Optometry Residency Program

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY OPTOMETRY RESIDENCY

Completing a residency in optometry is a unique and invaluable experience.  The rich rewards gained from the year of advanced clinical training under an experienced mentor serve to enhance career opportunities and add to the level of confidence the resident has when beginning a post-residency career.

Optometric residency programs provide a stipend that varies depending on the institution funding the program.  Currently, there are 235 optometric residency programs with more than 437 approved positions that are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).

MISSION

The mission of the UVA Department of Ophthalmology Optometry Residency Program is to provide advanced clinical training in the diagnosis and management of ocular disease and to improve competency in fitting contact lenses.  The program will teach skills in co-management with ophthalmic and other medical specialties, and the resident will have the opportunity to participate in a range of didactic activities.  Through patient exposure, experience, and mentoring, the program will increase competency in clinical decision-making.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Education is one of the three key missions at the University of Virginia Health System.  The strong clinical foundation of the Department of Ophthalmology and the extensive clinical referral population are the principle strengths of the department’s residency training programs.

The UVA Optometry Residency program is affiliated with the Indiana University School of Optometry and is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).  The program will advance the resident’s knowledge in systemic-based eye care.  The resident will primarily work under the Residency Program Coordinator.  Daily, the resident will have an opportunity to see patients with a variety of systemic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, lupus, Sjogren’s, HIV, and MS.  The resident will be challenged to diagnose patients presenting with ocular disease and will be responsible for making appropriate clinical decisions and referrals.  Communication with other specialties within the Department and the Health System is expected.  Strong focus is placed on contact lens care.  The resident will be exposed to patients with simple refractive error, presbyopia, malignant myopia, and anisometropia.  The resident will also work in our Specialty Contact Lens Clinic and treat keratoconus, pellicud marginal degeneration, post refractive ectasia, and corneal grafts.

The resident will be expected to attend Grand Rounds, department lectures, and other educational events.  The resident will also have the opportunity to observe surgery in the surgical divisions of the department.  The resident will be responsible for one scholarly activity each quarter.  Together with the Residency Program Coordinator, the resident will provide guidance and leadership to an optometry intern.

OPTOMETRY RESIDENT BENEFITS

1. Health Coverage
2. Professional Liability Insurance
3. Paid Vacation
4. Continuing Education Travel Reimbursement

RESIDENCY APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Apply for the centralized matching service through the ORMatch: https://natmatch.com/ormatch/

IMPORTANT DATES

• We follow the same schedule of dates listed by the 2022 ORMatch:  https://natmatch.com/ormatch/
• Interview dates for the 2022 – 2023 cycle are TBD

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The University of Virginia Physicians Group is committed to the principles of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.  To promote these principles, we will provide equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment without discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.  Applicants with a multicultural experience and/or diverse background are strongly encouraged to apply.

The UVA Department of Ophthalmology selection of the Optometry Resident will be based on the applicant’s ability to meet the documented criteria.

CHARLOTTESVILLE

Any training program is colored, in part, by the surrounding academic center.  The Health System at the University of Virginia lies adjacent to the central grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s original academic village.  Charlottesville and Albemarle County attract cultural and cosmopolitan functions out of proportion to its population of 150,000, supplemented by the 23,000 students of the University of Virginia

Charlottesville offers an impressive variety of cultural, social, and recreational opportunities.  There are 26 neighborhood and jointly funded parks and an extensive series of walking trails that run through park land, residential areas, and along the beautiful Rivanna River.

There is also a thriving art, music and theater community that keeps the creative spirit alive in Charlottesville.  The 4,000 seat Charlottesville Sprint Pavilion amphitheater draws well-known acts into the downtown area and hosts a weekly Fridays-After-Five concert, a local favorite to kick off the Spring through Fall weekends.  The downtown pedestrian mall is one of the most successful of its kind in the country and boasts over 150 shops and award-winning restaurants.  A magnet for art, music, dining, shopping and entertainment, the mall is home to the renovated Paramount Theater, one of few community-supported restorations of historic theaters in the country.  The 1,200 seat theater often hosted nationally-known entertainers.  The 16,000 seat John Paul Jones Arena (JPJ) opened in 2006, and along with being home to the 2019 National Championship UVA Men’s Basketball Team, also hosts national touring music, sports and theater events.

Other popular activities in the area include world-class tennis, golf, hiking, ballooning, horseback riding and racing, tubing, fishing, biking, camping, and the occasional hunting for antiques.  The area also boasts a thriving wine touring and tasting business.  Thirty-five local vineyards make up the The Monticello Wine Trail, the first established American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Virginia, with many wineries achieving state, national and international recognition.

The nation’s capital is only 120 miles away and there are excellent regular air connections to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, New York City LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC Dulles.  The Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, 20 miles from Charlottesville, along with the nearby Appalachian Trail provide some of the best hiking in the United States.  Snow skiing is within an hour’s drive, with night skiing available.  Across the Blue Ridge Mountains, the vistas of the Shenandoah Valley and the rivers and mountains of West Virginia provide some of the best whitewater canoeing and rafting in the world.  Medical students, residents, and faculty have a share in the stimulating and picturesque ambiance of University life within Piedmont Virginia.

HELPFUL LINKS

• Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry: https://optometriceducation.org/students-future-students/residency-programs/
• Indiana University School of Optometry:  https://optometry.iu.edu/
• ORMatch:  https://natmatch.com/ormatch/

CONTACTS

UVA Department of Ophthalmology
Optometry Residency Program Coordinator
Evan J. Kaufman, OD, FAAO
Assistant Professor
Director of Optometry & Contact Lens Services

UVA Department of Ophthalmology
Optometry Residency Program Administrator
Jenny Hamlin, MHA
Department Associate Administrator
(434) 924-1941
UVAOptometry@virginia.edu

Indiana University School of Optometry
Director of Optometry Residencies
Don Lyon, OD, MS, FAAO
Clinical Professor
(812) 855-1964
dwlyon@indiana.edu
https://optometry.iu.edu/academics/residencies.html