Residency in Primary Eye Care Optometry

Judy Tong, OD, FAAO, is the SCCOMBKU Assistant Dean of Residencies.  She is residency-trained and has served in the position since November 2003.  She holds the rank of Associate Professor at SCCOMBKU and communicates with Residency Coordinator through perioidc  e-mail, telephone calls, and meeting at the Academy meeting.  The SCCOMBKU Assistant Dean of Residencies provides global administrative and educational direction to the residency program. The Assistant Dean of Residencies receives, reviews, and provides recommendations to the Residency Coordinator regarding the findings of quarterly reports on activities of the resident.

The mission of The Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa Primary Care Optometry Residency Program is to provide residents with clinical experience, knowledge of diagnosis, as well as treatment and management through direct patient care that will lead them to attainment of advanced and enhanced proficiency and clinical competency.  In addition to clinical training, the resident will be taught leadership and management skills through Kaiser Permanente’s exclusive leadership training program and will participate in LMP (organized Labor, Management Partnership) training with a focus on interest based problem solving and consensus decision-making skills; thus preparing the resident for a future leadership role in any clinical network setting from HMO, VA to private sector.

1. The resident will experience approximately 1,200 direct patient care encounters consisting of primary and secondary eye care. These encounters will consist of regularly scheduled patients and non-scheduled urgent care patients.


2. The resident will develop and demonstrate the ability to form appropriate ocular differential diagnoses, including differentials for ocular disease and systemic disorders with ophthalmic manifestations.


3. The resident will be trained in advanced ophthalmic competencies. The resident will receive hands-on training in advanced techniques by medical and technical staff. Advanced techniques may include but are not limited to, cranial nerve testing, epilation, foreign body removal, fundus contact lens examination, gonioscopy, imaging orders, laboratory testing orders, OCT interpretation, pachymetry, punctual dilation and irrigation, punctal plug insertion, retinal photography, scleral depression, visual field interpretation, vitals (BP/P/R).


4. The resident will be required to attend continuing medical education conferences and/or workshops on ocular disease and advanced clinical techniques.


5. The resident will acquire “hands-on” experience in the diagnosis, co-management and/or management of ophthalmic disease, including infectious processes, ocular inflammatory disease, ocular trauma, post-surgical eye care, and glaucoma.


6. The resident will acquire “hands-on” experience in the evaluation and management and/or co-management of ophthalmic manifestations of systemic disease and medications.


7. The resident will develop interactive skills with ophthalmology specialists and subspecialists.


8. The resident may interact with optometry and ophthalmology colleagues on a non-urgent and urgent basis possibly via phone consults, virtual consults, and non-urgent consultations and referrals.


9. The resident will participate as a member of the health care team by adding diagnoses and other information useful to the multidisciplinary health care team into the HealthConnect electronic medical record system.


10. The resident may interact with non-ophthalmic health care providers from a variety of disciplines, which may include family practice, internal medicine, pediatric, dermatology, neurology, rheumatology, radiology, social work, and speech/language/learning services.


11. The resident will prepare and deliver lecture presentations and/or clinical information to audiences comprised of ophthalmic professionals, non-ophthalmic health care providers, and the public.


12. The resident will attend and actively participate in optometric rounds and case reviews in real or cyberspace – via distance learning.

Hours:40 hours/week; may include 1 Saturday/month depending on operational needs

Monday: 8:30-5:00 - Full day patient care

Tuesday: 8:30-5:00 - Full day patient care

Wednesday: 8:30-12:30 – ADMIN/Leadership | 1:30-5:00 – Patient care

Thursday: 8:30-5:00 - Full day patient care

Friday: 8:30-12:30 – Patient care | 1:30-5:00 – ADMIN/Urgent visits

The schedule may vary based on schedule demands

Requirements for Residency Completion and Awarding of Certificate

• Be present for complete academic year from July 1 through June 30 for the entire term of duty except when on approved vacation, sick, or authorized absence day


• The resident will be expected to perform in a professional manner in the delivery of patient care services and to observe those proprieties of conduct and courtesies that are consistent with the rules and regulations governing KP and SCCO at MBKU.


