Interested in Our Program?We will be holding a "Meet Wake Forest" webinar on the evening of August 17, 2022. |
The Ophthalmology Residency program at Wake Forest University School of Medicine is a high-volume clinical program known for its hands-on approach and excellent preparation for the real world, building on the foundations of the Ophthalmology residency program mission and aims.
Our program is an ACGME-accredited residency, with four residents at each level. We are now a four-year integrated ophthalmology training program, incorporating the PGY-1 internship year as mandated by the ACGME. This first year of training will include 9 months of internal medicine and 3 months of ophthalmology at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the VA, followed by 3 years of dedicated ophthalmology training at all sites.
All major subspecialty areas of ophthalmology are represented by full-time, on-site faculty, including: Retina and Vitreous, Uveitis Cornea/external disease, Refractive surgery, Glaucoma Ophthalmic plastic surgery, Pediatric ophthalmology, Neuro-ophthalmology, Comprehensive/cataract specialists. Our faculty members are distinguished experts in their fields, authoring many publications yearly. They are also frequently involved in national clinical trials and international associations.
The training program is based primarily at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Some of the clinical training takes place at the Veterans Administration hospitals in Salisbury, Kernersville and Charlotte, North Carolina and the Wake Forest Davie Medical Center.
Ophthalmology Residency
Residents and faculty of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Ophthalmology Residency Program share their thoughts about and experiences within the residency, which takes place at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Why Train at Wake Forest?
With a total resident cadre of sixteen, our residency is an exceptional program. We are highly competitive for the best resident applicants for a number of reasons:
- The commitment of the faculty to resident education
- The high full-time faculty-to-resident ratio
- Faculty and residents work together in the same locations
- A busy medical and surgical resident experience
- Your own comprehensive clinic, providing continuity of care for the same patients for 3 years
- Four distinct operating venues for surgical training
- A 2-year lecture cycle, which covers the material in the American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic and Clinical Science Course
- Great faculty interaction and teaching
- Eyesi Simulator at the VA
- 32,000 major ocular surgeries are performed by faculty, residents and fellows each year
- 250 to 300+ cataract procedures as primary surgeon during training
- Almost two-thirds of our graduates have gone on to pursue fellowship training at the most prestigious institutions in the nation
- Competitive resident benefits
“Our educational content, clinical experience, and surgical training are top notch. But what truly distinguishes Wake Forest from all the rest, is our commitment to educate the next generation of ophthalmologists to be kind, humble, and fantastic team players, who wish to make a real difference to those in need, either in our own community or internationally.”
- Susan Burden, MD, Program Director