Thank you for your interest in the Ophthalmology Residency Program at the University of Florida, Gainesville. We have an outstanding training program that graduates ophthalmologists excelling in all aspects of medical and surgical ophthalmology.
The residency program is based at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital as well as the NF/SG VA Medical Center located across the street. The University clinics are all subspecialty based, while the VA clinics are geared towards comprehensive ophthalmology. The two settings allow residents to get a very strong, balanced clinical education in both general and subspecialty ophthalmology.
One of the sources of great pride for our program is our unparalleled surgical education curriculum. The residents get extensive training in comprehensive as well as subspecialty ophthalmology surgery, including refractive surgery. The numbers of primary surgical procedures performed by our residents, including cataract, oculoplastic and refractive surgery, are among the top percentiles in the country. In addition, we have a state-of-the-art surgical simulator and wet lab on site, that are invaluable preparatory tools for surgery.
Another strength of our training program is our strong didactic education curriculum, which includes daily lectures and weekly Grand Rounds. In addition, we have a “Pearls for Practice” series of seminars that cover all the sub-specialties throughout the year. These day-long sessions each have two to three internationally known specialists in their fields that come to talk on various topics in their area of expertise. The quality of our educational program is evident from our board pass rates, which are over 95% for both oral and written boards. In addition, we also have a unique “Resident as Teacher” program that trains the residents to become educators and is used as one of the notable practices by the ACGME.
Our graduates excel whether they decide to pursue fellowships or general ophthalmology after they graduate (approximately half do each). Our residents usually match at their top choices for fellowship and have typically had their choice of jobs once they graduate.
The housestaff fringe benefit package is excellent and includes comprehensive health and disability insurance and paid vacation. There are a number of very nice, reasonably priced residential areas very close to the University. Gainesville is a wonderful place to live with excellent schools, recreational activities and great weather. We feel we have a very strong and comprehensive residency training program that graduates exceptional ophthalmologists. Please browse our website for more information about our program, residents, and graduates and read what our current residents have to say about their experiences. Please do contact us if you have any questions or need more information!
Casey J. Beal
Ophthalmology Residency Director