Ophthalmology Residency Program

“Wake Forest delivers on its promise of clinical exposure, surgery numbers, and opportunities for international outreach. But the real strength of the program lies in the quality of the faculty mentorship. Faculty are truly invested in the success of the residents and will bend over backwards to help you sort out the toughest of clinical and surgical dilemmas, all while modeling the highest standard of patient care. They regularly invite feedback and will actually implement changes in the program and curriculum based on resident input. This mentorship, combined with the amazing array of pathology encountered at a major academic center, is what makes the quality of training so outstanding here. These are things that you will unknowingly take for granted when in the midst of a busy residency, but in my experience, exceedingly rare and invaluable. After three years at Wake Forest, I felt more than prepared to begin working as an attending in a comprehensive practice. Even today, there is no doubt in my mind that training at Wake Forest has been the single biggest asset to my career as an ophthalmologist.”  - Abby Liu ‘17

"The combination of high surgical volume, excellent attending teaching, and an in-depth continuity clinic makes Wake's residency a true gem." Chris Komanski ‘18

“Hindsight is 20/20, but the clinical training at Wake Forest was far stronger that I could have ever imagined.  The ACGME will ensure that most residency programs have good surgical exposure and a decent breadth of pathology, but very few offer exceptional surgical training and even fewer have a resident continuity clinic, let alone both.  Learning how to operate from attendings who have a well-thought-out reason for why they do every single thing that they do is how you learn to be meticulous and methodical in the operating room yourself and how you learn to take good care of your patients.  And that’s really the best part – they really are your patients.  You will learn more from a single patient sitting in your continuity clinic week after week then you could ever hope to learn from twenty patients in a busy faculty clinic.  You will be proud when your post-op’s are 20/20 and the challenging cases will keep you up at night, but you will reap the benefits of long-term relationships with your patients, both emotionally and in terms of developing a practical framework for clinical knowledge.  There is no textbook replacement for patient continuity, but that’s how you learn to practice good medicine when your 1,000 days as a resident are over and you move on to the next adventure. “ – Shaina Rubino ‘18 

“The comprehensive eye service (continuity clinic) and urgent clinic were the bedrock of my education here, and something that sets this program apart from any other program that I interviewed at. The ownership that residents are given over their patients provides a learning opportunity that can’t be replicated by rotating through attending clinics. I will enter private practice feeling very well prepared to run a busy clinic due to this experience.” – Levi Kauffman 19'

“Hands down, I would match at Wake again. The core faculty are very dedicated to the program and to the development of the residents. The program is very strong clinically and surgically since we see so many patients and learn how to manage a clinic.” – Kathy Tsamis '19

“Cataract surgery training is excellent. Faculty are very involved and invested in resident success”. – Krishna Surapaneni '19

“I feel very well trained now being into my second month of pediatric ophthalmology fellowship. The lessons of how to be an excellent ophthalmologist which were taught in lectures and modeled by the faculty at Wake Forest have given me the knowledge and skills to excel clinically and surgically. The training that I received at Wake Forest was rigorous, comprehensive, and filled with wonderful memories.” – Kamran Ahmed ‘20

"Wake Forest provided an extremely solid launching pad into private practice for me. The Resident Clinic experience allowed for a nearly-seamless transition for me to independently manage my own clinic. The breadth of pathology encountered in Urgent Clinic and on consult service has also led me to feel very confident in managing acute ophthalmic cases in my practice. The surgical experience is excellent. Working with a variety of faculty members in the OR allows residents to construct a comfortable personalized surgical technique based on guidance of mentoring surgeons. Most importantly, the faculty and staff at Wake Forest are genuinely good people, dedicated to the betterment of ophthalmology's future generations." – Jeff Kartchner '22

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is committed to embracing the diversity of our staff, faculty, trainees, students, patients and families and creating an environment of inclusion. The Medical Center is a participant in the American Hospital Association’s #123 for Equity Campaign in which we pledge to take action to ensure that quality and equitable health care is delivered to all.

We have a number of initiatives and institutional programs providing professional and personal support, empowerment and inclusion, specifically for underrepresented minority residents and fellows. One such group is the Kennedy-Hopkins Scholars.  Through the program, residents and fellows are able to self-select a faculty mentor at Wake Forest Baptist Health, attend a quarterly lecture series, and participate in community engagement events.   

Prospective resident letter for diversity and inclusion

Ophthalmology as a specialty has its own Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring (MOM) program.  It was created through a partnership between the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO). Dr. Burden, our Residency Program Director, participates in this program.

The purpose of the program is to increase diversity in ophthalmology by helping underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants. Students receive one-on-one mentorship, valuable guidance in medical career planning, networking opportunities and access to a variety of educational resources.

We believe that the learning environment for medical education shapes the patient care environment and that safe and effective care for patients and appropriate education are rooted in human dignity. 
 
We are committed to creating a work environment characterized by respect, collegiality, kindness, and cooperation among health care team members. 
 
Excellence - demonstrate the highest standards of patient-centered care, education, research and operational effectiveness 
Compassion - respond to the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs of all 
Service - cultivate selfless contribution for the greater good 
Integrity - demonstrate fairness, honesty, sincerity and accountability 
Diversity - honor individuality and protect the dignity of all 
Collegiality - foster mutual respect, facilitate professional growth and mentorship, and reward teamwork and collaboration 
Innovation - promote creativity to enhance discovery and the application of knowledge