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Kentucky College of Optometry 147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, Kentucky 41501 (606) 218-5251 kycoadmissions@upike.edu
The Kentucky College of Optometry offers post-graduate training and education with our newly developed residency programs.
Doctors of Optometry can gain an additional year of advanced clinical training by participating in a one year post-doctoral residency program. These programs provide opportunities in research, specialty care, and optometric education.
Application deadline for any Residency Program below is January 31. For more information contact the Director of Residencies, Dr. Eilene Kinzer, at eilenekinzer@upike.edu with any questions you may have.
The Kentucky College of Optometry provides the following residency programs:
Milan Eye CenterOcular Disease with an Emphasis in Anterior Segment ResidencyCumming, GAhttps://www.milaneyecenter.com/
Program Coordinator: Charlie Ficco, O.D.: Email Dr. Ficco
Program Overview: The residency in ocular disease at Milan Eye Center is designed to build proficiency in the treatment and management of ocular disease and the surgical co-management of anterior segment, glaucoma and oculoplastic surgery. Milan Eye Center is a multi-office, referral center, located North of Atlanta. We have 11 Optometrists and 9 Ophthalmologists on staff at 7 locations. The main focus of the practice is anterior segment and oculoplastic surgery with an emphasis in cataract, cornea and MIG surgeries. The resident will see their own patients as well as see patients with attending physicians in multiple locations. The resident will also be responsible to see emergency referrals from local O. D.s and M.D.s. Residents will work with optometry externs in clinic.
Requirements to complete the Residency Program include: • Completion of clinic duties including patient care, and on-call after hours care including communication with referring doctors and staff. • Complete patient care logs commensurate with the amount of patient encounters to reach the goal of the program. • Complete quarterly evaluations, as required by the program, listed in Meditrek. • Participate in CE meetings organized by MEC and other co-managing practices. • Participate in discussions concerning the Resident Reading List which includes educational journal articles to enhance didactic knowledge level. • Completion of one journal paper of publishable quality. • Presentation of at least 4 lectures or posters, throughout the year.
ACOE Accreditation Status Accredited For questions regarding status, contact the ACOE at accredit@theacoe.org or visit theacoe.org.
Application Materials: To apply, please send a letter of intent, CV, transcripts and letters of recommendation directly to ORMatch. Application Deadline: January 31
Number of Positions: 1
Application & Selection Process
Candidates must meet these requirements:
The Program Coordinator and the Residency Committee at Milan Eye Center will conduct interviews of selected candidates. Interviews will be by Zoom or in person, depending on circumstances. They will order prospective candidates based on multiple criteria and submit their order to ORMS for matching.
Milan Eye Center is an equal opportunity organization and does not allow discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Salary and Benefits
» $38,000 » Insurance: Health and Dental » Full liability coverage » Annual vacation/sick leave/ professional development
Please contact Dr. Charlie Ficco, or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Eilene Kinzer, at eilenekinzer@upike.edu.
Huffman & Huffman Eye CareOcular Disease ResidencyLondon, KYhttps://huffmanandhuffman.com/
Program Coordinators: Sarah Huffman Stanifer, OD: Email Dr. Stanifer Hannah Huffman, OD: Email Dr. Huffman
Program Overview:
The ocular disease residency program at Huffman and Huffman is a multi-office, co-management based program that provides experience in both anterior and posterior segment ocular disease. The program also offers experience in laser procedures of the anterior segment and specialty contact lenses. Huffman and Huffman provides primary, secondary and tertiary eye care, as the practice often functions as a referral center providing medical and surgical eye care services. Huffman and Huffman has a team of optometrists and ophthalmologists who specialize in cataract surgery, refractive surgery, cornea, glaucoma, and many ocular diseases. The resident will spend time with each of these services, enhancing their clinical abilities in the diagnosis, treatment and management of various ocular conditions, while also learning to perform various optometric laser procedures. Residents will have an opportunity to work with optometry students and be involved in grand rounds. Each resident will be expected to complete a case presentation. Writing a publishable article is not required, but will be encouraged.
Application Materials: To apply, please send a letter of intent, CV, transcripts and letters of recommendation directly to ORMatch. Application Deadline: January 31 Number of Positions: 1
To be considered for an interview for the HHEC ocular disease residency position, the applicant must have and submit the following: competitive GPA from an accredited college of optometry, college of optometry transcript, at least three letters of recommendation, letter of interest, CV, US citizenship and eligibility for Kentucky state optometric license. To be eligible for admission to the program, it is required that the applicant chosen must have attained the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from a school or college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education prior to matriculation.
Once an application is received on ORMatch, it is reviewed by the program’s co-coordinators. One of the program’s residency coordinators extends invitations for in-person interviews to promising candidates. Applicants are asked a series of questions, which will be standard across all interviews in a given year. When interviews are complete, the candidate is ranked on motivation, critical thinking, social skills, teamwork, leadership, self-awareness, and overall fit. The co-coordinators also provide an assessment of the applicant’s clinical case study response, along with any general comments. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, HHEC has decided to first extend an invitation for an online interview, consisting of predetermined questions. The candidates are narrowed down further, and the most desirable candidates are invited to an in-person second interview at HHEC to help assess potential rapport. Finally, the co-coordinators scale candidates considering board scores, optometry school GPA, letters of recommendation, the applicant’s description of the clinical case presented in the interview, the remaining interview, and rapport, which are weighted 15%, 15%, 15%, 10%, 20%, 25%, respectively. The program’s co-coordinators rank the applicants based on their overall score. The resident is selected and notified on ORMatch. It is the policy of Huffman & Huffman Eye Care to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Huffman & Huffman Eye Care prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.
