Ophthalmology & Visual Science

The ocular disease residency at the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is designed to provide the optometric resident with a wide range of clinical experience in the treatment and management of ocular disease. The department provides outpatient and consultative ophthalmology services to the Chandler Medical Center at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, KY. Sub-specialty care is provided in the areas of retina, neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma, cornea, and refractive surgery. Residents will provide coverage for our Urgent Care Clinic (walk-ins), as well as frequent consultation with the sub-specialties listed above. Residents will be expected to attend weekly fluorescein conferences, grand rounds, and other lectures/presentations presented by the ophthalmology faculty. A case presentation or other ocular disease presentation is expected by the optometric resident to the ophthalmology faculty at UK and at the IU residency conference.

Our facility is located in the heart of the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, KY. The 10,000 square foot eye clinic contains 21 examination lanes, 2 minor operating rooms, on-site ophthalmic lasers, digital fluorescein system, Humphrey automated visual field instruments, Orbscan corneal topography, and OCT imaging system. Access to the University medical library and all campus resources are made available to residents.

The stipend is $30,000 and includes health and life insurance benefits as well as a $500 educational expense allowance for travel, books, etc.

The clinical curriculum consists of staffing the Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) within the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The resident is the primary eye care provider for all patients presenting to the Department of Ophthalmology for acute care. Patients present as ìwalk-insî, telephone triage patients that were advised to be seen urgently, consults/referrals from other providers within the University of Kentucky Medical Center, and outside providers referring patients to our clinic. Close supervision by the program director and UCC faculty within the first three months of the residency gives way to more autonomy as the resident progresses. The resident evaluates all UCC patients and obtains consultation as necessary from faculty and subspecialists within the department. In addition, the resident is provided a schedule template in order to appoint follow-up evaluations of patients seen in the UCC. This enables the resident to receive first -hand experience in the assessment of a wide variety of ocular disease and immediate consultation with the appropriate subspecialists as necessary, as well as continuity of care as the resident is allowed to evaluate the success of recommended treatment at follow-up examinations. The resident also staffs our Lions Eye Club clinic, a primary eye care clinic provided for eligible recipients unable to afford routine care. In this clinic the resident and optometric interns provide comprehensive examinations and coordinate ancillary testing independently. As always, UK faculty members are available for consultation if necessary. University of Kentucky Medical Center policy does not allow patients to be billed for services performed by residents, therefore the resident must present all cases to the supervising faculty for review. The faculty is responsible for final assessments of the patients and indicates agreement with the resident evaluation and/or any edits to the assessment or plan in the medical record. The resident receives instant feedback on his/her assessment and plan in this way. A typical weekly schedule is as follows:

Didactic/scholarly activities include attendance of weekly fluorescein angiography conference, grand rounds, and other lectures as provided by faculty members in their respective specialties throughout the year presented by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences as part of the ophthalmologic residency curriculum. In addition, weekly optometric intern conferences are held (when students are present) during which the resident presents lectures or case reports and supervises the optometric intern journal club sessions. A publication quality paper in the form of a case report, research, or clinical topic is due at the completion of the residency.

Kentucky Clinic Eye Center

The Eye Clinic is an outpatient facility which includes faculty offices, 30 fully furnished ophthalmology examination lanes, contact lens facility, two fully furnished operating rooms, two laser procedure rooms, and an ophthalmic photography center. The newest addition to this facility was completed in December 2000 and includes the ophthalmology library, conference center, the residentís lounge, locker facility, and computer center. All residents spend the majority of time in this facility during their training.

Residency Application

The optometric residency in ocular disease position at the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is affiliated with the University of Indiana School of Optometry and is pending accreditation with the Council on Optometric Education. More information can be found at the Indiana School of Optometry website: http://www.opt.indiana.edu/programs/residenc/kentucky.htm.

Our residency position is filled through the Optometry Residency Match system (ORMatch). The next available position will start July, 2013.  The University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences does not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, or any other applicable legally protected status.

Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an on-site interview.

Interested applicants should apply with the ORMatch system at www.natmatch.com/ormatch/applregister.html, complete the following application and submit required materials to:

Cliff M. Caudill, OD, FAAO
cmcaud2@email.uky.edu
Optometry Residency Program Director
E 300 Kentucky Clinic
740 South Limestone Drive
Lexington, KY 40536
(859) 323-5867

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Deadline for submission of application to ORMatch is February, 2013.

Interviews scheduled between November, 2012 and March, 2013.

For stipend, benefits, and other infomation visit the GME website here.