In pursuit of our continuing goal of exceptional comprehensive ophthalmic education, the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences ushered in a transformative change in July 2022. The introduction of an integrated internship year marks a pivotal shift, extending the residency program to four years. Designed to provide a holistic foundation, the internship curriculum incorporates common areas of medicine outside the realm of ophthalmology, strategically targeting fields that routinely intersect with eye care. From neurology and neuro-radiology to dermatology, rheumatology, emergency medicine at UAB and Children’s Hospital, anesthesia, and internal medicine, our first-year residents undergo a diverse array of rotations in addition to three months of ophthalmology. This innovative program has garnered significant success and positive reception after its first year from trainees and attendings alike. Now, as we continue this journey, we are thrilled to introduce our current class of resident interns, who are poised to contribute their energy, dedication, and fresh perspectives to our dynamic ophthalmology community.
What drew you to the ophthalmology residency program at UAB?
Woock - First, everyone in the program is approachable at all levels. I wanted to be in a place where people were easy to get along with professionally and personally, and UAB has that. Our program offers autonomy and encourages growth through experience, which was a big reason I came here! I’m also still so impressed by the resources we have here and our facilities for training. Being at Callahan and surrounded by ophthalmology everywhere is awesome. Plus, Birmingham is a nice sized city that has a lot of amenities and things to do!
Ogburu-Ogbonnaya - Compared to other residency programs I interviewed, UAB has a sense of community that other programs did not offer. On interview day, it was very apparent that the residents were well connected with each other. There was an emphasis on support, encouragement, and respect that was shared amongst each class. This family-oriented program was an aspect that resonated with me as I was preparing my rank list. UAB also has a widespread reach to a variety of communities such as individuals in Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. This ensures their graduate as well equipped ophthalmologists by the end of their training.
What can you tell us about the curriculum for the intern year?
Johnson - I think the UAB intern year is one of the best in the country. Whether we are learning how to do a proper joint exam in rheumatology, how to read neuro-imaging from radiologists in neuro-radiology, which patients we can safely operate on in anesthesiology and cardiology consults, closing wounds in the ERs, suturing after Mohs surgery in dermatology, or doing buddy call in ophthalmology, the intern year is truly focused on what will be the most beneficial for us as ophthalmologists. Plus, we only have six weeks as a primary wards team and no ICU.
Weintraub - While on the interview trail, it seemed like the majority of ophthalmology programs had primarily medicine or surgical-based intern years with the standard three months of ophthalmology. What I love about our intern year is that it is designed to have more ophthalmologically-relevant rotations, including dermatology (with several Moh’s surgery days), rheumatology, anesthesia primarily with UAB Callahan Eye, neuroradiology, neurology, and emergency medicine. We have only one medicine wards month, no intensive care rotations, and two medicine consult months, allowing us to familiarize ourselves with UAB Hospital and to get to know the people who may be consulting us down the road!
What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned so far?
Patel - One of the things I’ve realized is how much of a difference in knowledge already exists between me and other medicine interns. When I was on my cardiology rotation, I was pretty shocked when I realized that the IM interns had a much better grasp of medicine concepts than I did. On the other hand, I was also surprised to learn how much more I knew about ophthalmology compared to the other residents and fellows.
Ogburu-Ogbonnaya - The most surprising thing I’ve learned thus far is that each patient situation I’ve encountered comes with a learning pearl. I know we heard this from our attending numerous times on our rotations in medical school, but it is absolutely true in residency. We learn more from our patient interactions than we do from being in the classroom. I think it’s the fact that we get to apply the information we obtained in school and training to real life situations. It helps keep and solidify the information in your brain better. I ultimately will take this with me as I become an ophthalmologist.
What rotations have you had so far? Have you had a favorite?
Weintraub - So far, I’ve had one month of ophthalmology, rheumatology consults, anesthesia, neuroradiology, and oncology medicine wards. My favorite was my ophthalmology rotation (probably not too surprising), but my second favorite was rheumatology consults, which had a good amount of overlap with ophthalmology and some of the most knowledgeable and fun attendings!
Woock - I’ve had cardiology consults (IM), pediatric emergency, ophthalmology, and dermatology. Other than my ophthalmology month, of course, I’d say my dermatology month has been a favorite, I’ve learned a lot about Mohs surgery, gotten to practice suturing, and learned more about dermatology than I’d experienced before.
What are you most looking forward to in the remainder of this integrated year?
Patel - I am looking forward to my ED rotation. I think it will give me a good opportunity to see the traumas and better understand how to care for these patients in the future when we are consulted for eye injury.
Johnson - I think neuro-radiology will be really interesting since I don’t know much about how to read brain imaging. But, I am most excited for the last month of the intern year when start back on ophthalmology and start doing things like take buddy call!
These resident interns, with their diverse experiences in the integrated internship year, are poised to contribute to our holistic approach to education, laying the foundation for their growth within our program and beyond. As we continue to imrpove our program, we remain dedicated to offering comprehensive education that aligns with our mission to universally improve health through the alleviation of blinding diseases. We are excited to witness the remarkable journey of these interns as they become integral contributors to our vision of becoming a renowned leader in the treatment and cure of the world’s blinding diseases. Together, we look forward to achieving new heights and making lasting contributions to the field of ophthalmology.