Ophthalmology Residency Program Compendium Table of Contents (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5868016)

Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
2870 University Ave, Ste 102
Madison, Wisconsin 53705

http://www.ophth.wisc.edu

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Wisconsin - great location if you don't mind the cold; poor surgical volume (although very good in plastics) and little autonomy; 4 months in NM during 3rd year was probably the deal-breaker; overall - academic powerhouse, but weak clinically.

For NIH funding, it has been in the top 3 for years maybe even a decade. In the ophthalmology times rankings in years past (2002 or so?) it was ranked as high as #4 overall. It seems like the probationary accreditation really dropped it down on the ranking surveys. I have one of the last dates for the interview, and I'm excited to visit! Has anyone heard updated info on their accreditation?

btw is there a 2006 Ophthalmology times ranking out yet?.

I called today

they said 1)site visit was good 2)acgme meeting in december 3)notification in january...with our luck on jan 20

i'll probably see you there then if your there late.

Overall, the program is very strong. Ophthalmology is an awesome surgical subspecialty!

Regarding the UW Program, it is true that our sugical numbers in some areas are excellent (e.g. plastics, peds, retina) and average in others (e.g. glaucoma, cornea, comprehensive). The comprehensive / cataract numbers continue to increase. The program is no longer on probation: that was resolved back in 2006 - 2007. It has certainly become a better program. For example, residents no longer go to New Mexico. We get all our surgical numbers in Madison which is a great midsize city. Also, the variety of clinical entities encountered in clinics are quite varied given that the UW Hospital and Clinics is a big tertiary referral center. Additionally, the department has a strong commitment to international ophthalmology, and there is a division within the department completely devoted to it.

The toughest thing about the UW program is the size of each class (3 residents per year) and the call schedule. The call is front loaded, so the first year residents take all the primary call. However, that means that for the last two years of residency, second and third year residents only have to take back-up surgical call one out of every six weeks. In retrospect, it has been quite nice to have gotten all the difficult call out of the way.

I hope that if you're reading this thread you're considering the University of Wisconsin program. I look forward to meeting you when you join us for interviews.

Juan C. Nieto, M.D.
http://nieto.juan.c.googlepages.com/home
http://www.ophth.wisc.edu/

I knew at least two residents who trained at Wisconsin who felt that the loss of the New Mexico rotation was a bad thing...

Regarding the "loss" of the New Mexico rotation, the program has actually become better. Residents that trained in Madison in the past mostly relied on the New Mexico rotation for their cataract experience. They would graduate with ~140 cataracts.

Since the New Mexico rotation was stopped many of those who went through the program thought that it would not be as good. However, since residents now get all their cataract experience from the VA (~50%) and from the UW Hospital patients (50%) the cataract numbers have been going up as the faculty turn more and more cases to residents. In Madison, the first two years after New Mexico was stopped the residents averaged 125 cataracts. Last year one of the residents graduated with ~150 and this year one of our residents graduated with slightly over 180.

In summary, the "loss" of the New Mexico rotation has actually led to a general trend in increased cataract numbers over the last three years. Also, it is nice that we can get all our training in one location and not have to go to a different state to work in a different institution with different attendings while leaving our families behind.

JC Nieto, M.D.