• The resident is required to provide quality, compassionate, and ethical care to all KP patients and all the while deliver clinical services at a level that is satisfactory to the Residency Coordinator and the Assistant Dean of Residencies.


• The resident is required to complete the requirements set forth in the curriculum and keep a detailed log of all required program aspects which will be reviewed at least quarterly by the Residency Coordinator and the SCCO at MBKU Assistant Dean of Residencies.  These documents include:
  
  
  
  • Quarterly encounter activity
  
  
  • Quarterly patient encounter log
  
  
  • Quarterly faculty evaluations
  
  
  • Quarterly program evaluations
  
  
  • Quarterly resident referral log
  
  
  • Quarterly resident activity log
  
  
  • Quarterly resident reading log
  
  
  • End of year evaluation of program
  
  
  • Certification of completion of residency requirements
  
  
  • Resident contact address after completion
  
  
  
  


• The resident is highly encouraged to attend and participate in local multi-disciplinary meetings on a periodic basis including the Star Leadership Program.


• The resident will be required to write a publishable quality paper based on original research, literature review, or a clinical case.


• The resident is highly encouraged to participation and present at the Southern California College of Optometry at MBKU Annual Residency Forum.


• The resident is highly encouraged to attend and participation at the Annual American Academy Meeting, California Optometric Association Symposium, or any pre-approved educationally rich meeting.


• The resident is required to return any property that belongs to Kaiser Permanente at the end of the residency year.


• Upon successful completion of the Residency Program, the Residency Coordinator and the Assistant Dean of Residencies will recommend the granting of certification to the Dean at the Southern California College of Optometry.


• Any resident accepted for training can be dismissed, without receiving a certificate of completion, for infractions of the rules and regulations of Kaiser Foundation Health and/or Southern California College of Optometry at MBKU, or for any action that jeopardizes the safety of patients, personnel, or physical facilities

Please see above section on Selection Procedure and Admission Criteria

Admissions Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a U.S. citizen or have a valid Visa to work in the U.S.


• Must have graduated from an optometry school, college, or university accredited by the ACOE


• Successful passage of NBEO I, II, III and TMOD by the start of the residency program


• Earned a terminal GPA 3.0 in optometry school


• All applicants will be evaluated without regard to gender, race, color, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or national origin.

1. All materials should be sent to Paul Peng, O.D., Chief of Optometry


2. Register with the Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch) program


3. Send a copy of your curriculum vitae and a 1-page letter of intent.


4. Submit three letters of recommendation.


5. Provide transcripts of all college-level course work, including undergraduate, graduate and optometry school


6. Request NBEO Part I, II, III and TMOD Scores (forwarded from ORMatch)


7. Personal interviews and site visits are highly recommended and will be accommodated

Selection Process

1. The Program Coordinator and faculty member decide which candidates to rank for the match and determine the sequential ranking of those candidates based on the application materials, the on-site interview, letter of intent, and recommendation letters.  Candidates are ranked according to the following categories and weight:
   
   
   
   GPA 15%
   
   NBEO Scores 20%
   
   Letters of Recommendation 15%
   
   Letter of Intent 10%
   
   Interview 20% ( may include on site oral / written testing )
   
   Special qualities/characteristics 20% (Including personality, motivation, professionalism, communication skills, willingness to learn, attitude, ability to work as part of a team, etc.)
   
    


2. Final candidates’ selections are reviewed by the Assistant Dean of Residencies and the approved list is submitted to ORMatch by the Residency Coordinator.


3. ORMatch contacts the Residency Coordinator with the results of the match


4. The Program Coordinator contacts the matched candidate within 1 week to confirm their intent to enroll in the residency program.