Residency Program
Affiliated with Oregon Health & Science University and located in beautiful Portland, Oregon, the ophthalmology residency program at the Casey Eye Institute (CEI) is one of the most sought-after residencies in the United States.
We are looking for talented, well-rounded individuals who will contribute in their field as comprehensive ophthalmologists or subspecialists.
Oregon Health & Science University’s ophthalmology residency program was founded in 1944 and was the first ophthalmology residency program in the six northwestern states. Since that time, the Casey Eye Institute has grown by leaps and bounds, with outstanding achievements in ophthalmology research, patient care and educating the next generation of specialists. Over the past 15 years, the number of surgery patients has quadrupled, research has tripled and patient visits and staffing have doubled.
Casey Eye Institute is comprised of nationally and internationally recognized clinical and research faculty. Patient care and teaching activity expanded with the completion in 2006 of the OHSU Center for Health & Healing (CHH) in Portland's South Waterfront district. This ambulatory care center added an additional 11,000 square feet of clinic space to Casey Eye Institute. The Portland Aerial Tram puts the new center just minutes away from OHSU's Marquam Hill Campus. At that time, Casey Eye Institute also expanded into a 20,000 square foot space in OHSU's new Biomedical Research Building where state of the art basic science research is possible. In 2011, Casey Eye Institute has been ranked second in the country in NIH funding (Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research).
APPLICANTS
We offer five positions in our residency training program beginning July 1. The Casey Eye Institute participates in the Ophthalmology Matching Program sponsored by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO). The Central Application Service (CAS) processes all applications.
Please contact:
Ophthalmology Matching ProgramP.O. Box 7584
San Francisco, CA 94120-7580
Fax: 415 561-8535
Phone: 415 447-0350
Applicants to the ophthalmology residency program at the Casey Eye Institute must register through the Ophthalmology Matching Program (OMP). The Central Application Service (CAS), which is an automatic part of the OMP registration, distributes applications to the programs specified. Any application not received directly from the CAS cannot be considered. No supplemental application is necessary.
The Residency Selection Committee must receive applications by the September 27, 2013 deadline for residency positions beginning July 1, 2015. We expect the dean's letter as soon as possible thereafter. A photograph is not necessary when we initially review the applications but is strongly suggested by the time you interview. As an alternative, the photo may be downloaded through SFmatch.
INTERVIEWS
Applicants selected for personal interviews with members of the Residency Selection Committee will be notified by email starting October 18, 2013. Interviews will be scheduled on the following dates:
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
During Interview Day, applicants will meet with faculty members and current residents and tour OHSU’s facilities, including a trip to the Center for Health and Healing on the Portland Aerial Tram.
RESIDENT ROTATION SCHEDULE
PGY-1 - All physicians commencing ophthalmology residency must complete an internship program at an ACGME accredited institution. Most residents have completed their PGY-1 year in internal medicine or transitional programs. Others have completed surgical or pediatric internships. Accredited PGY-1 programs in the Portland area are offered at:
Providence Medical Center & St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center:
OHSU does not offer a PGY-1 year in internal medicine for physicians going on to an ophthalmology residency.
ROTATIONS (10 weeks)
PGY2 - 1st yr- Neuro-Ophthalmology, VAMC Eye Clinic, Retina, Research
- Oculoplastics – Ophthalmic Pathology
- Low Vision, Contact Lens, Casey Eye Institute Comprehensive Clinic, Uveitis, Research
- Casey Eye Comprehensive Clinic (CHH & Pediatrics)
- VAMC Eye Clinic
- Ophthalmology Inpatient Consultation (Adult OHSU, Pediatrics DCH, & ER), Retina
- Cornea & External Diseases
- Glaucoma
- Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
- VAMC Eye Clinic
PGY4 - 3rd yr
- Casey Eye Comprehensive Clinic - CHH
- Retina, Uveitis, VAMC
- Comprehensive Eye Clinic - VAMC
- Subspecialty Surgery – VAMC
- Comprehensive Eye Clinic – Legacy Devers Eye
Call Responsibilities:
| 1st year |
Primary - OHSU Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology Consultations (OHSU, DCH, ER, VA) Monday – Friday 5:00pm – 7:00am; Friday 5:00pm – Monday 7:00 am Every 5th weeknight, every 5th weekend |
| 3rd year | Back-up OHSU Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology Consultations (OHSU, DCH, ER, VA) Primary - Legacy Emanuel Trauma Service Eye Consults Monday – Friday 5:00pm – 7:00am Friday 5:00pm – Monday 7:00 am Every 5th weeknight, every 5th weekend |
Future Call Responsibilities:
Please note that in the future, the 2nd year (PGY-3) resident may augment the call pool if it is determined that patient volume continues to increase at current rates.
