The UAB Ophthalmology Residency Training Program is a fully accredited four-year training program. Five residents are accepted each year exclusively through the San Francisco Matching Program.

Criteria for Consideration of Application

• Graduation from medical school within 5 years of date of application (exceptions for applicants who are delayed beyond 5 years in applying due to US military service will be considered on an individual basis)
• Successful completion of USMLE Step I with a competitive score
• Final submission of application via San Francisco Match by posted deadline

For International Graduates

• We sponsor an H1-B and a J-1 visa
• You must hold an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate
• Hands on clinical experience in the United States is an absolute requirement. Observerships, shadowing, and research (even clinical research) do not meet this requirement. The clinical experience must be substantial and formal (i.e. part of an established program of training) and include, at a minimum, direct responsibility for patient care. A letter from the physician supervisor of this experience must be included with the central application and must detail the exact nature of the clinical experience and level of responsibility of the trainee during the experience.

2023 Applicants (for a residency start in 2024)

Applications will be reviewed following the submission deadline, which is September 1, 2023. Submission of an application does not guarantee the applicant an interview. Selected applicants will be invited for virtual interviews. Due to the competitive nature of the program, many highly qualified applicants may not be extended an invitation due to limitations in the number of applicants that can be interviewed. Only individuals interviewed will be considered for matching in the program. Ask a question. 

Benefits

UAB Ophthalmology residents receive the same benefits as all other UAB residents. Additional information can be found on the SOM Resident Physician Salary & Benefits page. 

Contact Us

For inquiries about residency training in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences please contact our office.

Russell W. Read, MD, PhD
Director of Residency Program
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Alabama at Birmingham
700 South 18th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0009

Krupa Patel, MD
Associate Director of Residency Program
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Alabama at Birmingham
700 South 18th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0009

Jordan Cook, M.Ed
Education Coordinator
jordanncook@uabmc.edu 
(205) 325-8507