UCSD ophthalmology residents benefit from a collegial culture within the department that encourages collaboration and mutual learning. Faculty are excited about mentoring UCSD ophthalmology residents. There are opportunities for formal mentorship (e.g. via the residency research program) or for informal mentorship.
The department hosts various community-building activities throughout the year to foster relationships among faculty, staff, and trainees, including a start-of-the-year welcome party, holiday celebrations, potluck lunches throughout the year, graduation ceremony at the end of the year, and additional ad hoc social events.
For residents who are interested in serving as mentors themselves, there are also peer mentoring programs (such as the RISE program in the School of Medicine) and opportunities to mentor medical students interested in ophthalmology.
Our department prioritizes wellness of all of our team members, including residents and fellows. Below are just a few examples of how we support wellness and balance.
I have been a patient there for more than 25yrs.
I have had so many complications with my vision, and have seen various specialists at Shiley. The doctors there are top notch, and have saved my eyesight on several occasions with emergency situations. Thank goodness We have Shiley here in San Diego.
May 2022
Dear Dr. Nudleman and the Shiley Team:
Several weeks ago I became a patient of yours when I experienced a torn retina while on vacation. Interestingly, I was alone at the time and after navigating the downtown ER came to you for emergency surgery. Having no one to assist me during a stressful time, I was thankful to have you all there to provide care and world-class medical advice. I am a banker and our company mission statement is “every day we will make a positive difference in the financial lives of everyone we touch” so I am constantly evaluating customer service through this lens. Without question, the Shiley team made a positive difference in my life. Thank you!
Warm regards,
Brigham L. Tubbs
Jun 2025
It has been over 8 weeks since cataract surgery on my second eye. Unlike others I have talked with about their cataract surgery, I had no complications of any kind.What makes that even more amazing is how bad my eyesight was before the surgery.Right eyeMinus 6 diopter, = 20/500.Left eyeMinus 15 diopter = 20/???? The eye is not the normal round but shaped like an egg.I was told by other doctors outside of Shiley, that my eyes were so bad, I would be lucky to have 20/50 vision after the surgery.I have 20/20 vision in both eyes. For the first time since I was 10 years old. I am 70 years old.The first surgery was amazing. I remember sitting back in the surgery chair being prepped. The next thing I remember was seeing a cup with a straw in it. I asked when the surgery was to begin? I was told they had just finished.During my visits, as rushed as Dr Afshari was, (yes, there were some long waiting times) she was always 100% present when she was with me.When she apologized for those long waits, I could feel, she really meant it. For, as I was to later learn, it was not her fault. She is just over booked.20/20 vision. No complications. Positive caring attitude in all supporting doctors, and staff I met. Can not ask for anything more.As you can read I could not be happier with the results.Rob Sudman
but it's most important to find a doctor who sticks by you to make things right when unexpected complications arise
I normally don't write reviews, but my niece who is a highly trained physician herself (at Northwestern University and Stanford) advised me that this is an important review to write. She said that it's easy to write a review for a doctor when everything goes smoothly and turns out great the first time, but it's most important to find a doctor who sticks by you to make things right when unexpected complications arise. Dr. Korn is like that and I have a great deal of respect for him..
Close to a year and a half ago, I had cosmetic eyelid surgery done by Dr. Korn on both my upper and lower eyelids. After the surgery it was very noticeable to me that one eye looked bigger than the other eye. Dr. Korn said that when my eyes were sufficiently healed, he would open the corner of the smaller eye to enlarge it.
Three months after the surgery I developed an eye condition in both eyes called Chemosis. Dr. Korn did not think that the Chemosis was caused by the surgery and he gave me the reasons why. He said that we had to deal with my medical condition before we could do corrective cosmetic surgery. To his credit, he tried to determine the underlying cause of the Chemosis by having me take various tests (MRI and blood tests) and try certain eye drops, etc. in an effort to make a differential diagnosis. He even talked about my case to other physicians at a medical conference he went to China.
Finally a few months ago, Dr. Korn started to see improvements in the Chemosis, and earlier this month, he said that it looked much better. Last week he was able to open the corner of my smaller eye to enlarge the appearance and he had to do some cauterization so that my eye would drain properly. I still have a small amount of Chemosis and my eye is still healing from the surgery, but I can tell that it looks better already.
The bottom line is that for the last year and a half Dr. Korn has been very kind, patient, available, and medically diligent. Those are the characteristics of a fine doctor and one whom I appreciate.
Jun 2019
Dr. Eric Nuddleman - I had detached retina and saw Dr N. He was the most caring and competent Dr. I could have ever chosen.
I had detached retina and saw Dr N. He was the most caring and competent Dr. I could have ever chosen. I had no idea how bad the detachment was until Dr. N said we must do it now. Waiting would have caused much more damage & he scheduled it for the next AM. The surgery went well & he saved my vision.! I would highly recommend Dr. N to everyone. As far as I am concerned, his skills as a surgeon are top-notch. I thank God daily for Dr. N! Shiley Eye Institute is world class.
Mar 2021