Residency in Vision Rehabilitation,
with Emphasis in Low Vision Rehabilitation and Ocular Disease
SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
Program Mission
The mission of this residency is to provide advanced training and education in Vision Rehabilitation, with Emphasis in Low Vision Rehabilitation and Ocular Disease through direct patient care, education and research. The Resident will divide time between campus-based patient care and off-campus clinics for ocular disease and low vision experience and education. The applicant completes requirements for residency certification with a capstone project.
Program Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Enhance the resident’s examination skills in low vision rehabilitation.
Objective: The resident will develop a high degree of efficiency in the provision of and low vision rehabilitation care.
Outcome: The resident will provide low vision rehabilitation services involving a minimum of 300 encounters.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Goal 2: Strengthen the resident’s expertise in the diagnosis and management of low vision patients.
Objective 1: The resident will perform the appropriate diagnostic procedures.
Outcome: The resident will consistently select and successfully perform the proper diagnostic procedures for each patient.
Measure: The resident will be evaluated quarterly by the supervisor to determine if the desired level of technical and cognitive ability is being exhibited.
Objective 2: The resident will determine the correct diagnosis for each patient.
Outcome: The resident will consistently select the correct diagnosis for each patient with increasing independence as the residency program progresses
Measure: The resident will be evaluated quarterly by the supervisor to assess the appropriateness of the resident’s diagnostic ability.
Goal 3: Expand the resident’s knowledge of specialized low vision assistive devices and non-optical low vision assistive techniques.
Objective 1: The resident will develop expertise in low vision patient evaluation and prescription of magnifiers.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and instruct at least 75 low vision patients for magnifiers.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log
Objective 2: The resident will develop expertise in low vision patient evaluation and prescription of hand-held and spectacle-mounted telescopes.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and instruct at least 60 low vision patients for hand held and spectacle mounted telescopes.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 3: The resident will develop expertise in low vision patient evaluation and prescription of electronic magnification systems.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and instruct at least 75 low vision patients for electronic magnification systems.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 4: The resident will develop expertise in low vision patient evaluation and prescription of prism for purpose of field enhancement or field relocation.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and instruct at least 20 low vision patients for prism.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 5: The resident will develop expertise in low vision patient evaluation and prescription of optical filters.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and instruct at least 40 low vision patients for optical filters.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 6: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with vision impairment with non-optical assistive devices.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and manage at least 50 patients with vision impairment using non-optical assistive devices.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Goal 4: Expand the resident’s knowledge of ocular disease management.
Objective 1: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with ocular pathology.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and manage a minimum of 300 patient encounters with ocular pathology.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 2: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with retinal pathology
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and manage a minimum of 100 patient encounters with retinal disease.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 3: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with anterior segment disease.
Outcome: The patient will evaluate and manage a minimum of 75 patient encounters with anterior segment disease.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 4: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with Glaucoma.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and manage a minimum of 75 patient encounters with Glaucoma.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Objective 5: The resident will gain experience in managing patients with neurologic conditions.
Outcome: The resident will evaluate and manage a minimum of 85 patient encounters with neurologic conditions.
Measure: The resident will report on the number of patient encounters of this type using the activity log.
Goal 5: Develop the resident’s skills in presenting topics to fellow professionals.
Objective: The resident will acquire and practice skills needed to effectively present information to other professionals in group settings.
Outcome: The resident will present at least one lecture per quarter during the regular Residency Conference and when possible will present posters or lectures in other settings such as the American Academy of Optometry, Heart of America or the American Optometric Association.
Measure: The resident will report on these types of activities using the activity summary.
Goal 6: Instill in the resident an appreciation of the importance of scholarly activity.
Objective: Educate the resident in the preparation of a professional manuscript.
Outcome: The resident will prepare a publication-quality manuscript on an approved topic.
Measure: The resident will complete the manuscript by the designated completion date.
Goal 7: Provide the resident with the opportunity to become an effective clinical educator.
Objective: The resident will supervise optometry student clinicians in the provision of vision services to patients.
Outcome: The resident will mentor and oversee the optometry students during the final 6 months of the residency.
Measure: The resident will report the number of patient encounters of this type in the activity log.
