Main Content

Ophthalmology Residency Program

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), our ophthalmology department provides a progressive training program with excellent surgical experience to fully prepare our residents for their future careers and endeavors.  We divide the residency program into blocks that include rotations at both UMMC and the adjacent Sonny G.  Montgomery VA Medical Center.  Our resident’s complete rotations in comprehensive ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, vitreoretinal, oculoplastics, cornea, glaucoma, and pathology.  Residents also participate in regularly scheduled didactic lectures, grand rounds, and journal club.  And because we have 16 full-time and part-time faculty members who participate in resident education, our residents enjoy an exceptional faculty-to-resident ratio while working with skilled physicians from all ophthalmic subspecialties.

A Supportive Network 

Since the inception of the program in 1956, our department has provided our residents with excellent complex medical volume and training.  UMMC serves as the only level-one trauma center in Mississippi and as the primary referral source for complex pathology not only in Mississippi but also for adjacent areas in Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee.  During our program’s history, we have cultivated strong relationships with many ophthalmologists throughout the state who serve as affiliate faculty and allow our residents to rotate with them.  The opportunities provided by this supportive network of statewide physicians allows our residents to observe firsthand how to efficiently run a private practice while simultaneously offering residents diverse experiences and graduated autonomy.  While many of our residents choose to pursue further subspecialty training, the comprehensive experience our program offers also fully prepares residents to begin independent practice immediately following graduation.

Early Hands-on Experience

At UMMC, we have developed a stepwise-cataract surgical-development program that begins in the PGY-1 year.  To ensure that our residents are thoroughly prepared to quickly and safely mature into proficient surgeons, we employ a training program that incorporates wet-lab instruction; the use of the Eyesi Simulator, and early hands-on experience in the operating room.  As a result of these educational and training advantages, our residents routinely complete their first full cataract surgery during the latter half of their PGY-2 year.  Also during the PGY-2 year, residents attend a month-long Basic Science Course.

Joint Intern Year

Applicants selected for our program are enrolled in a preliminary intern year at UMMC in conjunction with the department of medicine.  During their intern year, trainees receive significant exposure not only to ophthalmology but also to dermatology, ENT, and neurology.  Each year, we reserve four positions in the Department of Internal Medicine Residency Program for applicants who have matched in ophthalmology.  While these four positions must be applied for and matched through the National Resident Matching Program, no separate interview is required.

Welcoming Cultural Environment

We encourage applicants to visit our program and to observe firsthand the exciting opportunities offered not only by our program but also by our location in the heart of Mississippi’s diverse and thriving capital city.  With its innovative museums, welcoming nightlife, and award-winning restaurants, Jackson is sure to have something for everyone.  The UMMC ophthalmology department looks forward to welcoming you to our city and our program and to introducing you to all the charms of Southern hospitality.