Rotations
PGY-1 (Integrated program to start July 2021)
- The goal of this year is to provide residents with a broad foundational experience in medicine in a variety of settings, including outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, the intensive care unit, the operating room and the emergency room
- Three months dedicated to ophthalmology at the parent institution (HUH)
- Assist in some minor procedures and laser procedures
- Participate in weekly Grand Rounds and a monthly didactic day
- Develop relationships with faculty to foster early mentoring through the formation of individualized learning plans and participation in research projects
- Participate in several community health fairs throughout the year
- Utilize Compulink and Soarian electronic health record
PGY-2
- Commences with a four-week basic and clinical sciences introductory course to ophthalmology in conjunction with other area programs
- Spend the entire year based at HUH
- Rotate through various subspecialties throughout the year: cornea, pediatrics, retina, glaucoma, oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology, contact lens, comprehensive
- Rotate at a private pediatric clinic and participate in retinopathy of prematurity rounds
- Rotate at a local Low Vision Center and participate in the care of these patients
- Participate in minor surgeries and laser procedures
- Begin observing and assisting in major surgeries
- Participate in emergency consult service and call from home, initially via a buddy call system with a more senior resident, and later as primary call on a rotating basis
- Participate in weekly Chief Rounds and Grand Rounds, and an annual resident day research symposium
- Participate in several community health fairs throughout the year
- Utilize Compulink and Soarian electronic health record
PGY-3
- Four months at HUH
- Participate as assistant or primary surgeon in a range of procedures in cataract, glaucoma, retina, pediatrics and strabismus, and oculoplastics
- Participate in clinical care of all of the above specialties but also in neuro-ophthalmology and contact lens
- Ample opportunity to do laser procedures
- Participate in emergency consult service and call from home
- Attend the cataract and trauma course given annually in May at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- Participate in weekly Chief Rounds and Grand Rounds, and in annual glaucoma and resident day research symposiums
- Utilize Compulink and Soarian electronic health record
- Four months at the DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) on a comprehensive rotation
- See an average of 16-19 patients a day
- Primary surgeon for 3-6 cataract surgeries monthly
- Ample opportunity to do laser procedures
- Major and minor plastic procedures
- Clinic set up as if you were running your own private office
- Participate in weekly Chief Rounds and Grand Rounds, and in annual glaucoma and resident day research symposiums
- Practice surgery on the EyeSi Surgical Simulator
- Participate in emergency consult service and call from home
- Utilize CPRS electronic health record
- Four months at the Orlando, FL Veterans Affairs (Orlando VA) Hospital on a retina and uveitis rotation
- See an average of 12-15 patients a day
- Diagnose and treat a range of retina pathology and uveitis, including co-management of systemic inflammatory conditions
- Ample opportunity to do intravitreal injections and retina laser procedures
- Participate in electrophysiology assessments of patients including ERG and EOG
- Participate in clinic in retina procedures such as pneumatic retinopexy
- Participate in major retina surgeries including pars plana vitrectomy, membrane peeling, pars plana lensectomy, sutured intraocular lens placement, and scleral buckling, to name a few
- Participate in weekly fluorescein angiogram conference and electrophysiology lectures
- Participate in local morbidity and mortality conferences quarterly
- Participate in weekly Chief Rounds and Grand Rounds at parent institution via remote conferencing and in annual glaucoma and resident day research symposiums
- Practice surgery on the EyeSi Surgical Simulator
- Participate in emergency consult service and call from home
- Utilize CPRS electronic health record
PGY-4
- Eight-month rotation at Orlando VA on a comprehensive and cataract rotation
- See an average of 15-20 patients a day
- Ample opportunity to do anterior segment laser procedures including selective laser trabeculoplasty, laser peripheral iridotomy and YAG capsulotomy
- Participate as primary surgeon in 10-15 cataracts weekly
- Become certified in femto-laser assisted cataract surgery
- Participate in local morbidity and mortality conferences quarterly
- Participate in weekly Chief Rounds and Grand Rounds at parent institution via remote conferencing and in annual glaucoma and resident day research symposiums
- Practice surgery on the EyeSi Surgical Simulator
- Participate in emergency consult service and call from home
- Utilize CPRS electronic health record
- Four months at HUH where residents further develop their surgical skills on routine and complex surgical cases. Complex surgeries include scleral buckles, multiple muscle strabismus surgeries, combined procedures, and orbital decompressions.
