The Visionary Fall 2009

The Visionary – Fall 2009 • Page 39 Aran Eye Associates, located in Miami, Florida, was the first residency established by NSU and has been in place since 1990. It is a 13-month program that offers advanced training in the diagnosis and management of ocular disease as well as pre- and postoperative care and prepares residents for careers in consultative referral centers as well as private practice or academia. Dr. Emilio Balius is the program coordinator. Aran Eye Associates is a multi-subspecialty tertiary care referral center. It is one of the largest optometric referral practices in South Florida that works closely with area practitioners to provide consultative and surgical care for their patients. The practice consists of four offices in Miami-Dade County, one in Broward County, a LASIK center, and an ambulatory surgical center. There are four full-time ophthalmologists, two optometrists, and four part-time ophthalmologists. Subspecialties include vitreo-retinal disease, cornea, oculoplastic, and pediatrics. While most of the patient base is elderly, the practice serves a wide range of ages in an ethnically diverse population. The offices are outfitted with a variety of equipment to help familiarize the resident with the latest technology available. Since its inception, Aran Eye Associates has been actively involved in the education of optometric externs, optometric residents, and community optometrists. The practice works with externs from various programs such as Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, The State University of New York College of Optometry, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, IU School of Optometry, and The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Residents at the practice will become proficient in pre- and postoperative care of cataract, LASIK, retinal, glaucoma, corneal, and refractive surgical cases, as well as a wide variety of other ocular diseases. In addition to direct patient care, residents observe each physician and specialist to gain experience in various patient management philosophies and surgical procedures. Residents also participate in emergency care and after-hours coverage for the practice. To complement this rigorous clinical experience, didactic training is furnished through attendance and delivery of lectures and grand rounds presentations, as well as through attending lectures with community ophthalmologists and continuing education seminars at local optometric associations. Residents are also responsible for writing a publishable quality paper and are encouraged to become active in local politics. What makes the practice such a unique experience is the high patient volume, high ocular disease exposure, and rapid pace that will undoubtedly help develop attributes important to a good clinician. The goal of the postgraduate residency in ocular disease at Aran Eye Associates is to foster clinically based advanced competencies beyond that of graduate entry level and to provide the resident with the knowledge and skills to excel in an interdisciplinary eye care environment. The education the resident receives goes far beyond just intense ocular disease exposure. More critical characteristics for success as a clinician are professionalism, strong work ethic, integrity, interdisciplinary interaction skills, and commitment to the advancement of optometry. We are proud to have contributed and participated in the training of an elite group of optometrists from several different optometry programs that has successfully completed this residency program and now practices at a higher level for doing so. to know more about the subspecialty of contact lenses. I want to be able to fit many different types of specialty lenses.” Dr. Jennifer Robichaud ( primary care with emphasis in ocular disease ): “I wanted to gain more experience and knowledge, not only for myself, but also for the benefit of my patients.” Dr. Lindsay Basler ( primary care with emphasis in ocular disease ): “I wanted to become more competent and confident as an optometrist. I knew that an extra year of supervision and training would improve my ability to make appropriate clinical decisions. I also wanted to explore my interests in the areas of academia and teaching. As a resident, I get the opportunity and experience of being exposed to a career in a university setting, as well as the chance to teach others. I chose NSU for my residency training because of its dynamic split residency program in both primary care and ocular disease. The faculty members at the university are experts in these areas, and I wanted to learn from the best.” Dr. Richard Guzak ( primary care with emphasis in pediatrics and binocular vision): “I wanted to spend a year with specialists to absolutely solidify my optometric skills. Pediatrics is an area that can be challenging, and I wanted to take the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field. This was a year for me to go above and beyond and set myself apart from others.” Dr. Erin Jenewein ( pediatrics and binocular vision ): “I chose to do a residency to improve my clinical skills, knowledge, and confidence in treating patients, particularly those in the area of pediatrics and binocular vision.” As you can see, the individual reasons why one may choose to dedicate an additional year to residency training may vary between applicants, but the overall goal is one and the same—to become a better physician and provide outstanding patient care. Spotlight on Aran Eye Associates— an NSU Affiliate Residency Program