Optometric Residency

The residency program in ocular disease at the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (UK) provides qualified optometrists with advanced clinical education in the treatment and management of ocular disease in an acute care, hospital based setting that results in the attainment of advanced competencies in clinical eye care.  Residents completing the program are uniquely qualified to deliver and coordinate eye care in a variety of clinical or academic settings, including a hospital or multi-disciplinary environment.

The ocular disease residency at the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is designed to provide the optometric resident with a wide range of clinical experience in the treatment and management of ocular disease. The department provides outpatient and consultative ophthalmology services to the Chandler Medical Center at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, KY. Sub-specialty care is provided in the areas of retina, neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma, cornea pediatric, oculoplastics, and refractive surgery. The optometry resident provides coverage for our Urgent Care Clinic, as well as frequent consultation with the sub-specialties listed above. Residents also attend weekly fluorescein conferences, grand rounds, and other didactic activities presented by the ophthalmology faculty.

The residency offers a competitive stipend, vacation and sick leave, and includes health insurance benefits along with a $500 educational expense allowance for travel, books, etc.

The clinical curriculum consists of staffing the Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) within the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The resident is the primary eye care provider for all patients presenting to the department of ophthalmology for acute care. Patients present as walk-ins, telephone triage patients that were advised to be seen urgently, consults/referrals from other providers within the University of Kentucky Medical Center, and outside providers referring patients to our clinic. Close supervision by the program director and UCC faculty within the first three months of the residency gives way to more autonomy as the resident progresses. The resident evaluates all UCC patients and obtains consultation as necessary from faculty and subspecialists within the department. In addition, the resident is provided a schedule template in order to appoint follow-up evaluations of patients seen in the UCC. This enables the resident to receive first-hand experience in the assessment of a wide variety of ocular disease and immediate consultation with the appropriate subspecialists as necessary, as well as continuity of care as the resident is allowed to evaluate the success of recommended treatment at follow-up examinations.

Didactic/scholarly activities include attendance of weekly fluorescein angiography conference, grand rounds, and other lectures as provided by faculty members in their respective specialties throughout the year presented by the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences as part of the ophthalmologic residency curriculum. In addition, weekly optometric intern conferences are held (when students are present) during which the resident presents lectures or case reports and supervises the optometric intern journal club sessions. A publication quality paper in the form of a case report, research, or clinical topic is due at the completion of the residency.

The optometric residency in ocular disease position at the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is affiliated with the University of Indiana School of Optometry and is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.

In the spring of 2017, the department moved across South Limestone Street to a brand new 5-story medical office building. The department of ophthalmology is housed in the top two floors (44,000 square feet) and includes 52 state of the art universal exam rooms and equipment; badge-restricted faculty offices with adjacent resident offices, a resident library and universal wetlab/surgical training/pathology room.