• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Orbit & Oculoplastics
• Glaucoma
• Retina
• Cornea
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Optics
• Uveitis
• Methods & Logic in Ophthalmology
• Ethics
• Business of Ophthalmology
• Ophthalmic Surgery

The conference schedule is published on the residency website in advance, allowing residents to prepare for the conference. While in most cases the material to be covered is based on the BCSC series, conference leaders may choose to post reading material to the residency website. 

Resident conferences generally start at 7am Monday through Friday
On time attendance is mandatory and attendance is taken.

Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds are case-based clinical conferences. An interesting clinical or surgical case is chosen by a resident and member of the faculty for presentation. Links to papers relevant to the case are posted to the resident website in advance of Grand Rounds. Grand Rounds begins with a brief resident presentation of the case. The resident and faculty member then lead discussion about the case among the conference participants. All residents are expected to have read the posted material in advance so that they can participate fully in the discussion as educated peers.

• Evaluate complex ophthalmology cases and justify diagnostic and treatment decisions based on evidence and clinical reasoning.
• Integrate insights from subspecialty areas in ophthalmology to approach challenging clinical scenarios.
• Identify and discuss systems-based challenges and propose strategies to improve patient outcomes within healthcare systems.
• Recognize the influence of social determinants of health on patient care and develop approaches to mitigate disparities.
• Actively engage in discussions to formulate management plans and critically appraise alternative approaches presented by peers.

UPMC Eye Center Grand Rounds are held for one hour at 7 am on Friday mornings.
On time attendance is mandatory and attendance is taken.
In addition to residents this conference is attended by full-time faculty, fellows and community based ophthalmologists.

Throughout the year this format will be occasionally be superseded by a guest lecturer.
Residents preparing for Grand Rounds should look over the Grand Rounds and RCA policy in this manual's policy section.

Root Cause Analysis Conference (RCA)

RCA conferences are an important part of training program in healthcare. RCA is a formal technique to investigate errors and adverse events. Active medical errors occur at the time the patient interacts with the health care system whereas latent errors are related to problems that exist within the system. Latent errors eventually become manifest, often leading to an adverse event. RCA conferences involve identification of serious reportable events (SREs), interviews with team members, chart review in order to create a timeline for occurrence of primary causes and contributing factors responsible for SREs.
Residents preparing for an RCA coference should look over the Grand Rounds and RCA policy in this manual's policy section.

Diagnostic Case Conference

Diagnostic case conferences are case-based sessions led by residents and faculty. They are intended to provide an opportunity for residents to receive instruction and gain experience in the practice of reading ophthalmic diagnostic studies. Diagnostic studies covered include fluorescein angiography, OCT, neuro-radiologic imaging, visual fields, electrophysiology and corneal topography.

Diagnostic case conferences are held most Wednesday mornings at 8 am following the 7 am conference.
On time attendance is mandatory for residents and attendance is taken.

Journal Club

Journal club provides an opportunity for residents to get together with faculty to discuss important ophthalmology journal articles. The format and location varies according to faculty preference.  On time attendance is mandatory for residents.

Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society Meetings
The Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society invites nationally recognized guest lecturers to speak to its members. In addition to two lectures by the guest speaker the meeting consists of case presentations by our residents and a business meeting. Dinner is served. The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for our residents to network with our community based ophthalmology colleagues and to become familiar with national and local issues concerning the field. Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society

Meetings take place on the first Thursday of the month from 4 pm to 8 pm at the Rivers Casino in the North Side neighborhood. On time attendance is mandatory for residents.

Continuing Medical Education Events
Throughout the year the department will sponsor Continuing Medical Education events featuring guest speakers discussing topics of importance in our field. These events are targeted for practicing ophthalmologists in the greater Pittsburgh region. On time attendance at these events is mandatory for residents.

updated 4/7/2021