Isrealson, MD: Private practice in Seattle, WA

Chirag Shah, MD: Retina fellowship at University of Illinois

Priscilla Vu, MD:  Cornea fellowship at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU)

Darren Knight, MD: Retina fellowship at UC San Diego

Elizabeth Shen, MD: Cornea fellowship at Oregon Health Science University

Kate Xie, MD: Cornea fellowship at Baylor University

James Tucker, MD, PhD:  Private Practice in Sacramento CA

Emily Charlson, MD, PhD: Oculoplastic fellowship at Stanford University

Sarah Faruki, MD:  Glaucoma fellowship at UC San Diego