Curriculum
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Overview
Residents will evaluate ambulatory patients in the Veterans Administration Hospital (VAH) eye clinic, a resident's clinic and the Department of Ophthalmology subspecialty clinic. Inpatients will be evaluated and treated in the USC School of Medicine affiliated hospital, Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital. The first year residents work primarily in primary eye care continuity clinics. The second year residents devote a majority of their time in specialty clinics and the third year residents supervise junior residents, perform surgical procedures, and repeat key specialty areas originally introduced in the second year.The goals of the program ...
- Become an integral member of the team of educators who teach medical students and other medical residents ophthalmology,
- Become aware and promote the mission and goals of our medical school and hospital,
- Acquire core knowledge required to function as a higher level resident,
- Develop skills and behaviors required to optimally interact with patients, staff and physicians in the provision of a quality service both in the ambulatory clinics and in the hospital setting and
- Become involved and understand the role of ophthalmic research in promoting and developing new techniques and strategies to improve the overall eye health of our community.
- Prepare one original research project that could be presented at a national convention.
Year One
Residents are based in the primary eye care clinics at the Veterans Administration Hospital (VAH) and at Four Medical Park. During these continuity clinics, residents will learn and perform complete eye exams on patients who require annual or screening eye exams. Complex ocular problems may also be seen and these patients are referred to specialty clinics. Surgical skills are developed and applied to extraocular procedures. First year residents will also rotate through a low vision clinic.Year Two
This year is primarily devoted to expanding the resident's specialty experience. Month long rotations are provided in the areas of cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology and the VAH eye clinic. These specialty rotations are held in the Department of Ophthalmology in close working relationships with our faculty. During the second year, residents hone their skills progressing to intraocular surgery.Year Three
Residents have an administrative role in the residency program at this level. They supervise the junior residents and provide support as the first-year residents acclimate to the program. They are also largely responsible for the positive esprit de corp that our resident cadre enjoys. Most of the surgery falls to the third-year residents. Residents return to the continuity clinics in the third year. Key specialty rotations are repeated to maximize the learning experience.