Announcements

Combined Ophthalmology Internship

We are very excited to announce our new Combined Ophthalmology Internship (COI). Our curriculum, developed in collaboration with the Department of General Surgery, combines a comprehensive patient care experience with 5 elective blocks, 4 in Ophthalmology, and 1 in the Emergency Room.

Individuals that match to our program will be required to complete their internship at Vanderbilt in our COI. Please contact our residency coordinator, Silvia Clavijo, at silvia.m.clavijo@vumc.org for more information.

Match Results

Class Starting 2026

  • Amna Ali — University of Texas, Houston School of Medicine
  • Kristen Dunning — University of Iowa, Carver Roy and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
  • Alaa Ghoenim — University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
  • Jessica McHenry — Emory University School of Medicine
  • Dania Rahal — University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine

Class Starting 2025

  • Asaf Israeli — Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
  • Irene Koc — Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical College
  • Arthur Miller — Medical College of Georgia
  • Michael Nguyen — Jefferson Medical College
  • Marina Shenouda — University of Texas at Houston

Class Starting 2024

  • Shravika Chennupati — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Ghazi Bou Ghanem — LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine
  • Maya Harrington — Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine - Arizona
  • Samantha Sechrist — University of California San Francisco
  • Meagan Tran — Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine - Arizona

Class Starting 2023

  • Monica Morales — Universidad Francisco Marroquín Facultad de Medicina
  • Sophie Pilkinton — University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine
  • Jonathan Siktberg — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Stacey Uhm — University of Texas, San Antonio School of Medicine
  • David Zhang — Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Class Starting 2022

  • Cullen Moran — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Chris Cho — University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Medicine
  • Fitz Gerald Diala — David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
  • Cindy Hodson — University of Texas, San Antonio School of Medicine
  • Sara Al-Hussein Al-Awamlh — University of Jordan

Class Starting 2021

  • Sonya Besagar — Columbia University
  • Niloufar Rohani — Baylor University
  • Daniel Bailey — Baylor University
  • Sean Berkowitz — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Jeremy Hatcher — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Class Starting 2020

  • Howard Russel Day — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Kari Fossum — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Nicole Morrow — U Iowa - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
  • Nkechi Nwabueze — Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Elise Timtim — U Chicago - Pritzker School of Medicine

Class Starting 2019

  • Jonathan Barnett — SUNY - StonyBrook
  • Charley Chai (Siyang Chaili) — George Washington University
  • John Fitzpatrick — U Mississippi School of Medicine
  • Irene Lee — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Drew Young — University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine

Resident Awards and Recognition

Here are just a few examples of our residents' regional and national awards

Alex De Castro-Abeger , M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Leadership Award, 2018-19

Tyler Knight, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Benchmark Award for Residence Excellence, 2018-19

Allison Umfress, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Research Award. 2018-19

Viraj Mehta, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Leadership Award, 2016-17

Ronald Milam, Jr., M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Bridge Award, 2016-17

Ian Thompson, M.D., M.P.H.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Research Day Award. 2016-17

Caroline Vargason, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Research Day Award 2014- 15

Christopher Estopinal, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Research Day Award 2013-14
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Leadership Award 2013-14
AAO Mid-Year Forum Representative - 2014
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology - National Eye Institute Travel Grant 2012

Samantha Williamson, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Benchmark Award 2013-14
ASCRS Resident Excellence Award 2014
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Resident Research Day Award 2012-13

Kevin Mundy, M.D.
Heed Foundation Residents Retreat - 2014
AAO Mid-Year Forum Representative - 2014

William Watkins Jr., M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Benchmark Award 2012-13

Ryan Whitted, M.D.
Vanderbilt Eye Institute Leadership Award 2012-13
Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology Resident of the Year 2013
American Academy of Ophthalmology 2013 State Affairs Secretariat Ophthalmology
Award for Outstanding Resident Support

Richard Hwang, M.D.
Heed Foundation Residents Retreat - 2012

Sumeer Thinda, M.D.
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology- National Eye Institute Travel Grant 2013