In the primary care setting, the resident will provide primary optometric care to a diverse population of patients including in-hospital patients, outpatients and psychiatric patients. The resident will also participate in teaching fourth-year optometry externs. Types of patient encounters at the primary care clinic vary greatly, and include routine general exams, low vision exams and occasional medically-necessary contact lens fittings. The clinics are located at the Palo Alto, Livermore, Monterey, and San Jose Divisions.

Low Vision Rehabilitation

At the WBRC, the resident will provide full-scope low vision care in conjunction with rehabilitation instructors in all disciplines of vision rehabilitation, including visual skills, daily living skills, orientation and mobility, computer skills and manual skills. Optometry is part of the team approach to rehabilitation. Working with the instructors from other areas provides an opportunity to learn about blind and low vision rehabilitation in a multidisciplinary setting. As the patients reside at the WBRC during their rehabilitation, the resident has the unique opportunity to work with various low vision devices and follow a patient's progress as frequently as desired.

Clinical Curriculum

The residency year is divided into three four-month rotations:

One rotation is through the Primary Care Clinic at the VA Palo Alto, providing primary optometric care, with one afternoon a week of outpatient low vision care and specialty contact lens care.
The second rotation is at the WBRC. There, the resident will provide full-scope low vision care to legally-blind veterans. This rotation also includes one afternoon a week of extended low vision care for non-WBRC patients, as well as two mornings a week at the Palo Alto Primary Care Clinic.
The third, or Outreach Clinics rotation, is through the various outlying optometry primary care clinics in the VAPAHCS. This four-month rotation requires extensive traveling, for which having access to a car is recommended.

Didactic Curriculum And Teaching Activity

Didactics include weekly optometry conferences, and grand rounds attendance at Stanford University, Department of Ophthalmology. The residents present four formal lectures, as well as informal case presentations throughout the year. The residents participate in the clinical teaching of fourth-year optometry externs.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship
An optometry degree from an accredited optometry school. (ACOE)
Must obtain a state license and pass NBEO III during the residency year
Passage of NBEO I, II, and TMOD
GPA 3.0 in optometry school preferred
An interview
An interest in low vision rehabilitation

Application Process

Applicants are matched through ORMS, due date for applications is February 1. For more information, please contact ORMS at:

(901) 272-2040 or http://www.optometryresident.org

Please forward supporting documents (current curriculum vitae, official National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) scores, official transcripts from optometry school and undergraduate institution, three letters of recommentation, and a brief statement of intent) to:

Dr. Curtis Keswick
3801 Miranda Avenue
112/OPTO
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1290

Contact Information:

Curtis Keswick, OD, (650) 493-5000 x62024
Curtis.Keswick@med.va.gov

Jennine Kirby, OD, (650) 493-5000 x64377
Jennine.Kirby@med.va.gov

Optometric Residency Program
inezb@berkeley.edu
c/o Inez Bailey, Residency Program Assistant
527 Minor Hall, School of Optometry
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2020