James H. Quillen Mountain Home VAMC
Residency Program Description

The optometric residency in primary care at the James H. Quillen VAMC Eye Clinic was established in July, 1998 and received its initial accreditation in October, 1999. Affiliated with Southern College of Optometry, the residency program offers a variety of clinical and didactic experiences unique to the VA Hospital setting. Residents maintain a regular outpatient clinic schedule at least 3½ days per week. This patient load includes routine examinations, consultations from other medical disciplines, recurring visits for ocular problems (such as glaucoma), some low vision work, and emergencies. Specialty ophthalmic procedures will be ordered or performed during the course of these clinics, including GDx nerve fiber layer analyzer, ultrasonography/biometry, visual fields, and minor lid lesion removal. Inpatient hospital and nursing home visits are arranged as the need arises. The resident also works with ophthalmology about 1 day per week to gain additional pre- and post-operative management experience. Another half day per week is spent on interdisciplinary hospital rotations to gain exposure to other medical specialties, including (but not limited to): cardiology, vascular medicine, primary care, laboratory/pathology, radiology, and audiology.

Teaching experience will be gained by precepting optometry students during the latter half of the residency year. Student externs come from Southern College of Optometry, Illinois College of Optometry, University of Alabama – Birmingham, and Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Opportunities also exist to teach basic eye examination skills to medical students and residents from the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, affiliated with East Tennessee State University and located on the grounds of the VA. Participation once a week in the optometry journal club is required. Presentations on various topics are given on a rotating basis in journal club by the resident, optometry students, or attending optometrists. Professional time may be set aside for the resident, to be used for independent research, writing, and journal reading. The resident is encouraged to use this time to remain current in the ophthalmic literature, further explore interesting patient presentations, develop and conduct a research project, or research and write a clinical case study. It is a requirement of the program that the resident write one journal-quality article, which may be submitted for publication if desired.

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