Ophthalmology Residency Program

The residency program consists of a total of nine residents who undergo three years of clinical training in Ophthalmology sponsored by the University of Maryland Medical Center. A major portion of their time is spent at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which includes the faculty practice located in the University of Maryland Professional Building, the University of Maryland Hospital and the Shock Trauma Center. The Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Wilmington, Delaware, Veterans Administration Medical Center comprise the affiliated hospitals. Meet our current residents.

Year 1

The first-year residents are exposed to patient care at the University of Maryland Hospital through the Consult Service, which covers the Emergency Department, Shock Trauma, and all inpatient consultations. They also rotate through the Faculty Practice as well as the Delaware VA Hospital. At the Faculty Practice, they see patients in various sub-specialty clinics. During the first year, residents learn to perform office-based procedures. They also complete a one-month rotation at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

Year 2

The second year is spent primarily in the subspecialty clinics at the University Eye Care Faculty Practice at the University of Maryland Medical Center and at the Baltimore VA hospital. Each second year resident spends 4 months consecutively in each of the following services: Cornea/Glaucoma, Retina/Pediatrics, and Oculoplastics/Neuro-Ophthalmology. The residents assist at surgery at the University Hospital and at the Baltimore VA Hospital. Their surgical experience includes both extraocular and intraocular surgery as well as a very large volume of laser procedures.

Year 3

The third-year residents assume a great deal of additional  responsibility. Rotations include clinics at the Faculty Practice and at the affiliated VA hospitals. The main focus of the third year experience is intraocular surgery. Each resident typically completes well over 100 cataract extraction surgeries. Third year residents also supervise junior residents in surgery in the presence of an Attending Surgeon. On the Consult Service, they help the junior residents with complex patient issues.

Residents are given formal didactic lectures on a weekly basis, and attendance is mandatory. In addition, Grand Rounds are held on a weekly basis on the morning of the lectures. Physicians from the community are encouraged to attend Grand Rounds and to participate in the teaching of the residents.

Ophthalmology subspecialty clinics in the faculty practice at the University of Maryland Medical Center include:

• Cornea, External Disease and Uveitis
• Retina
• Glaucoma
• Oculoplastics
• Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
• Neuro-ophthalmology
• General Ophthalmology
• Contact Lens      

A regular schedule of conferences and grand rounds is held to cover the various subspecialties in ophthalmology. These include seminars and lectures concerning the basic and clinical science areas in ophthalmology. Residents are provided the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology during their senior year. In addition, we encourage active participation in research and presentation of this work, when appropriate at local and national meetings.

All University of Maryland residents are provided professional liability coverage through the Maryland Medical Center Insurance Program for activities performed on behalf of the University of Maryland Medical Center in accordance with the specified Terms and Conditions of Coverage.

Residents in all University of Maryland programs receive a standard stipend based on their post graduate year of Ophthalmology training and a standard set of benefits. Fringe benefits include the following: three weeks vacation leave per year, up to two weeks sick leave per year, health and dental insurance subsidized by the employer, employer-paid life insurance, and employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance. All residents receive uniforms and laundry services. When on call, living quarters are provided and meals are available. A complete set of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Basic and Clinical Science textbooks will be provided to each resident as well.

Satisfactory completion of an accredited internship with at least six months in direct patient care is a requirement of our program. We are a part of the Matching Program sponsored by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO). Application to our program must be through the Central Application Service (CAS) sponsored by the AUPO.

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