Goal 8: Expand the resident's health care knowledge base in the field of rehabilitative vision care.
Objective: Expose the resident to the multidisciplinary approach for treatment and management of persons with vision impairment.
Outcome: The resident will attend a minimum of six community outreach/agency meeting (e.g., Vision Quest, Clovernook, Professional Network on Aging, etc.) The resident will visit different practice approaches pertaining to low vision rehabilitation. These may include a private practice offering low vision services; a university based rehabilitation center; a non-profit rehabilitation agency; and/or a hospital based rehab center.
Measure: The resident will report participation in the above activities in the activity log.
Duties
The resident performs direct care in specific areas of low vision rehabilitation and ocular disease management and treatment.
Approximately 15 hours a week direct patient care of Low Vision Rehabilitation. Ten of those hours will at off campus clinics, 5 hours of direct care will be on campus
Approximately 15 hours a week direct patient care of ocular disease treatment and management. Ten of those hours will be at off campus clinics, 5 hours a week will be on campus
Approximately 5-10 hours a week in electrophysiology, primary care or pediatrics as dictated by the semester.
Approximately 8 hours a week dedicated to research towards completion of the capstone project
The resident must make one or more didactic presentations to a professional group that may consist of OD, MD and or Residents on a subject approved by their supervisor. The resident will give a presentation on a topic approved by the supervisor during Resident’s Weekend at Southern College of Optometry.
Resident maintains an online Activity Log on each encounter detailing the nature of the patient encounter or educational activity, which is reviewed by the Director of Residencies and Program Supervisor. A statement summarizing the knowledge gained from each encounter is required at the supervisor level.
Residency expectations include participation in an after hour “on-call” rotation to handle emergencies in the related services in consultation with other licensed providers and independent but subject to review by a Supervisor.
Application Procedures
A. All applicants must complete the SCO application. All applicants must complete the Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch), and provide all required supporting documentation by the deadline of January 30 to be considered for an SCO program.
- You must have already passed NBEO Part I, II and TMOD in order to apply to one of our programs through ORMatch.
- You must have passed NBEO Part III and ISE (if applicable) in order to begin an SCO affiliated residency program.
- Those applying to a VA hospital or a state that does not require TMOD to obtain licensure are an exception if TMOD is not passed on first attempt.
B. Applicant must have earned an O.D. degree, or will have earned such a degree by the time of matriculation from a school/college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
C. Applicant will furnish a transcript to ORMatch from his/her school/college of optometry. An applicant should have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the professional optometric curriculum.
D. Applicant must pass all parts of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry examinations required for state licensure. If accepted, the resident is expected to obtain the appropriate state license.
E. A personal interview will be required.
F. The College affirms that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity at or affiliated with Southern College of Optometry on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, disability, or national origin.
Contract
All applicants selected for admission must sign a standard residency contract.
Stipend and Benefits
The residency program is 12.5 months in length from July 1 to July 15 of the following year. The stipend is $42,000 which will be paid on a bi-monthly basis. Compensation is not contingent upon productivity of the resident. The resident may also purchase health insurance at the student rate. Professional liability insurance and a $750 travel stipend are provided by the College. Also, included in the benefits package are clinic coats, 10 days academic leave, 10 personal days and 18 days vacation leave, as outlined in the paragraph below. Please note that the $400 Professional Privilege Tax due May of each year, is not covered by the College. The resident is expected to obtain a DEA license and will be provided a financial benefit for this purpose. A receipt will need to be turned in to the Director for Residency Programs.
Leave Policy
Eighteen days of vacation leave are provided to the resident. These days are those on which The Eye Center at SCO is closed: July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Thanksgiving, ten working days at Christmas and New Years, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, two days during Spring Break, and Memorial Day. Provision of these vacation days is automatic and does not require approval or submission of the leave request. The resident may be required to provide on call services during some of the days. Ten days of educational leave are provided. These days are intended to allow the resident to attend professional meetings. Ten days of personal leave are provided. The resident must submit a standard leave request in advance to request educational and personal leave. The form should be completed by the resident and submitted to the supervisor. The supervisor will then approve or disapprove the request. If the request is approved by the supervisor the leave request form is forwarded to the Director of Residency Programs who is responsible for tracking the residents’ leave balance and ensuring the clinical schedule will be appropriately covered. If the resident has a leave balance sufficient to cover the request the DRP will approve the request and forward the appropriate copies of the form to the resident and supervisor. Requests will be granted on a first come-first served basis during times when more than one resident is requesting time off. The resident and supervisor are responsible for notifying the appropriate Chiefs of Service and the Director of Clinical Operations for the days the resident will not be available to provide clinical services.
