Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Program

Ophthalmology Analyst Verified · May 1, 2025

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Program

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Program is a residency program specializing in Ophthalmology, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, directed by Susan K. Burden, MD and coordinated by Lisa Ramsey. The program accepts applications through September 1, 2027. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or 336-716-3971. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Wake Forest's Ophthalmology Residency is a high-volume, academically-affiliated program built around a Level I trauma center and a signature Comprehensive Eye Service continuity clinic, giving residents longitudinal ownership of their own patient panel from PGY-2 through PGY-4. Surgical volume is exceptional (32,000+ major surgeries annually across faculty, residents and fellows; 250-300+ cataract cases as primary surgeon), supplemented by heavy VA experience in Salisbury, Kernersville and Charlotte and an international outreach track (Wake Echo/Wake GO, historically Honduras). Research is structured but not the program's dominant identity: PGY-3/4 residents complete a required clinical project with faculty mentorship and dedicated Lions Clinical Research Division infrastructure, while roughly two-thirds of graduates pursue fellowship and others enter private or academic practice directly. The program explicitly prizes team-oriented, hands-on clinicians who value continuity of care and community/public-service orientation over pure subspecialty research output.

Who it fits

An applicant whose ERAS narrative centers on hands-on surgical growth, continuity-of-care patient relationships, community/public service (including global health outreach), and readiness for either private practice or fellowship rather than a lab-driven academic trajectory.

Research intensity

Moderate - a clinical research project is required of senior residents with dedicated infrastructure (Lions Clinical Research Division) and mentorship, but research is not central to the program's stated identity.

Career orientation

Mixed - Fellowship, Community Practice

Important

The application essay is explicitly the place to note family geographic connections or a couple's match; the program states it values cultural competency, experience in education, and public service, and looks for a robust demonstrated interest in ophthalmology evidenced by projects, posters, and presentations on the CV.

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