The Visionary Fall 2009

The Visionary – Fall 2009 • Page 38 Another residency year is well underway, and we are fortunate to have a full class of eight residents. NSU’s College of Optometry offers eight onsite residency positions. These include one full pediatrics position as well as seven primary care positions. Of the seven primary care positions, three provide an emphasis in ocular disease, two concentrate on pediatrics and binocular vision, one focuses on cornea and contact lenses, while another accentuates geriatrics and low vision. NSU is also affiliated with 10 external residency programs. There are three ocular disease sites at Aran Eye Associates, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and Braverman Eye Center and one primary care site with emphasis in ocular disease at the Clayton Eye Center. The other six are in primary eye care at the Tallahassee VA, Orlando VA, Bay Pines VA, Gainesville VA, Lake City VA, and Daytona Beach VA. Residency training is available to any graduate of an optometry program accredited through the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE). All optometric residency programs affiliated with Nova Southeastern University are accredited by the ACOE. What is the importance of accreditation? Accreditation is a process of self study and external review, which ensures that an educational program meets or exceeds predetermined standards. The ACOE is recognized by the United States Department of Education as an authority on the quality of the educational programs it accredits. These residency programs are evaluated through the development and publication of standards, development of a self study with learning goals and outcome measures, and external site visits by the ACOE. Establishing and maintaining accreditation requires a tireless commitment from both the college and the residency site to accomplish continued excellence and program improvement. It is this type of commitment to teaching that makes residency training such a valuable year because it provides unique opportunities for learning and attainment of advanced competencies not available to new graduates or even some practicing optometrists. Why choose residency training? Let’s ask our current class members what motivated their decision. Dr. Angeline Mouton ( primary care with emphasis in ocular disease ): “I wanted to have an extra year of experience to increase my knowledge base so I can feel confident when diagnosing and treating ocular disease.” Dr. Jocelyn Hunerdosse ( primary care with emphasis in geriatrics and low vision ): “I felt as though I would be sellingmyself short if I did not do a residency. It was also very important for me to find my own niche within optometry.” Dr. Kelly Meehan (p rimary care with emphasis in pediatrics and binocular vision ): “I chose to do a residency so that I may practice at the highest level of optometry. I also wanted to specialize within a specific area of optometry. Doing a residency opens all career options and will allow me to choose my career path.” Dr. Smith Blanc ( primary care with emphasis in cornea and contact lenses ): “I wanted all doors to be open to me. While in optometry school, I realized there are some job positions in optometry that are only offered to those with residency training (teaching positions or VA positions). Completing a residency would make me more competitive. I also wanted S p o t l i g h t S h i n e s o n C l a s s o f 2 0 1 0 R e s i d e n t s By Lori Vollmer, O.D., FAAO Assistant Professor of Optometry and Director of Residency Programs