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Residency Training
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The three-year residency program is designed to provide the resident with gradually increasing responsibility. Dr. Sandra M. Johnson is the Director of Resident Education.
Training of residents is the main focus of the faculty at the University of Virginia. The strong clinical foundation of the Department and the extensive clinical referral population are the principle strengths of the training program. Academic achievement is emphasized with the majority of recent graduates having gone on to take high-quality post-residency fellowships and, after completion of fellowship training, several have assumed full-time faculty positions in various academic departments throughout the country. It remains the goal of the Ophthalmic Training Program to provide a broad, solid foundation for residents, whether bound for full-time academic pursuits or general private practice.
The residents spend most of the first year in the General Eye Clinic, gaining experience with outpatient medical and surgical ophthalmology as well as learning techniques in refraction. The first year residents attend the Contact Lens Clinic, the Oculoplastics Clinic, the Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic, and the Cornea Clinic. During the first year, residents begin surgical training by assisting the full-time faculty, and they also start to perform cases as the primary surgeon. The residents are encouraged to practice surgery on eye-bank eyes in the minor procedure room and on animals in the research facility OR. The first year resident serves as the primary surgeon on minor oculoplastics cases.
The second year is devoted to ophthalmic subspecialty service rotations. This provides the resident an opportunity to consolidate his knowledge in each of the subspecialty areas. The extensive clinical volume and unusual pathology help to broaden the experience obtained during the first year. The resident assists in the performance of the surgery done on each of the subspecialty services. One-half day a week is devoted to the General Ophthalmology Service to enable the resident to maintain follow-up and continuity in the care of complicated patients seen during the first year. Second year residents are responsible for all of the strabismus surgery scheduled through the pediatric ophthalmology clinic and will perform cataract surgery under the supervision of the full-time attending staff. During the second year residency, the residents participate in refractive surgery rotations. They also participate in a pediatric ophthalmology rotation at the Charlottesville office of Dr. Bruce Carter and Dr. Christian Carter.
Third year residents spend four months at the Salem Veterans Administration Hospital and eight months in the general eye clinic at UVA. Responsibilities include supervision of the first year residents, performing surgery generated by the clinic, and serving as the principle consultant to other clinical services at the Medical Center. The third year residents participate in refractive and plastic surgery rotations and the Contact Lens Clinic. This is aimed at giving the third year residents the opportunity to become competent in both of these domains. Part of the refractive surgery rotation includes certification of our residents in the Visix laser, which is part of our affiliation with TLC Laser Eye Center. The third year residents rotate with Dr. Marc Shields and Dr. Sara Kaltreider as part of the oculoplastics rotation. Dr. Kaltreider is located in downtown Charlottesville where she has a high-volume practice with a surgical facility.
All residents have their own clinic through which they examine patients and have the opportunity of continuity of care for those patients for the duration of their three years of residency. The residents are supervised during clinic by faculty members and by visiting associate members.
A one to two year Retina-Vitreous fellowship is also sponsored by the department.
Additional information on our Residency Program:
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