Residency Program

Ophthalmology Residency

The Residency Training Program in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis has developed into one of the primer training programs in the country. This is due to dedicated faculty, outstanding facilities and early and intensive surgical training. This training is designed to produce a mature, well-rounded, surgically outstanding comprehensive ophthalmologist who is well prepared for independent practice or further subspecialty training. Residents from the program graduate with a very diverse surgical experience and are typically in the 95th percentile or higher in surgical volume.  Based on the prime importance of one-to-one teaching, the resident is given the opportunity to work closely with faculty in all areas of general and subspecialty ophthalmology and, in addition, is provided opportunities for independent management and decision making. The program provides the resident interested in either full-time clinical ophthalmology or clinical/ academic ophthalmology with the opportunity to flourish in an atmosphere which is both rich clinically as well as concerned with the educational development of the resident in training.

Program Description

The ophthalmology residency training program initiated in 1970 at the University of California, Davis, is a fully accredited, three-year multifaceted educational program integrating clinical, didactic and research experiences. Four residents are accepted each academic year beginning on July 1. The program is designed to appeal to those individuals interested in either a clinical or academic career in ophthalmology. Emphasis is placed on acquisition of broad clinical experience in general ophthalmology as well as exposure to a variety of subspecialty areas in ophthalmology. Ophthalmologic training of the resident staff is fostered by close supervision and a working relationship with both the full-time and clinical faculty.

In August 1998, the department relocated to a state-of-the-art multi-specialty outpatient clinic along with other school of medicine departments. This facility provides a spacious, modern and well-equipped ophthalmic testing service for both university and referral patients. In this setting, residents are able to manage a wide variety of clinical eye disorders under the direct supervision of members of the faculty of the Department of Ophthalmology. In addition to the clinical areas, the professional suite houses departmental offices, and conference facilities.

The primary teaching hospital is the University-owned, UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. In addition, we are one of the few programs in the country to have two outstanding VA facilities. Residents rotate through the Veterans Administration Medical Center in nearby Martinez, California as well as the Mather VA Medical Center in Sacramento. Residents also spend time working with clinical faculty in private and HMO settings providing exposure ot a variety of practice settings.

Through its medical group locations, UC Davis Health System serves patients from Stockton to the Oregon border. This assures a large number and variety of patients not seen in programs isolated to much smaller areas or single cities. As a level III trauma center, residents are exposed to a wide variety of traumatic eye injuries. Sacramento, which has been rated as the most ethnically diverse city in the United States, provides a huge variety of pathology essential to a well-rounded ophthalmic education. Due to the limited number of subspecialty fellows, resident education is not hampered but enhanced by the additional interaction.

Surgical Training

Early surgical training is a cornerstone of the UC Davis residency program. Surgical orientation begins in the first week with an introduction to ophthalmic instruments, microscope use and basic surgical techniques. During their first year Comprehensive ophthalmology rotations, residents begin learning intraocular skills in a stepwise fashion. Beginning with wound construction, lens implantation and capsulorhexxus. By the completion of their first year, residents have completed as many as 19 cataract surgeries as primary surgeon, virtually all of these performed via a clear corneal approach with topical anesthesia.

With this strong foundation in ophthalmic surgery, residents are well prepared for their second year, which includes 3 months at the Mather VA hospital. Here residents will refine their skills in both cataract and glaucoma surgery under the direct supervision of the VA faculty. The VA setting provides a wealth of surgical pathology third year, residents perfect their cataract surgery techniques as well as expand their surgical skill in the areas of Refractive surgery. Residents spend 3 months each at the Martinez VA, in Plastic/Refractive Surgery and serving as Chief Resident. Some of our residents have graduated with the highest surgical volume in the country, with most ranging in the 93-97th percentile.