How do I apply?
Applications are accepted annually through the SF Match until the last week of September.
How many residents are accepted per year?
The program accepts six residents per year, 18 in total. There are no fellows affiliated with the program.
How many hospitals are affiliated with the program?
There are three major hospitals affiliated with our program. University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the home institution for the residents and is the site of all major subspecialty rotations. Four months are spent at the Wade Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center each year with a busy clinical and surgical population. Two months are spent rotating at St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital, a major community hospital centrally located within the city. The residents enjoy working with a very diverse patient population there and see a wide range of pathology as a result.
What is call like?
Primary call is shared between the first- and second-year residents. UH Case Medical Center home call is split between three first-year residents and two second-year residents rotating at UH Case Medical Center at the time. Home call for St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital and the Wade Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center is shared between three first-year residents and three second-year residents on rotation. Third-year residents provide back up call for the hospital they are rotating at during the week including management of all surgical emergencies. The on-call third-year resident covers backup call for all hospitals on the weekends. View a sample call schedule. (PDF)
How many surgical cases can be expected from the program?
As there are no fellows in this program, residents do not have to compete for general and subspecialty cases and get an ample number of Class I and Class III surgeries. Although the 1st year is mostly Class III (observation), there are opportunities for Class I procedures throughout the year. Second-year residents get at least 80 - 100 Class I lasers (Focal, PRP, ALT, SLT, LPI, YAG) and are the primary surgeons on all extracapsular cataract and strabismus surgeries. There are opportunities for intravitreal injections beginning in the second year. The bulk of surgeries come in the chief year, with more than 200 procedures in total achieved by graduation. Third-year residents average over 100 cataracts and gain experience with toric and premium IOLs. They also perform trabeculectomies, corneal transplants (PKP and DSAEK), and plastics cases.
How much vacation is allowed?
Residents have three weeks (15 working days) vacation each year. Each week of vacation must be taken in entirety. The weekends before and after a vacation week may usually also be taken as well. These weekends do not count toward vacation days. View other benefits offered to residents by the program and hospital.