The UPMC Vision Institute at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology offers a four-year ophthalmology residency program.

 

We use a joint PGY-1 model. Residents who match with our ophthalmology program also match into the UPMC Transitional Year program for their PGY-1 year. This provides a coordinated internship experience within UPMC before residents begin their dedicated ophthalmology training in PGY-2.

 

The overall mission of the program is to train future ophthalmologists to excel in all aspects of ophthalmology. 

 

The training program consists of clinical rotations, academic conferences, research, and other scholarly activities. Residents are heavily involved in teaching one another as well as medical students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. 

 

Service to the community is an important part of our program identity. Residents have opportunities to participate in community-based eye care programs in and around Pittsburgh, including outreach clinics, vision screening, care navigation, and programs designed to improve access for patients who face barriers to traditional clinic-based care. These experiences help residents understand the role of ophthalmology beyond the exam room and prepare them to become physicians who can improve eye care delivery in the communities they serve. 

 

On completion of the program, all residents are fully qualified to practice clinical ophthalmology independently. In addition, they are prepared to pursue fellowship training in the specialty of their choice. Many of our graduates pursue careers in academia and other leadership positions in our field. 

 

Each year the program matches six residents through SF Match. There are no hard cutoffs used in our resident selection process. We review applications holistically and value academic excellence, clinical promise, integrity, intellectual curiosity, maturity, service, leadership, and the broad range of experiences that applicants bring to ophthalmology. 

 

For this application cycle, program signals will carry substantial weight in our review process. Signals are one of the clearest ways for applicants to communicate a strong interest in training at UPMC, and applicants with a serious interest in our program are strongly encouraged to signal UPMC.