Program Overview

Program Overview

The Ocular Disease with an Emphasis in Cornea and Contact Lenses program is a residency program offered by the College of Optometry. The primary site for this training program is the Center for Outpatient Health, which is a large outpatient center on the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Campus.

Program Description

The program is designed to recruit and train qualified graduate optometrists, and advance their clinical skills beyond entry-level competency through a training experience centered around a wide variety of systemic, ophthalmic, and refractive disorders. The program includes specialty practices such as dermatology, women's health, psychiatry, lab and radiology services, primary care, and neurology, as well as ophthalmology sub-specialties like comprehensive ophthalmology, medical optometry, glaucoma, cornea, ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, neuro-ophthalmology, and retina.

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the program is to advance the clinical skills of graduate optometrists through a comprehensive training experience.

Selection Procedure and Admission Criteria

• Participation in the OR Match Service
• Submission of a letter of interest
• Curriculum Vitae
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Official optometry school transcripts Completed applications are reviewed, qualified applicants are interviewed, and a ranking is submitted to OR Match, which determines the final selection.

Admission Criteria

• Completion of the OR Match application by the deadline of February 1st
• Obtaining an O.D. degree from an ACOE accredited program by the training program starting date
• Preference given to applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
• Submission of required application materials
• Demonstration of eligibility to work in the U.S.
• Completion of a criminal background check as per state requirements for university employees
• Matched applicants must:
  • Pass all parts of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry
  • Pass all examinations required for Missouri licensure
  • Provide official optometry school transcripts prior to the training program start date
  • Obtain Missouri optometry licensure within 30 days of the training program start date

Program Benefits and Liability Coverage

• Health coverage
• Professional liability insurance
• Vacation
• Paid sick leave
• Travel allowance
• Dental/Life insurance

Requirements for Completion

• Completion of the 54 weeks of residency program
• Attendance at assigned clinic services
• Meeting the Residency Didactic Requirements:
  • A minimum of one case report following AAO fellowship guidelines
  • A combination of TWO of the following:
    • Additional case report(s) meeting AAO fellowship guidelines
    • Poster presentation(s) at AAO approved national meetings
    • Publication in approved journal(s)
• Participation in UMSL Grand Rounds (Residency Day Fall; Grand Rounds in Spring/SLU)
• Performance via evaluations at a minimum of 3.0 out of 5.0
• An exit interview with the residency faculty
• The certificate will be awarded by the Program Coordinator

Typical Weekly Hours

• 40 hours per week

Stipend

• $45,000

Program Coordinator and Faculty

• Program Coordinator: Jordan Jones, OD, FAAO
• Optometry Residency Faculty: Nathan Tuttle, OD, Kyle Dohrman, OD, and Ashley Ahlbrand, OD

Accreditation

The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) has granted the Residency Program in Ocular Disease with an Emphasis in Cornea and Contact Lenses the accreditation status of "Accredited."