by Tamarreo Tatum
Students in the Class of 2026 have matched and will enter postgraduate optometric residency programs this summer. Through residency training, graduates receive supervised advanced clinical training that builds competencies beyond entry-level optometry school preparation, deepens specialty expertise and expands career opportunities in patient care, academia and other specialized settings.
“This year’s match results, with 34% of the Class of 2026 securing positions in competitive residencies nationwide, reflect our students’ strong commitment to excellence,” said Caroline Pate, O.D., FAAO, director of residency programs at UAB Optometry. “I congratulate each of them on this achievement and thank the faculty, preceptors and staff whose mentorship and guidance supported them throughout their journey.”
Paley Anderson (Class of 2026) matched into a residency at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she will continue her clinical training in primary care optometry and cornea and contact lenses.
Anderson said she chose to pursue a residency to deepen her clinical experience in specialty contact lenses while continuing to build her skills in primary care and ocular disease management.
“I am eager to challenge myself as a clinician in a supportive yet intellectually stimulating environment that encourages both clinical growth and lifelong learning,” she said.
Anderson hopes the experience will help her progress toward fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry and strengthen her ability to manage complex corneal and contact lens cases.
This summer, Anderson, along with 16 of her classmates, will begin residency programs across the country as they take the next step in their clinical training.
Class of 2026 Entering Residency Programs
Paley Anderson – Residency in Primary Care Optometry/Cornea and Contact Lenses at Salt Lake City VAMC, Salt Lake City, UT
William Bruchard – Residency in Primary Care/Ocular Disease/Refractive & Ocular Surgery at Bond-Wroten Eye Clinic, Denham Springs, LA
Alexandra Campbell – Residency in Pediatric Optometry/Ocular Disease/Primary Care at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
Cameron Crockett – Residency in Primary Care Optometry/Ocular Disease at Vet Health Care System of the Ozarks, Fayetteville, AR
Nazia Khan – Residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care Optometry/Retina at the Tuscaloosa VAMC, Tuscaloosa, AL
Camille Kim – Residency in Primary Care Optometry at the UAB School of Optometry, Birmingham, AL
Christine Lee – Residency in Ocular Disease and Refractive & Ocular Surgery at Woolfson Eye Institute, Sandy Springs, GA
Joelle McCabe – Residency in Vision Rehabilitation/Low Vision Rehabilitation/Ocular Disease at Birmingham VAMC, Birmingham, AL
Aesha Patel - Residency in Ocular Disease and Refractive & Ocular Surgery at Woolfson Eye Institute, Sandy Springs, GA
Kyle Pierre – Residency in Pediatric Optometry at the UAB School of Optometry, Birmingham, AL
Autumn Purcell – Residency in Ocular Disease and Refractive & Ocular Surgery at the Clay-Rhynes Eye Clinic/RGB Eye Associates, Durant, OK
Anna Ren - Residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care Optometry/Retina at the Tuscaloosa VAMC, Tuscaloosa, AL
Graham Sanders – Residency in Primary Care Optometry/Ocular Disease at the Greenville VA Outpatient Clinic, Greenville, SC
Adarsha Shah – Residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Care Optometry at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, NM
Addison Tedford – Residency in Ocular Disease at InSight Vision Group, Parker, CO
Noelle Toups – Residency in Pediatric Optometry and Ocular Disease at Duke University, Durham, NC
Elizabeth Wallace - Residency in Vision Rehabilitation/Low Vision Rehabilitation/Ocular Disease at Birmingham VAMC, Birmingham, AL