Inpatient Consultations:
| 1st year |
VAMC Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| 2nd year |
Inpatient OHSU/DCH/ER Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| 3rd year | Devers Senior Resident: Legacy Ophthalmology Consultations Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM:
- Talented faculty who are committed to resident education
- Nationally, a top research center ranked 2nd in the country in NIH funding
- Excellent training in preparation for both competitive fellowships and comprehensive ophthalmology
- Exposure to all generally recognized subspecialties with deep breadth of faculty in the subspecialties
- Large resident surgery volume
- Dedicated microsurgical wet lab and surgery simulator experience
- Protected research time
- Preparation for a career in academic medicine
- A 120,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility
- Adjacent affiliated Veteran's Administration (VA) Hospital
- Adjacent affiliated OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital
- Affiliated Devers Eye Institute (DEI)
- Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology Mentor program
- Practice management skills to succeed in today's rapidly changing managed care environment
- Resident-driven Quality Improvement initiatives
OVERVIEW OF ROTATIONS
First Year (PGY-2)
The first year begins with a 2 week orientation which includes lecture and hands-on instruction in examination techniques. Each ophthalmic subspecialty provides the new residents with a basic overview. The orientation concludes with a team-building day for all of the residents. Activities in past years have included white water rafting, hiking, and horseback riding on the Oregon coast.
During the comprehensive eye care rotation, the resident sees general ophthalmology patients, contact lens patients, and performs minor surgery. Other first year rotations include neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, ophthalmic pathology, uveitis, retina, contact lens, and low vision. The VA rotation includes general clinic, surgery, and more oculoplastics experience. During the research rotation, the resident works on a research project with a preceptor in the resident’s area of interest.Second Year (PGY-3)
The second year of training includes rotations in glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, cornea, refractive, retina, and external disease. During the second-year VA rotation, the resident performs laser treatment for glaucoma and retina patients. The second-year resident also begins to perform cataract surgery as the primary surgeon during this rotation. An inpatient consult rotation for daytime emergency or hospital eye care allows resident to practice in a hospital system-based environment and function within a broader health care team.Third Year (PGY-4)
During the resident’s third year, patient management becomes more complex both medically and surgically. At this point, the senior resident performs a variety of intra- and extraocular surgery, including complex oculoplastic procedures and advanced intraocular surgery. . A comprehensive retina rotation occurs in the senior year. The resident has general and subspecialty clinics at Casey Eye Institute and at the VA. Ten weeks are spent at Devers Memorial Eye Clinic, a general clinic at the affiliated Devers Eye Institute.
As residents develop, graded learning and responsibility is inherent to our curriculum. During the first year, minor outpatient extraocular and plastic surgeries are performed. First year residents start their fundamental intraocular surgical experiences in the wet lab and with the virtual surgery simulator. Thereafter 1st year residents perform portions of intraocular surgery. Second-year residents perform various laser procedures, numerous intravitreal injections as well as surgeries in the areas of strabismus, cataract, glaucoma, and cornea. In the third year, more complex oculoplastic procedures are performed. The majority of cataract surgeries are performed in the last year of residency. The surgical volume at our program is high, with recent graduates having performed 160-170 cataracts surgeries as primary surgeon by completion of the residency program (80th percentile nationally).
In addition to patient care duties, residents are also required to review assigned articles and/or texts for specialty clinics. Depending on the rotation, they may also present cases at conferences.
Residents are also required to maintain a current surgical log using the ACGME web-based case log system and to periodically monitor duty hour timekeeping.
CONFERENCES AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Formal Teaching Exercises
Protected time is set aside every Friday morning for teaching. No resident clinics are scheduled on Friday mornings. Each year, during the months of July and August, the Friday morning lectures consist of a Core Curriculum, where the very essentials of each ophthalmologic area is covered. This is a great overview for the 1st year residents and a refresher for the upper-level residents. A formal course for residents provides instruction in areas of ophthalmology and practice management. Faculty members lead the lectures, which are structured around the core information provided in the basic and clinical science course from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Fundamentals and Principles of Ophthalmology, Ethics
• Optics, Refraction, Contact Lenses, Low Vision Rehabilitation
• Ophthalmic Pathology
• Neuro-Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
• Orbit, Eyelids, and Lacrimal System
• External Disease and Cornea
• Retina/Vitreous, Uveitis, and Ocular tumors
• Glaucoma
• Lens, Cataract Surgery, Anterior Segment Trauma
• Socioeconomics of Health Care, Cost-Effective Medical Practice, Ophthalmology Advocacy
The lecture series is given on a recurrent basis. After the core curriculum is presented at the beginning of each academic year to cover common and essential information for the ophthalmology residents, more detailed didactic information is presented for each of the areas in Ophthalmology on a 2-year cycle. Residents are given assignments in specific textbooks and/or papers that are of particular benefit. Prior to the lectures, information is provided regarding the topics to be covered and residents are expected to review the material prior to lecture.
In addition to formal teaching exercises, the following conferences are held:
· Casey Eye Institute–Devers Eye Institute (DEI) Collaborative Grand Rounds (twice a month): Subspecialty topics presented by Casey and Devers faculty members, and renowned visiting guest speakers. Attended by residents, faculty, and ophthalmologists in the community.