In summary, candidates must complete these requirements:
Salary and Benefits:
Please contact Dr. Sarah Huffman, Dr. Hannah Huffman, or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Eilene Kinzer, at eilenekinzer@upike.edu.
University of PikevilleKentucky College of OptometryPrimary Care with an Emphasis in Ocular Disease ResidencyPikeville, KY
Program Coordinators: Mohammed Naja, OD – Email Dr. Naja
The Kentucky College of Optometry Primary Care with Emphasis in Ocular Disease Residency is an office and hospital-based program that provides a patient base amongst a broad spectrum of disease. The program provides experiences expanding across the full scope of primary optometric practice, including anterior and posterior segment disease. There are opportunities in the evaluation of systemic disease, imaging, blood work, and emergency department referrals. Sub-specialty clinics function at the principle residency site, including laser procedures of the anterior segment and minor surgical procedures. Residents will work under the direction of optometrists and ophthalmologists in the direct care of patients, as well as precepting optometry students. Grand rounds presentations, a scholarly poster submission, and a paper of publishable quality are to be completed by the resident by the time of graduation. Upon successful completion of the program, residents will be proficient primary eye care providers who are competent in the management of ocular disease, while serving as integral healthcare team members.
The selection procedure is initiated through the ORMatch program by National Matching Services Inc. Candidates submit their applications through the standardized process displayed by the ORMatch program no later than the deadlines specified by the service on a yearly basis. Applicants are selected for an interview based upon their official optometry school transcript, national board scores, curriculum vitae, letters of interest, and at least three reference letters. Reference letters must be submitted by licensed optometrists who can personally and objectively attest to the candidate’s clinical competency.
Applicants are selected for an interview by the residency coordinator based upon the objective review of their submitted documentation and how the applicant aligns with the program’s mission, goals, and objectives, based on their letter of intention. Candidates must have a competitive GPA.
Candidates selected for an interview will be evaluated by the Residency Program Coordinator and at least two other faculty members (which may include the current resident) in a one hour allotted time slot. The candidates will be evaluated on knowledge-base, critical thinking skills, communication skills, receptivity to learning, and professional demeanor/interest.
The candidates will then be ranked in the ORMatch system based on the candidate’s application and overall interview scores with consideration regarding interviewer comments. The ranking is decided by the Program Coordinator in consultation with the Residency Committee at KYCO.
By the time of matriculation into the residency program, the candidate must have been awarded an O.D. degree from a school or college accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education and be eligible for a Kentucky state optometric license.
The University of Pikeville does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, or disability in its programs, activities, hiring, or admission of its students or employees.
In summary, candidates must meet these requirements:
Please contact Dr. Mohammed Naja or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Eilene Kinzer, at eilenekinzer@upike.edu.
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University of PikevilleKentucky College of OptometryPediatric Optometry ResidencyPikeville, KY
Program Coordinator: Kelsey Trast OD, FAAO – Email Dr. Trast
The Kentucky College of Optometry Pediatric Residency is a school clinic and hospital-based program that provides experience in working with a wide variety of patients, primarily in pediatric primary care and binocular vision. There are opportunities to work with patients of all ages and in a variety of settings. Residents will gain expertise in the diagnosis and management of binocular vision disorders (strabismus, amblyopia, oculomotor dysfunction, etc.), caring for infant and young children, working with patients with developmental disabilities, and in the evaluation and management of visual information processing disorders. Additional aspects of the program include weekly conferences with faculty for case and topic discussion, participation in outreach programs such as local school screenings, a paper of publishable quality, two Grand Rounds-style professional presentations, scholarly poster submission, and other activities as assigned by the Residency Program Coordinator. The program is designed to enhance the resident’s education through both clinical and didactic activities. Residents will be responsible for direct care and precepting, with increasing levels of independence throughout the year. Upon successful completion of the program, residents will be well-rounded practitioners comfortable in the management of pediatric optometric care and binocular vision disorders.
ACOE Accreditation Status Pending- First Year Program For questions regarding status, contact the ACOE at accredit@theacoe.org or visit theacoe.org.
The selection procedure is initiated through the ORMatch program by National Matching Services Inc. Candidates submit their applications through the standardized process displayed by the ORMatch program no later than the deadlines specified by the service on a yearly basis. Applicants are selected for an interview based upon their official optometry school transcript, national board scores, curriculum vitae, letters of interest, and and at least three reference letters. Reference letters must be submitted by licensed optometrists who can personally and objectively attest to the candidate’s clinical competency.
Please contact Dr. Kelsey Trast or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Eilene Kinzer, at eilenekinzer@upike.edu.