Residents can expect an environment of supervised learning in which the resident plays an essential support role in providing sub-specialty care to patients.
A strong emphasis is placed on teaching and residents can expect to teach and be taught by all members of the service including themselves, their peers, faculty, staff, medical students and patients.
While working on the cornea & external disease service the resident will have the opportunity to develop and refine cornea & external disease specific ophthalmic skills including:
- taking a thorough and focused cornea and external disease related history
- performing a complete new patient corneal and external disease exam including but not limited to:
- corneal sensation
- Schirmers and other tear function testing
- keratometry
- sampling of the cornea and conjunctiva for stain and culture
- forming and narrowing a differential diagnosis
- creating and implementing a plan for further diagnosis and treatment
- ordering and interpreting ophthalmic diagnostic studies including:
- corneal topography
- corneal confocal microscopy
- anterior segment OCT
- specular microscopy
- communicating with and counseling patients
- corresponding with patients’ families and other health care providers
- presenting patients in a thorough and focused manner
First year residents can expect to receive early training with minor procedures such as insertion of punctal plugs as well assisting during corneal surgery
Second year residents can expect to refine their skills with these procedures and have the opportunity to teach more junior residents. In addition, second year residents can expect to receive early cornea operative experience commensurate with progress made during the rotation.