VA Central Ohio Healthcare System

Goals

1. Strengthen the resident’s confidence and clinical competence in delivering primary eye care to include caring for the visually impaired.  
2. Train the residents to function effectively within a multidisciplinary health care environment through constructive interaction with other health care disciplines.
3. Provide the resident with the opportunity and experience to become an effective educator.
4. Instill in the resident an appreciation for the significance of research and other scholarly activity.

To achieve these goals, the resident will provide direct patient care, attend lectures and seminars, participate in specialized clinical programs and produce a publication-quality case report. The resident will interact with retinal, glaucoma, corneal, cataract, and oculoplastic ophthalmologic sub-specialists.

Commitment

Twelve months, beginning July 1.

The residency will include 40 hours per week of clinic and didactic experiences. There is no clinical after hours or on-call responsibilities.

Program Description

The Ocular Disease residency program is a 12-month program that focuses on direct patient care of acute symptoms and chronic ocular disease. In addition to direct patient care, residents will rotate through three weeks of didactic observation, to include Neurology, Rheumatology, Primary Care, Urgent Care, Ophthalmology Subspecialties, among others. Residents are provided with several clinical teaching opportunities throughout the course of the year, including laboratory instruction at the OSU College of Optometry and precepting OSU College of Optometry 4th year students at the Columbus VA facility.

Residents will present a poster presentation at the East-West Eye Conference or equivalent meeting. Residents will also have the opportunity to lecture to local Optometrists for continuing education credit. The residents will be mentored during the development of a case report paper of publishable quality. Low Vision patient care and Vision Rehabilitation experiences complete this comprehensive residency program. The didactic curriculum constitutes 20% of the residency program, and includes weekly clinical case reviews, attendance at OSU ophthalmology grand rounds, and observations through ophthalmology and special clinics, accenting systemic care of ocular disease.

The VA Central Ohio Healthcare System is located near downtown Columbus, Ohio. This medical facility, which opened in the fall of 2008, is located at 420 N. James Road. The education and training of residents is a high priority at the clinic, which has sixteen affiliations including The Ohio State University Colleges of Medicine, Optometry, Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy.  The Eye Clinic offers state-of-the-art equipment to assist in the care of the veterans. Optometry works in conjunction with Ophthalmology, which offers multiple specialties such as Neuro-ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Glaucoma, Retina, and Uveitis.

Requirements for Completion

1. Complete a minimum of 1,300 clinical encounters, or equivalent activity if clinic patient numbers are impacted due to outside factors.
2. Attend and complete all assigned clinic sessions including responsibility for travel to the Columbus VA Community Based Outreach Clinics (CBOCs).
3. Conduct yourself in a professional manner, remain until all patients are cared for and the resident is excused by the preceptor.
4. Attend and document scheduled scholarly and didactic activities including poster sessions, presentations, teaching opportunities, and shadowing opportunities.
5. Present a poster at the East/West Eye Conference or equivalent meeting.
6. Write a paper or case report of publishable quality meeting necessary deadlines.
7. Deliver a presentation of your written work at the OSU Resident Scholarship Day.
8. Accumulate 25 hours of continuing education outside of your residency schedule.
9. Complete Ohio Optometry Licensure before the end of the first half of residency, to allow for full participation in levels of supervision and Optometry student precepting.
10. Achieve “Satisfactory” or above ratings in the Clinical Skills; Communication, Attitude, Work Habits; Efficiency and Schedule Management; and Academic Activities sections on all resident evaluations. For “Low or Unsatisfactory” evaluated areas, improve performance to the acceptance of the assigned mentor and the Program Supervisor through the successful completion of a remediation program.
11. Complete all assigned evaluations of the program and faculty, as assigned at the mid-year and end-of-year by the Columbus VA Residency Coordinator and OSU Director of Residencies.

Benefits

• Stipend: Established by the VA Headquarters in Washington D.C. Compensation is not contingent upon the productivity of the resident.
• Residents are eligible for health and life insurance through VA.  
• Professional Liability Insurance while providing care at VA facilities is provided.  
• Vacation Leave is accrued as four hours each two week pay period, for 13 days of vacation leave total.
• Paid Sick Leave is accrued as four hours each two week pay period, for 13 days of sick leave total.

Application Materials and Procedures

Deadline: January 31, Utilizing ORMatch Application Service 

Inquiries (for this program only) should be directed to Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Lemos. The program participates in OR Match. When application materials are on file with the program supervisor, the applicant will be contacted regarding an interview. The resident is selected based on credentials presented and a personal interview. Applicants will be evaluated without regard to gender, race, creed, national origin, or non-disqualifying disabilities. Applicants must have received a Doctor of Optometry degree from an ACOE accredited School or College of Optometry by July 1 of the residency year.  Residents are required to obtain Optometric Licensure under the State of Ohio before the end of the first half of residency. 

The applicant must provide:

• Completed application through ORMatch website
  ORMatch # #45684 
• Official transcript from the applicant’s school or college of Optometry
• Curriculum Vita
• Letter of Intent
• NBEO scores
• Three letters of recommendation

For Interview Dates: Please contact the program coordinator. Interviews will occur in Mid to Late February.

All residency programs affiliated with The Ohio State University College of Optometry hold the status of “Accredited” or are applicants seeking an initial accreditation status from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE). For more information, see the ACOE’s website at www.theacoe.org or contact the ACOE at accredit@theacoe.org.