Welcome to the Shiley Eye Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology at UCSD! As Director of Medical Student Education, my goal is to ensure that all UCSD medical students get exposure to ophthalmology and learn core skills in the eye exam.
In addition, our department wishes to inspire and mentor medical students interested in pursuing ophthalmology as a career. Our faculty consists of world-class leaders in ophthalmology who are dedicated to medical student education
Ophthalmology is an incredibly gratifying field, encompassing both medical and surgical treatments to preserve and improve sight for our patients.
American Academy of Ophthalmology aao.org/medical-students
Resources for Medical Students from the American Academy of Ophthalmology
Student Doctor studentdoctor.net
Largest online forum for ophthalmology having information of applying in ophthalmology and miscellaneous questions.
Ophthobook ophthobook.com
A fantastic resource written by an ophthalmologist Timothy Root with entertaining lectures and text to explain ophthalmology as a medical student level.
How Do Eye Match howdoeyematch.com/for-students/
Website started by ophthalmology resident which has helpful information on applying to ophthalmology
10. Ophthalmologists have a lot of toys. -- Ophthalmology is very technology oriented with cutting edge lasers, microscopes, cameras and various instruments to use to prevent blindness
9. The eye is a window into the soul and systemic disease -- Not only do diagnose eye disease, but we can save lives through diagnosis of pituitary tumors, CNS aneurysms, sequale and hypertension and diabetes, and cancer
8. Ophthalmology clinic is actually a lot of fun -- Clinic consists of examination with various microscopes, office procedures such as lasers, injections and biopsy. It is more than just a vehicle to sign up people for surgery.
7. Ophthalmology allows for excellent work --life balanceAfter finishing training, most ophthalmologists work regular hours with time for family and other activities.
6. There is a subspecialty for every type of person and personality. -- Cornea, Pediatrics, Retina, Oncology, Glaucoma, Ocular Pathology, Neuro-ophthalmology- there is something for everyone
5. There are many opportunities for global health in ophthalmology -- The #1 cause of blindness in the world is cataract. A simple 10-15 minute procedure that you learn in residency can literally “cure blindness” in many parts of the world. Few things are more satisfying than this
4. Ophthalmology surgeries are fun, rewarding and short. -- Most surgery is under the microscope, lasting between 10 minutes to 2 hours. - And you get to sit down like a civilized person!
3. Ophthalmologists are at the forefront of medical research and innovation --Ophthalmology is an ideal field for MD/PhDs. Ophthalmology is at the forefront of biomedical research in gene therapy, stem cells and regenerative medicine, imaging, vascular biology among others. All areas of research are represented within ophthalmology. There are huge opportunities for clinician-scientists in ophthalmology and much less competitive compared to saturated areas like oncology and neurology.
2. People care about their vision. -- People fear going blind more than dying. Thus, when you suggest treatment for their eyes, patients will usually follow it.
1. Ophthalmology is filled with happy, smart, nice people -- The ophthalmology community is filled with inspiring smart, happy and fun to be around people.
The UCSD Ophthalmology Interest group consists of a group of medical students interested in learning more about ophthalmology. Activities include: faculty mixers, match panels, research discussions, mock residency interviews and residency application preparation.
Faculty advisors for the Ophthalmology Interest Group include:
Preclinical
Ophthalmology Free Clinic: The UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project is one of the largest medical student free clinics in the country. https://meded.ucsd.edu/freeclinic.
There is a dedicated ophthalmology clinic run and organized by UCSD medical students. The free clinic allows medical students to get hands on exposure to ophthalmology staffed by volunteer ophthalmologists and residents.
Introduction to Ophthalmology: A preclinical elective for 1st and 2nd year medical students.
OPHTH 250 “Introduction to Ophthalmology” is available to get exposure to ophthalmology through shadowing in the clinic, operating room and participating in the free clinic.
Researh
Many faculty are engaged in cutting edge laboratory and clinical research in ophthalmology. Please contact individual faculty members for potential research projects.
Clinical Rotations / Clinical Clerkships
The UCSD Department of Ophthalmology offers a month-long elective to fourth-year UCSD medical students and a two-week surgical elective to third-year UCSD medical students. The fourth-year elective is also open to students from accredited North American medical and osteopathic schools, and on a limited basis, to students from schools outside of North America.
Students from LCME-accredited medical schools and COCA-accredited osteopathic schools should visit VSAS for more information, including the application process and dates available. Students from medical schools outside North America should visit the Visiting Student Programwebsite by for more information.
Specialized independent electives with various faculty are also available.
While ophthalmology is a competitive field to match in, our department has a strong track record of mentoring UC San Diego medical students interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology. Many of them have obtained positions in the top residency training programs in the country.
2017
Jeffrey Tsao UC Irvine
Matthew Haynie University of Rochester
David Kuo UC San Diego
Kellie Satterfield University of Washington
2016
Janet Kim Duke University
Jonathan Noguchi Loyola University
Heather Chen UC San Diego
Frances Wu UC San Francisco
Joanne Ho University of Washington
2014
Landon Grange UC San Diego
Derek Mai UC San Diego
2013
Jiun Do University of Southern California
Janet Lee UC Los Angeles
Kimberly Tran Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/ University of Miami
Tyler Ofstad University of Rochester
Nicksia Hodgson UC San Diego
Brenda Nuyen UC San Diego
2012
Seanna Grob Massachusetts Eye and Ear/ Harvard University
Bac Nguyen Baylor College of Medicine
Jessica Lin Yale University
Jeffrey Chan UC San Diego
Brian Chang UC San Diego
Roman Farjardo UC San Diego
2011
Diana Chao University of Texas
Lilit Minasyan UC San Diego
Please contact Catherine Y. Liu, MD, PhD by or more information.
Information about diversity and inclusion is available through multiple venues. First, there are several websites available that provide information about diversity initiatives across the entire campus (diversity.ucsd.edu) and the (School of Medicine). Many departments have their own websites as well. Virtually all departments at UCSD have identified an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) ambassador, typically a faculty member who spearheads diversity-related initiatives in their areas/specialties and also collaborates with various entities across the medical school.
There are several active affinity organizations for UCSD medical students. These include:
The Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS)
The Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA)LGBTQ
Pharmacy and Medical Students (LGBTQ-PhaM)
The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
Medical Students for Justice (MS4J)
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
UCSD also offers a curricular pathway called Program in Medical Education – Health Equity (PRIME - HEq), which part of a system-wide effort at the University of California to train physicians better able to meet the needs of the diverse Californian population who are traditionally underserved by the medical system. PRIME-HEq faculty work with students to identify populations or communities at risk for health disparities. Students will then receive exposure, training, and the opportunity to work with the identified group to further their passion in the area and provide knowledge and skills to better equip the students to improve health equity for the group.
