Residency Programs
Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)

Established: 2002

Positions: Two

Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)
Department of Veteran’s Affairs Health Care Services
500 Foothill Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84148

Program Faculty

Residency Coordinator
Harald E. Olafsson, O.D.

Attendings

• Dane Dansie, O.D.
• Dale A. Woodfield, O.D.
• Mark M. McKay, O.D.
• Lee Tanner, O.D.
• Dr. Brand

Mission Statement

The Mission of VAMC is to provide qualified postdoctoral optometric practitioners with outstanding educational experiences focused on primary care optometry in an institutional setting. In addition to general care, the residency program will place emphasis on the areas of geriatric care and advanced contact lens fitting. The program also seeks to emphasize the importance of clinical and basic research through the extensive educational opportunities available to residents during their training.

Program Description

Program Goals

1. To provide a patient base for the resident to have his/her primary eye care skills
2. Enhance the resident’s ability to readily examine and treat a wide variety of contact lens patients.
3. Provide experience and an understanding of working in a multidisciplinary health care environment
4. Establish an environment and opportunity to appreciate the significance of research and other scholarly activities
5. Become comfortable and skilled in caring for geriatric patients within the environs of the base clinic facility, the hospital bed, at home or in a nursing facility.

Program Objectives

1. Provide a minimum number of primary eye care encounters
2. Expose the resident to a wide variety of interesting care presentations
3. Provide the opportunity for the resident to become proficient in various primary eye care procedures
4. Ensure that the resident conducts a minimum number of contact lens patient evaluations
5. Ensure that the resident conducts various specialized contact fittings
6. Better understand interrelationships of various health care specialties
7. Regular review of current health care literature
8. Education in the process of manuscript preparation
9. Provide opportunity to realize the value of consistent continuing education
10. Function of part of an interdisciplinary team identifying, addressing and delivering care to elderly patients and understanding the benefits of interdisciplinary care

Typical Daily or Weekly Schedule in Clinic

• The weekly schedule will be 40 hours per week in clinics and research.
• The resident will be scheduled in the clinics Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Typically, there are no on call responsibilities.
• A more detailed description of the schedule includes:
  • 4 half day clinics each week at SLC VAMC
  • 3 half day clinics at the Moran Eye Center, University of Utah to manage contact lens patients
  • Grand Rounds every Wednesday morning at 7:30 am at the Moran Eye Center
  • One half day clinic each week in direct care of geriatric patients either in the clinic, at the hospital or in a nursing home

Rotation through other Services

• The resident will spend one half day each week in one of the following sub-specialty clinics: Glaucoma, Retina, and Neuro-ophthalmology.
• Attending sub-specialty lectures with ophthalmology residents up to three times a week at 7:00 am is optional initially.
• Opportunities to observe and subspecialty at the MEC or VAMC are available one half day a week.

Type and Number of Patients

The residents are expected to see a minimum of 750 primary eye care encounters. Typically they see at least 1,100 of such patients. In addition the residents will see a minimum of 250 contact lens patient encounters and an additional 30 specialized contact lens encounters per quarter. Most of these patients are seen at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center.

Teaching Responsibilities

There are opportunities for the resident to oversee and instruct fourth-year optometric interns.

Lecturing Opportunities

N/A

Scholarly Activities

The resident is encouraged to submit a completed manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal.

Examples of previous thesis papers

• Cyclosporine-induced Hypertension Causing Acute Cranial Nerve VI Palsy
• Latrogenic Glaucoma from Managing Ocular Sequelae of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Journal Clubs

• Biweekly Optometric Staff

Additional Employment Opportunities

"Moonlighting" is permitted with prior approval; separate liability coverage must be obtained by the Resident for external patient care outside of the VA. Licensure in the State of Utah also required.

Stipend

The annual salary is established by the Office of Academic Affairs, VA Central Office and is currently set at $31,965.

Benefits

Prerequisites/Eligibility

• One must have received an O.D. degree from an accredited school or college of optometry by the time the program begins on July 1.
• One must pass Parts I and II of the NBEO and the TMOD prior to the ORMS matching deadline (usually in February)
• NBEO III and state licensure (in any state, not necessarily Utah) must be passed prior to or during the residency year.
• U.S. citizenship is required. Immigrants must provide proof of US Citizenship prior to the application deadline in February.
• An interview prior to the ORMS matching deadline is required. In-person interview is strongly encouraged, but an interview may be conducted by telephone if the candidate is unable to interview in person.
• Although not formally required, computer skills are critical for daily activities in our setting (medication prescriptions, progress notes, laboratory & radiology requests, consults, etc., are entered by computer into electronic records).
• Candidates must apply through the Optometric residency Matching Services, Inc (ORMS)

VA SLC HCS Application Process and Documents

• A Letter of Intent stating the reasons for applying to the program
• Three letters of reference
• Curriculum vitae
• Passport-type photo
• Undergraduate and Graduate transcripts
• Results of NBEO exams to date

Interviews will be requested of specific candidates based upon the quality of their credentials and completion of the application information.

