PROGRAM SITE: The New England College of Optometry and affiliated sites

 

PROGRAM SUPERVISOR/COORDINATOR: Nicole Quinn, O.D., F.A.A.O. The New England Eye Institute, Boston MA 02215 QuinnN@neco.edu (617) 266-2030 extension 5252

 

NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 2

 

Mission

The Mission of the Residency Program in Pediatric Optometry at the New England College of Optometry is to provide a comprehensive, post-doctoral clinical education program, of the highest quality in Pediatric Optometry. The program will prepare the Residents for lifelong success and future leadership roles in Pediatric Optometric Care, scholarship, teaching, and research within the clinical specialty of Pediatric Optometry.

 

Goals

• To provide a diverse, advanced clinical experience in Pediatric Optometry
• To provide the Residents with experience in clinical and didactic teaching to supplement clinical training               
• To stimulate life-long learning and academic contributions to the  
• profession by providing the residents with opportunities for research and  other scholarly activity
• To prepare the Residents for professional careers with leadership roles in the areas of pediatric optometry (clinical practice, education, and/or research)

 

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:

This 12 month program is designed to enhance the individual's understanding of the diagnosis and management of ocular and visual disorders in:

• infant, preschool, and school age children
• non-strabismic accommodative and binocular dysfunctions, visually-related learning and reading problems
• oculomotor disorders including strabismus and amblyopia
• vision needs of special populations of exceptional children and adults.

Through patient care, teaching and scholarly activities, the resident will gain experience in these clinical areas of care.

 

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

The resident will gain an in depth understanding of children's vision, strabismus, amblyopia, and vision therapy through self-directed study, research activities, and didactic courses.

 

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES:

The resident will have direct clinical and laboratory teaching responsibilities, give presentations to other residents and faculty, and present seminars to our optometry students.

 

RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES:

The resident will be responsible for designing, executing and reporting an original research project of publishable quality, under the guidance of the program supervisor and research director. In addition the resident will participate in ongoing clinical studies at the College. These research activities may involve clinical patient care, research or laboratory time.

 

LENGTH OF PROGRAM:

The program will begin July 1, 2008 and conclude June 30, 2009. The resident’s assignments will average 40 hours per week. The resident’s hours will be scheduled Monday through Friday and every other Saturday.  On call duties are scheduled approximately every fifth week.

 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

The resident will receive an annual stipend of $34,000 for 2008-09. In addition, the resident will receive health care benefits, two weeks of paid vacation, no cost continuing education at the College, a travel stipend and malpractice insurance coverage during residency activities at College affiliated sites.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1, 2008

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants apply through ORMS (Optometric Residency Matching Service). Please visit the ORMS Website at: www.orms.org for application materials and other information.

 

Required application materials include:

• Letter of Intent/Career Objectives
• Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• NBEO Scores
• Optometry School Transcripts
• Eligibility for Massachusetts Licensure

 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

 

INTRODUCTION

The residency is a full-time, formal, supervised program consisting of clinical patient care, didactic education, clinical and laboratory teaching and clinical research. The primary emphasis will be in the diagnosis and management of ocular and visual disorders in infants and preschool and school age children. This includes children with non-strabismic accommodative and binocular dysfunctions, significant refractive errors, visually-related learning and reading problems, oculomotor disorders including strabismus and amblyopia, children with congenital and acquired ocular disease, and special populations of exceptional children and adults.

 

GENERAL GOALS

1. Provide an advanced post-graduate training program of excellence in the area of Pediatric Optometry.
2. Further develop and enhance the clinical skills of the resident in all areas relevant to pediatric optometry.
3. Enhance the resident's knowledge and capability to manage and co-manage children's vision disorders and all aspects of dysfunctions in binocular vision.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the Residency in Pediatric Optometry are to have the resident exhibit:
 

1. Competency in the evaluation of infants and preschool and school age children with routine and non-routine vision problems including arriving at appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
2. Competency in the development and implementation of a vision therapy program for basic binocular vision anomalies.
3. Competency in the evaluation of patients with strabismus and amblyopia.
4. Competency in the evaluation process for normal and special needs infants and pre-school and school age children.

 

SPECIFIC OUTCOME OBJECTIVES :

At the conclusion of the program it will be expected that the resident will meet the following specific outcome objectives:
 

1. The resident is expected to develop the technical and management skills required to deliver eye care to infants and preschool and school age children with routine and non-routine eye and vision anomalies.
2. The resident is expected to develop the technical skills to evaluate patients with strabismus and amblyopia.
3. The resident is expected to develop technical skills in the management and use of contact lenses in children.
4. The resident will be familiar with the treatment strategies available for basic and advanced cases of binocular vision problems, recognizing those cases which require a referral and co-management.
5. The resident will develop skills and strategies to examine children with visual information processing dysfunctions utilizing various special testing procedures, e.g. visual motor perceptual testing.
6. The resident will develop skills and strategies to examine children and develop skills for appropriate interaction with children and their parents.
7. The resident will develop strategies and the ability to discuss children's vision care issues with parents and teachers and will gain experience in the preparation of written patient reports.
8. The resident will develop skills and strategies as a member of an interdisciplinary network that cares for the pediatric patient and their vision and other health related needs.
9. The resident will gain experience in clinical research, including design, execution and writing one or more papers of publishable quality submitted to a peer reviewed and refereed journal and/or poster or lecture presentations at a scientific meeting.
10. The resident will gain experience in clinical and laboratory teaching in the area of vision therapy, strabismus and amblyopia diagnosis, and examination of children's vision.

 Achievement of these objectives will provide the resident with the potential to become a leader in pediatric optometry and binocular vision education, research, and optometric practice and assist the resident and the optometric profession in building stronger ties with other pediatric care providers.

 

Criteria For Completion of the Residency:

1. The resident will attend all scheduled clinic sessions as assigned, not including excused absences.
2. The resident will demonstrate the necessary clinical skills, expertise, progress, and professional attitudes commensurate with the program’s mission, goals, and objectives. The resident will abide by the clinical protocols and requirements of each clinical site. The resident will attend and will uphold the integrity of the college during their assigned time at each clinical site.
3. The resident will attend all NECO residency conferences during the year.
4. The resident will attend at least one regional or national conference as agreed upon by the program director. The resident will present a poster, case report or other scientific work at each conference.
5. The resident will design, execute and complete an original research project and submit a manuscript of publishable quality on this research project by the end of the residency year.
6. The resident will maintain an accurate patient log of all patients seen at each residency clinic site. The resident will review these logs periodically with the program director and turn them in at the end of the residency year.

 

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Quinn, O.D., F.A.A.O.

The New England Eye

940 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston, MA 02215

QuinnN@neco.edu

(617) 266-2030 ext. 5252