Optometry Residency Program

Optometry Residency Mission, Goals, and Program Outcomes

Optometry Residency Program Goals

Goal 1:  To advance the competency, knowledge and skill level of the resident through exposure to significant, diverse and challenging patient encounters.

Goal 2:  To improve patient care management skills in a multidisciplinary health care team setting.

Goal 3:  To enhance the resident’s leadership and teaching skills and encourage scholarly interests.

Goal 4:  Stimulate a commitment to service and life-long learning by the resident.

Optometry Residency Program Curriculum:

1. Resident will manage at least 1200 patient care encounter; approximately 85% of the resident's time will be spent in direct patient care.
2. The resident will perform comprehensive eye examinations, consult with various health care practitioners in co-management, prescribe oral and topical therapeutic medication, perform ophthalmic procedures, and order laboratory and radiology studies as indicated for diagnosis and management.
3. Resident will interact with medical disciplines inside the facility by completing internal consult request.
4.  Resident will provide clinical preceptorship of fourth year optometry student interns,
5. Resident will observe ophthalmic surgery

Scholarly Activities

1. Resident will participate in a weekly optometry staff education/case report/journal club meeting.
2. Resident will present a COPE approved oral education talk at Pacific University's Northwest Residents Conference.
3. Resident is required to complete a study/review/report and to present this work at the annual Northwest Residents Conference.

Didactic Activities:

1. Residents will attend the weekly residency Conference at the Affiliate, which will cover core topics of broad interest and specialty topics in primary care optometry.

Other resources

• Administration Time. The resident is scheduled four (4) hours each week for administrative time. This time is intended to be used for research, preparation of case reports, review of charts and study
• Library and Research Resources. The resident will have access to the libraries and databases at VA SORCC that include an assortment of periodicals covering diverse areas of healthcare. Access to the internet for research and educational purposes is available at all computer terminals within the eye clinic and at the facility library. Additionally, the resident can apply for access to library facilities at Pacific University
• Computer Access / Email. Telephone service and computer workstations with email and internet access are available in each exam room within the VA SORCC eye clinic.

Optometry Residency Admission Criteria

Eligibility  Criteria

• Candidates must earn the degree of Doctor of Optometry from a school or college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education prior to the starting date of the residency.
• Candidates must have passed the NBEO Part I and have taken Part II by the application deadline.  The selected candidate must pass all parts before the start date of the residency. 
• The selected candidate must be eligible for state licensure and obtain licensure in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia before October of the residency year.
• By congressional law, candidates must be citizens of the United States.
• Candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or provide an approved exception before beginning residency training at any VA.
  • If vaccine exception for medical or religious reasons is declared, the resident must submit to regular COVID testing issued at the VA site they are doing their training (outside testing will not be accepted).
• It is the policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics to provide equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons; to prohibit discrimination for all qualified persons; to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability; to ensure that the workforce profile will clearly reflect a meaningful distribution and utilization of minority and female employees, and to provide for the prompt, fair and impartial consideration and disposition of complaints involving issues of discrimination on grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or reprisal.

Benefits:

• Salary:  $35,063 – not contingent upon productivity of the resident
• Hours:  Regular clinic hours for the resident will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. As with any clinical position, hours of attendance vary.
• Leave:  13 days. The resident accrues four (4) hours of annual leave and two (2) hours of sick leave during each 2-week pay period. In addition, there are ten (11) paid Federal holidays during the residency year. The resident can also request authorized absence for attendance at continuing education activities.
• Professional Liability Protection:  The U.S. Government accepts responsibility for the actions of its employees during exercise of official duties. VA residents are protected by the Tort Claim Act in instances of alleged malpractice resulting from performance of their duties in or for the Veterans Health Administration.
• Health Insurance Benefits:  The resident is provided information about healthcare benefits during the VA SORCC orientation. Optional health insurance coverage is offered to the resident; biweekly premiums will be deducted if the resident elects to enroll in such insurance. Long-term disability insurance is not provided.

Selection Process

VA SORCC complies with all ORMatch guidelines in the recruitment and selection of residents and participates in the computerized match program. The application process officially begins with the resident registering with ORMatch onlin. The resident applicant registers with ORMatch by submitting agreement to compliance with ORMatch Rules, an Applicant Agreement, OE Tracker Number, and a registration fee. Once registered, the resident applicant will submit the following documents to ORMatch:

• Application
• Letter of Intent
• Curriculum vitae
• Unofficial optometry school transcript
• Two letters of reference are required from faculty members who have been most responsible for the clinical education of the applicant.
• The VA SORCC Residency Coordinator and Director of Residency will review all applications and will offer interviews those who best match with our program. Notification of interview status will be sent by February 15. Interviews will take place in  February and March.
• Application deadline is January 31

Interviews:

Interviews will be scheduled by phone or other video conference technology.  The interview typically consists of a group discussion with optometry clinic staff regarding the residency program and the candidate’s goals and qualifications.  An on-site interview and facility tour may also be scheduled if desired.

Residency Completion Criteria

Requirements for Completion: 

• Attend and document all assigned clinical, scholarly and didactic activities.
• Present a COPE-approved oral lecture at the Pacific University of Optometry Northwest Residents Conference.
• Achieve at least an "average" combined rating of 3 (1=lowest, 5=highest score) in the Clinical Performance and Case Management Skills sections on all resident evaluations, or successfully complete a remediation program.  For "Below Average" evaluations (1 or 2) in other areas, improve performance to the satisfaction of the Residency Coordinator and the Director of Residencies at Pacific University College of Optometry.
• Complete all assigned evaluations of the program and faculty.

Southern Oregon Living

White City is a small community in Southern Oregon, located midway between Portland and San Francisco near Interstate 5. It is one of several cities and towns nestled in the Rogue Valley, known for its mild climate, beautiful scenery, pear orchards and unique festivals. Area attractions include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland; camping, hiking and boat tours at Crater Lake National Park; specialty shops, cozy inns, museums, excellent dining and historic attractions from the Gold Rush years in Jacksonville. The Oregon Caves National Monument, Redwood National Park and the Pacific Ocean coastline are within short driving distances. There are festivals to enjoy, wineries to explore, scenic roads to travel, rivers to raft, trails to ride, mountains to climb and the wonders of nature at every turn.

The VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics are located on the 145 acre site that was the hospital at Camp White during World War II.

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of living is slightly below the national average. Rentals cost an average of about $1,200 per month.

Commuting & Parking

White City is a small town, so commuting is not an issue. Those who choose to live in nearby Medford (population around 80,000) will have a 10–15 minute drive to the facility. Ample parking is available on-site without charge. Public transportation by bus is available to and from the facility.

Call or Email today

For additional information about this residency opportunity, please contact:

Aaron Severson, OD | Residency Program Coordinator
VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics Optometry Residency Program
8495 Crater Lake Highway
White City, OR 97503 / Aaron.Severson@va.gov
ext. 3115