Selection Criteria VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

Only eligible candidates who have met all program prerequisites and who have completed the entire application process including interview will be considered for ORMS (Optometry Residency Matching System) ranking. Eligible applicants are afforded a review without discrimination based on sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other applicable legally protected status.

The following items are taken into consideration by the Program to determine ORMS ranking:

• Grade point average (GPA)
• NBEO I score (National Board of Examiners in Optometry Part 1)
• NBEO II score (National Board of Examiners in Optometry Part 2)
• TMOD score (Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease section of NBEO Part 2)
• Qualitative characteristics rating
• The interview, other communication with the candidate, communication from references, and curriculum vitae provide subjective information about the candidate’s suitability for the program; a rating (0-20 scale) for qualitative characteristics is determined from assessment of the following:

Professionalism

• Personal appearance, grooming, attire, and demeanor
• Written communication (Letter of Intent, CV)
• Verbal Communication

Work related history and experience

• Work and educational experience
• Life experience
• Motivation, initiative, independence
• Reasons for pursuing residency training
• Reasons for applying to the program

Clinical skills evaluation

• Assessment of data
• Differential diagnosis, ocular and/or systemic
• Management, ocular and/or systemic

Candidates are ranked within each objective category (i.e., by GPA, by NBEO I, by NBEO II, TMOD score) and the qualitative assessment by each interviewing doctor. The rank in each objective category is multiplied by a weighting factor. Then an overall “weighted” ranking list is determined from the sum of the weighted ranks.

With concurrence between the Chief and Program coordinator, a candidate may be moved up or down or removed from the overall objective ranking list based on the qualitative characteristics and rating. The final list is submitted to ORMS.

Program Requirements

A summary outline of the requirements to earn residency certification is as follows:

• The resident must comply with all VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System and Program rules, regulations, procedures, protocols, and policies.
• The resident must adhere to the schedule of assignments in a prompt and timely fashion.
• The resident must provide patient care consistent with accepted clinical practice guidelines and within the parameters set forth by the Optometry Trainee supervision policy.
• The resident must maintain a neat, well-groomed, professional appearance and wear a VA-issued identification badge.
• The resident must keep patient care records up to date.
• The resident must maintain and provide documentation of current basic life support CPR training and optometric licensure (in any state).
• The resident will complete the requirements outlined in the goals and objectives for the program including:

Provide a minimum number of primary eye care encounters:

• The resident will complete at least 750 primary eye care evaluations.
• Resident will complete 250 contact lens evaluations.
• Resident will be involved in the care of at least 30 specialized contact lens fittings each quarter.
• The resident will keep a patient log and report quarterly to the program director his/her progress

Attend at least 3 of 4 Grand Rounds or Community lectures each month:

• The resident will consult with other clinics and providers regarding patient care and provide optometric care to those patients for whom optometric consultation has been requested by other Clinics
• The resident will review and order laboratory and radiological studies as indicated for diagnosis and management.
• The resident will attend 60% of the ophthalmology residency conferences.
• The resident will attend at least 3 GRECC grand rounds or clinical conferences.
• The Resident must complete and submit all quarterly and end-of-year program and faculty evaluations.
• The Resident will complete the scholarly project as required prior to the awarding of a residency completion certificate.

Program Accreditation

Fully accredited to April 24, 2012.

Housing

N/A

Local Activities & Attractions

Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and is known as the heart of the state. It offers many historical and cultural activities as well as numerous outdoor adventures all in close proximity of the city.  From national parks such as Zion and being known as having “the greatest snow on earth,” Utah is an outdoor lover's paradise.

Contact Info

Harald E. Olafsson, O.D.
Residency Coordinator
Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)
Department of Veteran’s Affairs Health Care Services
500 Foothill Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84148

Judy W.H. Tong, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Assistant Dean of Residencies
Southern California College of Optometry
2575 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831-1699
714.449.7429 • Fax: 714.992.7811• Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)