• Insurance: medical, dental, life (plan booklets)
• Indiana University classes fee courtesy
• Retirement (10% of salary contributed by IU)
• Tax saver benefit
• Full liability insurance coverage
• $900 travel allowance (includes continuing education)

• OD degree from an accredited school or college of optometry
• Competitive GPA
• Indiana optometry license

Program Mission

The mission of the Primary Care Residency Program at the Indiana University School of Optometry (IUSO) is to provide advanced competency in Primary Care Optometry to recent optometry graduates through education, direct patient care experience and management, clinical teaching, scholarly development, and community service.

Description of Program

The Primary Care Residency is a 53-week program designed to provide intensive clinical, teaching, and research experience in Primary Care Optometry. Clinical teaching is expected to be a part of the residency program, in order to prepare the clinician for the role of clinical educator. Academic leadership and communication skills will be emphasized through case conference instruction, scholarly writing, and lectures. Although structured experiences are necessary to ensure consistent quality of the program, specific educational opportunities can be tailored to meet the individual interests of the Resident.

The Residency begins 1 week prior to July 1st. The work will consist of clinical consulting with student interns and independent patient care. The Resident will also be required to be on-call a maximum of every other week.

Three days per week the Resident will supervise Third Year OD students in the Primary Care Clinic and/or provide independent patient care services. Here the Resident will assist the students in comprehensive eye examinations, fitting all types of contact lenses, and treating and managing various acute and chronic eye diseases. One and a half days per week the Resident will see patients at an ophthalmology/optometry practice, providing pre- and post-operative care of ocular surgical patients, specifically cataract and refractive surgeries. One half day per week the Resident will see patients and/or consult with a student at the Indiana University Health Center Eye Clinic. This setting focuses on triage and acute care of IU students and their dependents. All other times not designated elsewhere, the Resident will work on scholarly activities such as writing a paper of publishable quality, preparing and presenting case presentations and lectures, visiting sub-specialty practices, and independent study.

Once a week, the Resident will hold a case conference seminar for the Fourth Year OD students to discuss patient care and interesting cases. The Resident will be required to observe and critique the students as they each present a 20 minute case presentation. Together with the Director of Externships, the Resident will help coordinate invited guest speakers each week to present on various topics. The Resident is also required to give one 30-60 minute presentation at one of the scheduled case conferences within the year. The Resident will also participate in the Grand Rounds Course presented to Third Year OD students in the Fall and Spring semesters.

An academic project is required, and a paper or poster of publishable quality will be written prior to and as a condition of the completion of the Residency program. This paper can be a report of original clinical research, case report, or a literature review, and will be written with the assistance of the Residency Advisor. It is encouraged that this paper be submitted to a scholarly journal for publication. At least one half day per week will be set aside to complete this task.

Resident Responsibilities

In order to meet the educational goals of the program, the Resident is expected to:

1. Provide optometric care to a large and diverse group of patients in the Indiana University School of Optometry Clinics, with emphasis in Primary Care Optometry.
2. Learn and use state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment including the latest digital imaging systems and computer technology.
3. Gain clinical experience in the management of urgent eye care and ocular disease, including an external rotation at the IU Health Center Eye Clinic, provision of emergency eye care services at the IUSO Eye Care Clinics, and after-hours emergency on-call responsibility.
4. Acquire proficiency in the use of therapeutic agents used to manage and treat ocular disease.
5. Clinical and didactic instruction of optometry students including clinical supervision in the Primary Care Clinic and during various health screenings throughout the year.
6. Present lectures in the Grand Rounds Course and Case Conference Seminar and assist in organizing presenters for the weekly Case Conference Seminar for optometry students.
7. Participate in clinical research in contact lens or anterior segment related conditions, including the completion of a research paper or poster, literature review, or case report of publishable quality by the end of the program.
8. Attend at least one scholarly meeting devoted to Primary Care Optometry.
9. Attend continuing education classes and seminars.
10. Participate in optometric community service activities, with the option of participating in humanitarian mission trips.
11. Actively participate in the optometric community through membership and participation in optometric organizations.

Questions?

Please contact Dr. Henderson (the Primary Care Residency Coordinator) or the school's Director of Residencies.