On-Call Service Policy
The On-Call schedule for the academic year shall consist of equitable weeks of service for each in=house resident at SCO. “On-Call” shall be defined as the period of time for which the resident is responsible for responding to the urgent/emergent after-hours calls and those calls that may come during regular business hours of TEC and SCO when TEC/SCO is closed for breaks and holidays. An annually updated On-Call Manual will be supplied by the TEC Chief of Staff to all residents at the onset of the program. At this time, no on-call responsibilities are mandated for the ESG portion of the program.
Scholarly Activity
The capstone project consists of original research in a relevant area leading to a paper suitable for publication in a refereed journal. Research projects may include original research consisting of a pilot study, clinical study basic science study or case report series related to low vision rehabilitation or ocular disease pathology and treatment.
Capstone project selection requires the approval of the Supervisor no later than 6 to 8 weeks in to training. Experimental designs must be accepted no later than 1 month after the approval. Regular progress reports submitted to the supervisor ensures timely completion of milestones and ultimate completion.
Criteria for Completion of Residency
- The resident is required to deliver clinical services at a level that is satisfactory to the Residency Supervisor, Director or Residency Programs, and the SCO administration. The resident receives a specific schedule each quarter. Resident's schedule includes approximately 40 hours per week assigned in accordance with those outlined in duties. Resident takes after hours, and on-call assignments on a periodic basis.
- The resident will be required to keep a record of patient contacts. The Supervisor of the Residency Program and the Director of Residency Programs when appropriate will review cases periodically.
- The resident will be required to write a paper based on original research and a thorough literature review, or a clinical case series for publication in an acceptable professional journal.
- The resident will be required to deliver an oral presentation at the annual Residents' Weekend, held on campus at SCO
- Resident must perform in a professional manner while engaged in the delivery of patient care services. Professional conduct, proprieties and courtesies must be consistent with the rules and regulations governing SCO.
- The resident will be required to participate in and complete the requirements set forth in the curriculum.
- Upon successful completion of the Residency Program, the Residency Supervisors and the Director of Residency Programs will recommend the granting of certification to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
- Any resident accepted for training may be dismissed without receiving a certificate of completion for infractions of the rules and regulations of Southern College of Optometry, for failure to meet the requirements set forth in the Residency Handbook and program description or for any action that jeopardizes the safety of patients, personnel, or physical facilities.
A resident rotating through a hospital based or similar residency program must adhere to all facility policies and procedures, including but not limited to, receiving all required immunizations or showing appropriate medical documentation that he/she is in full medical compliance with required immunizations. In addition, if a resident cannot receive a flu or similar immunization due to potential allergic reaction, medical documentation must be made available to the Program Supervisor prior to the program’s start date. A resident should receive the required immunizations provided by the facility when appropriate. Otherwise, any costs incurred will be the resident’s responsibility. Any grievances should be submitted in writing to SCO’s Director for Residency Programs utilizing the procedures found in the Residency Handbook.
Other Employment
Other employment (Moonlighting) activities are at the discretion of the residency supervisor. Moonlighting, if permitted, may not interfere with any part of the residency, including on-call assignments. The professional liability protection provided by the College does not cover moonlighting activities.
Accreditation
Accredited by ACOE.
Certificate of Completion
Resident receives a Certificate of Completion upon evidence of satisfactory performance in meeting all requirements of the program.
Reporting status
The resident reports to the Supervisor of the residency program. The Supervisor reports directly to the SCO Director of Residency Programs, who reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at SCO.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Cheryl E. Mengelt, O.D.
Director, Residency Programs
Southern College of Optometry
1245 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 722-3201
email: [email protected]