- Administrative responsibilities of the chief resident include the development of the resident on call schedule, the assignment of topics for the weekly grand rounds, and the monthly journal club; the chief resident is chosen by the faculty and receives a stipend from GME
Rotation Sites
The Howard University Hospital Department of Ophthalmology has clinical affiliations locally with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Prevention of Blindness Society, Metropolitan Pediatric Ophthalmology and Holy Cross Hospital. Additionally, residents participate in patient care at the Orlando VA Hospital (Orlando, FL). These affiliations offer our residents exposure to a wide range of pathology in a varied population with a robust surgical experience.
Howard University Hospital (HUH)
General ophthalmic and sub-subspecialty clinics in glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatrics, and retinal diseases are held on a weekly basis. Neuro-ophthalmology and cornea-external disease clinics are held on a bi-monthly basis. This rotation affords the residents a unique and varied patient population and surgical experience in multiple sub-specialty areas.
Each resident is assigned a fully equipped examination room (lane) and lenses and has access to a wet lab directly in the clinic. A fully-equipped diagnostic center houses an array of ophthalmic instruments for ancillary testing and a separate laser suite and minor procedure room allow for additional procedural based experiences.
DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)
The VAMC rotation was created to enhance the second year resident (PGY-3) clinical and surgical experience. This rotation affords the residents a unique and varied patient population and surgical experience in multiple sub-specialty areas. The rotation offers the second year residents their first major intraocular surgical experience.
Each resident is assigned a fully equipped examination room (lane). The clinic is also equipped with a range of ancillary and procedural equipment, including Humphrey and Goldman visual field perimeters, fundus photography (including angiography), ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, corneal topography, laser photocoagulation, and minor surgery. Residents also have access to an EyeSi Surgical Simulator here. The residents from the three institutions utilizing VAMC have traditionally had a cordial relationship and continue to do so.
Orlando Veterans Affairs Hospital (Orlando VA)
The Orlando Veterans Administrative Medical Center rotation was created to enhance the PGY-3 and PGY-4 resident clinical and surgical experience. This rotation affords the residents their primary experience in diagnosis and management of uveitis, as well as the largest component of their cataract surgical experience senior year.
Each resident is assigned a fully equipped examination room (lane). The clinic is also equipped with a range of ancillary and procedural equipment, including Humphrey visual field perimeters, wide-field fundus photography (including angiography), optical coherence tomography, corneal topography, ultrasonography, laser photocoagulation, electrophysiology and minor surgery. Residents also have access to an EyeSi Surgical Simulator here.
Prevention of Blindness Society (PBS)
The Prevention of Blindness Society is the leading organization providing low vision services in the DC metropolitan area. Residents rotate at their recently renovated Low Vision Center downtown where they work with low vision specialists to diagnosis and manage patients and garner exposure to an array of special tools for this patient population.
Metropolitan Pediatric Ophthalmology
At this site residents see pediatric and adult strabismus patients with Dr. Janine Smith-Marshall. Residents participate in the diagnosis and management of a range of diseases in this population, including pre- and post-operative management. This is the resident’s primary exposure to a private practice ophthalmology clinic.
This is the site for residents to participate in the pediatric and strabismus surgeries generated by Dr. Smith-Marshall’s clinic at Metropolitan Pediatric Ophthalmology. Surgeries here occur once a month and include single or multiple eye muscle surgeries and tear drainage procedures.