· Glaucoma Conference (monthly): Attended by CEI & DEI glaucoma faculty. Residents present cases for discussion.
· Photography Conference (every 2 months): Residents and faculty present photographic cases of patients.
· Posterior Segment and Ophthalmic Imaging Conference (twice a month): A case based conference presented by retina fellows and retina faculty.
· Neuro-Ophthalmology Conference (monthly): attended by residents, CEI & DEI neuro faculty & fellow.
· Uveitis Conference (monthly): attended by residents, CEI uveitis faculty & fellows.
· Neuroradiology Conference (1-2 times per month): Presented by an OHSU neuro-radiologist, this case-based conference emphasizes radiographic features of ophthalmic pathology.
· Pathology Conference (monthly): A case based conference presented by our ocular pathologist/oncologist and chair, David Wilson, MD. Attended by residents.
· Surgery and Case Management Conference (every 2 months): Resident presentations of difficult to manage medical and surgical cases.
· Journal Club (monthly): Hosted monthly by a faculty member, this is a popular forum for residents to review recent literature.
· Named lectureship series in which lectures are given by renowned visiting guest speakers: the Kenneth C. Swan lecture in Glaucoma, the Leonard Christensen Lecture in Ophthalmic Pathology, the Robert C. Watzke Lecture in Retina, the Fredrick T. Fraunfelder Lecture in Corneal and External Diseases, the William T. Shults Lecture in Neuro-ophthalmology, the John L. Wobig lecture in Oculoplastics, the James T. Rosenbaum Lecture in Uveitis, the James W. Damon Lecture in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and the Mary Tooze lecture in Ophthalmology training related topics.
All residents participate in the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) each year. This written examination is held each spring and is constructed in a format that prepares the resident for the written qualifying examination.
Throughout the year, residents also have protected time to attend local meetings including the Oregon Ophthalmological Alumni Association, Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology, Thorny Issues in Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Resident Research Forum, and the International Ophthalmology Conference. Each year, the second year residents attend a head and neck dissection course arranged by the Oculoplastics service.
RESIDENT EVALUATIONS
Resident evaluations are constructed to reflect performance in the six core competencies as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Each resident is evaluated in the following six core competencies:• Patient care
• Medical knowledge
• Professionalism
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Practice-based learning and improvement
• System-based practice
At the conclusion of each rotation, faculty members who have supervised the resident will evaluate their performance. In order to obtain more comprehensive assessment of resident performance, evaluations are also obtained from patients and staff. The evaluations are written and become part of the resident’s permanent record. In an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses in the residency as early as possible, the program director meets formally and individually with each resident every 6 months. The program director also meets with residents as a group at least quarterly. Residents’ input is routinely sought and has always been integral to program development.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Scholarly Activities
Research is valued and supported at the Casey Eye Institute. Our commitment to research is a strength of our program. Protected time is set aside for research activities. Faculty members serve as mentors to the residents on projects. Residents are required to begin a research project in their first year of residency. Research may be either clinical or in the basic sciences. The residents’ research efforts are presented each spring at the Casey Eye Resident Research Forum. All residents are required to submit their work in manuscript form to a peer-reviewed journal.
Residents are also encouraged and supported to attend national meetings where they have the opportunity to present their research. Residents commonly present their research at national meetings such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
Residents plan and conduct quality improvement projects during their training with the goal of improving patient care and patient safety. The results of these projects are presented at Casey Eye Resident Research Forum.
SURGICAL EDUCATION
Resident surgical volume is high, with residents typically far-exceeding the AAMC guidelines. The average number of cataract surgeries performed in the last 8 years by graduating residents in which the resident was the primary surgeon was in the 80th percentile nationally.
MICROSURGICAL EXPERIENCE
Residents have ready access to operating microscopes and surgical equipment intended for practice surgery. Surgical wet lab and virtual simulator experiences are part of the 1st residents’ daytime schedule. Additional microsurgical wet lab activity may occur on the resident’s own time as often as the resident would like using equipment dedicated for this purpose.
LIVING IN PORTLAND
Portland is one of America’s most livable cities. Miles of running and hiking trails crisscross 5,000-acre Forest Park that is located within the city. Portland frequently ranks among the most bicycle-friendly cities in the U.S. The MAX light rail, Portland Streetcar, and Tri-Met bus system are great ways to explore the metropolitan area. Explore Portland’s arts and culture in the downtown Cultural District, art galleries in the Pearl District, and boutiques and dining in NW, North or NE Portland. Oregon abounds in opportunities for incredible day trips. The unrivaled beauty of the Oregon Coast, Mount Hood, and Columbia River Gorge are less than two hours away and add to the high quality of life of northwest living. There is an expectation that residents are able to respond to emergencies promptly when providing after hours care. Although public transportation in Portland is among the best in the country, it is highly recommended that residents have ready access to a personal vehicle that would enable them to respond safely and promptly.
Portland welcomes you!
