Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology

This online repository houses relevant resources and contact information for students seeking career advice. We encourage you to review the career-related materials provided (e.g. Specialty Webinar, Interview Questions, Research, etc.) as you seek support in your journey through medical school.

If you have further questions that are not addressed on this page, please feel free to contact a Specialty Faculty Mentor for further guidance.

Match Preparation and Charting Outcomes Heading link

You are more than your Step Scores! Use the NRMP page to look at the qualifications of applicants who have successfully applied to your specialty.

Should applicants do away rotations?

The decision to pursue an away rotation involves several candidate-specific factors and may be best left to discussion with a faculty advisor.

Research

We highly encourage active research involvement. Ideally, research projects should culminate in oral or poster presentations at national/international society meetings and/or publication in a high-impact, peer-reviewed journal. First-authorship is highly regarded.

Letters of Recommendation

  • Number of letters recommended 3
  • Chair’s letter required? No
  • Number of letters from within specialty? 1-2
  • Number of letters from away rotations/institutions? Depends on how strong a relationship is developed with external faculty member.
  • Do you require the MSPE before offering interviews? Not a strict requirement, but highly encouraged.

Personal Statements

Personal statements often demonstrate an applicant’s passion for the field and reason for interest.

Application Timing

  1. When do programs in your specialty generally begin reviewing applications? Early September
  2. When do programs in your specialty begin offering interviews? Programs start inviting applicants in mid-September with interviews scheduled starting in mid-October.
  3. Do you require the MSPE before offering interviews? Not a strict requirement, but highly encouraged.
  4. Ophthalmology is an “early match” specialty and participates in the San Francisco match (sfmatch.org).

Interview Advice

A range of institutions should be considered for interview.

Post-Interview Advice

Major updates to an application may be communicated to the residency program director.

For further guidance, contact our specialty faculty liaison:

Pooja Bhat, MD
pbhat@uic.edu

or contact coordinator

Tammy Maldonado
tamm@uic.edu

 

Helpful Resources Heading link

  1. The NRMP publishes a survey of Applicants each year. This report presents the results of selected items from the 2022 NRMP Applicant Survey. The report documents factors that applicants weigh in selecting programs (1) at which to interview and (2) to rank in the Main Residency Match. It can be found HERE.
  2. The NRMP Publishes a survey of Residency Program Directors. This report examines the factors program directors use to select applicants to interview and rank. Data are reported for 22 specialties and the transitional year in the Main Residency Match. It can be found HERE.
  3. Looking for residency programs?  The AAMC interactive, Careers in Medicine Website is where you should be! LINK
  4. Having difficulty deciphering this information?  Contact your Student Affairs Career Advisor on your campus!!!

Below you will find resources to help you get started when applying for residency.