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department of ophthalmology

Residency Program

 

Academic Philosophy and Didactics

 

The keystone of our academic program is the American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic and Clinical Science Home Study Course. All first year residents are supplied with these books. The first year residents are expected to read the twelve volumes over the first year.

 

Tuesday morning conferences and specialty conferences throughout the year closely correlate with the sequence of the Home Study books. Distinguished guest lectures from other residency programs are invited to lecture during the Tuesday morning conferences. Basic ophthalmic knowledge and new concepts are covered and correlate with the Home Study Course. Senior residents are responsible for the Complication Conference held monthly with the residents and attending staff.  Grand Rounds are held quarterly and present an opportunity for the residents, staff and visiting ophthalmologists to discuss in depth interesting clinical problems, share clinical experiences, and to bring interesting cases for discussion and problem cases for consultation. The senior resident is responsible for organizing the Grand Rounds program.

 

A pre-surgical conference is held every Monday at 7:45 am before Thursday's surgery in order for the residents to understand the direction of each case and the alternative actions available should unforeseen circumstances occur. Residents are encouraged to question the attending and senior resident, who is the surgeon on the indications for his proposed surgery and his proposed “plan of attack”.

 

Immediately following the pre-surgical conference, a retinal/IVF conference, alternating with a cornea/external disease conference every other Monday morning, is held. The retinal/IVF conference is conducted to review the interesting IVFs of the week as well as correlate with the scheduled retinal lecture topic.

 

From 7 am to 8 am on the first Wednesday of the month, an oculo-plastic conference is held by Dr. Bedrossian. Oculo-plastic surgery follows the morning conference.

 

The first Friday morning of the month, beginning at 7:30 am, is devoted to a glaucoma conference held by Dr. Jeffery Henderer from Wills Eye Hospital Glaucoma Service. Instructions on the interpretation of the visual fields as well as selected glaucoma topics from the Academy Basic Science glaucoma book are presented.

 

On t he second and the fourth Fridays of the month, a retinal conference is conducted from 7:45 am to 8:30 am and is immediately followed by a neuroophthalmology conference, conducted by Dr. Movass, a neuroophthalmologist.

 

On the third Friday of the month, a retinal conference is held from 7:45 am to 9 am to continue with the scheduled retinal topics held on Monday and the Friday morning retinal lectures.

 

The Ophthalmology Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) is a standardized test taken annually by our residents and is mandatory.  The OKAP assesses the cognitive knowledge by a written examination. It is designed to aid in the resident's education by pointing out their academic strengths and weaknesses, areas for further study, and assessing the standings with other residents throughout the country. It should be pointed out that these results are confidential, known only to the Chairman, the Program Director, and the resident.