VA Palo Alto Residency: Ocular Disease – Geriatric Optometry – Low Vision Rehabilitation

NOTE: For information on nondiscrimination in federally conducted education and training programs, see: VHA Directive 1018.

Introductory Webinar Video

Mission Statement

The Optometric Residency Program at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry and its affiliate programs seek to recruit and admit the best-qualified post-graduate optometrists and to provide them with advanced clinical education and concentrated clinical experience in specialty areas of optometry in an institutional or hospital-based setting. This mentored educational and clinical experience prepares optometrists for lifelong scholarship in patient care, education, and optometric leadership.

The mission of the Optometric Residency in Ocular Disease/Geriatric Optometry/Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) is twofold:

1. To provide a mentored learning environment in which residents develop the skills to manage ocular diseases within the geriatric veteran population served by VAPAHCS.
2. To provide a mentored learning environment in which residents attain advanced skills in the specialty of adult low vision rehabilitation.

This mentored educational and clinical experience prepares the optometrist for lifelong scholarship in patient care, education, and optometric leadership.

Program Goals

The program’s goals are to provide residents with a varied clinical experience in optometric care with emphasis in ocular disease and a didactic program that complements their clinical experience. The program endeavors to promote an appreciation of the significance of scholarly activity and professional development. Resident mentors will also educate and train residents in the specialty skill of low vision rehabilitation.

Time Commitment

The Residency year is from July 1 to June 30.

Residents are expected to be in clinic five days per week, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. There are no after-hours on-call duties.

Optometric Eye Care

The residents will provide optometric care to a diverse population of patients including in-hospital patients and outpatients. The patient population is predominately middle-aged to elderly males, with a high incidence of ocular disease. The Optometry clinics are located at the Palo Alto VA, Livermore VA, and San Jose VA.

Low Vision Rehabilitation

The Ocular Disease/Geriatric Optometry/Low Vision Rehabilitation residents 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 instructors from other areas provides an opportunity to learn about blind and low vision rehabilitation in a multidisciplinary setting. At the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, the resident has the unique opportunity to work with various low vision devices and follow a patient’s progress as frequently as desired.

Didactic Curriculum And Teaching Activity

• Weekly optometry conferences, Core Studies, Journal Club, monthly low vision/polytrauma journal club, and periodic Grand Rounds.
• Optometry Conferences cover low vision, ocular disease, and primary care topics.
• Core Studies review major clinical trials impacting eye care.
• Current and significant past literature are analyzed and discussed during Journal Club.
• Grand Rounds is an interactive, educational program on various ocular disease topics emphasizing discussion of pertinent cases and a review of current concepts.
• The residents present three formal lectures at the Berkeley Optometry Affiliated Resident Lecture Series, as well as informal case presentations throughout the year.
• The residents participate in the presentation of slide quizzes with 4th year optometric externs.

Requirements for Residency Completion

• Complete one year of training.
• Three oral case presentations as part of the Berkeley Optometry Affiliated Resident Lecture Series.
• Submit a manuscript of publishable quality on either a case or research with approval from the Program Coordinators and Director of Affiliated Residency Programs.
• Submit a poster abstract to a major optometric conference (e.g. AAO).
• Submission of completed patient logs as well as program and mentor evaluations.
• Favorable final evaluation from the Program Coordinators.

Benefits

• Yearly stipend of $55,034 (AY 2024-25).
• No fees or tuition.
• 13 days accrued vacation leave.
• 13 days accrued sick leave.
• Approved leave for educational meetings (e.g., AAO, etc.).
• Professional liability covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
• Health insurance and life insurance.
• 11 paid federal holidays.

Admissions Eligibility Criteria

• US citizen
• An optometry degree from an accredited optometry school (ACOE).
• Cumulative GPA 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for optometric education required.
• Passage of NBEO I, II, and TMOD prior to the ORMatch match.
• If male, registered with Selective Service prior to their 26th birthday. This can be obtained at (www.sss.gov).

How To Apply

Use the button below to apply for a residency via the Optometric Residency Match (ORMatch) program. The Optometry Residency Match (“ORMatch”) is an application service and match that places applicants into optometry residency training positions.

The National Matching Service requires the submission of the following pieces of information that will later be supplied to VA Palo Alto.

• NBEO scores.
• Letter of intent.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Copy of optometry school transcripts.
• Three letters of recommendation.

Selection Procedure

• After thoroughly evaluating the applicant pool, top candidates will be invited for a campus visit and interview. Interviews by videoconference can be arranged if needed.
• The program coordinators determine which candidates to rank for the match and the sequential ranking of those candidates to submit to ORMatch.
• The final candidate ranking is submitted to ORMatch by the Residency Coordinators.
• ORMatch contacts the program with the results of the match.
• The program coordinators and the program director contact the matched candidates and confirm their intent to enroll in the residency program.

Residency Coordinator

Co-residency Coordinator