Residency Programs

FAQs

The following is a compilation of the most commonly asked questions by students.

An optometric residency program is a planned program of post-O.D. clinical education that is designed to advance significantly the optometric graduate’s preparation as a provider of patient care services beyond entry level practice. A residency is typically twelve months in length where the resident provides supervised clinical eye/vision care to their patients. A residency should also include a well-designed mix of self-directed learning, seminar participation, instructional experiences, and scholarship.

Although residency training is not a requirement for practicing optometry, there are numerous advantages to honing one’s clinical skills in a residency setting. Typically, the residency program is located in a clinical setting catering to geriatric and/or socio-economically disadvantaged patients providing numerous complex eye and systemic disorders. Optometry residents present in such settings are often placed in a case manager's role, providing higher order clinical decision making on a larger number of cases than would be possible in a direct care mode. Moreover, it is well established that the act of teaching students is the best form of learning. Even more importantly, the lectures, seminars and library work associated with residency training develop good habits and encourage a life-long independent pursuit of learning.

Many schools and colleges of optometry require residency training as a basic qualification for new clinical faculty. The Veterans Health Administration has always looked favorably at residency training as a prerequisite for employment at its hospitals and outpatient clinics. Indian Health Service offer careers to those that completed an IHS residency and often will provide incentives in the form of loan repayment. For those wishing to pursue employment opportunities with ophthalmology, or in multi-disciplinary practice settings, those potential employers carefully consider the benefits of residency training whose backgrounds reflect the traditional medical model of training.

Certainly the higher the GPA and board scores, the better your chances, but there are many students who get accepted to programs and have average GPA’s (~3.00, even lower) and “average” board scores. The interview as well as supportive letters of recommendation is quite important. With regard to the National Boards, you must have passed your boards to be eligible for a residency. Also, you should investigate various programs when you are applying to increase your chances in being accepted to a residency program.

Currently, there are over 150 residency programs in the nation affiliated with a school or college of optometry. Within the 150 programs, there are approximately 255 resident positions.

There are currently nine (9) recommended titles for optometric residencies. They are:

  • Family Practice Optometry
  • Primary Eye Care
  • Cornea and Contact Lenses
  • Geriatric Optometry
  • Pediatric Optometry
  • Low Vision Rehabilitation
  • Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation
  • Ocular Disease
  • Refractive and Ocular Surgery

The title of each residency reflects the primary focus of the clinical subject area and indicates advanced clinical education in that subject area. Some programs choose to focus upon two of the nine areas.

Optometric residency programs, which typically run for one year from July 1 to June 30, provide a stipend that varies depending on the institution funding the program. For programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the stipend is currently is $33,000 and they also provide medical and life insurance at reduced cost. Other institutions pay similarly. There are a handful of programs that offer training without compensation (WOC) for graduates not selected for funded programs yet motivated to complete a residency.

Completing a residency in optometry is a unique and invaluable experience. The rich rewards gained from the additional year of training serve to enhance career opportunities and add to the level of confidence the resident has when beginning his/her post-residency career. The most successful graduates of residency programs are individuals who recognize early that what one gets out of the program is determined by what one puts into the program. Dedication, discipline, commitment and enthusiasm are expected of the resident throughout the year of training.

SCCO has 18 residency programs (with 32 residency positions) to choose from and we also keep information regarding other programs in the Outreach / Residency Office. You can also access the residency prospectus for all of our programs from SCCO’s residency webpage.

And, be sure to check ASCO's new online residency directory on this web site. It will enable you to obtain a comprehensive listing of optometric residency programs through customized searches. Listed below are links to help you navigate your way through information available directly from the residency programs of thirteen of the schools and colleges of optometry and the Optometric Residency Matching Services, Inc. ORMS.

Southern California College of Optometry http://www.scco.edu

Optometric Residency Matching Services, Inc. (ORMS) http:// www.optometryresident.org

Association of Schools and College of Optometry http://www.opted.org

For all programs affiliated with a school or college of optometry you must apply through the Optometric Residency Matching Services (ORMS), Inc. When choosing a program, pick only those that you definitely would want to go to (you will rank them from your top choice to your last choice). It is not desirable if you match with a program and then change your mind. Please follow the directions carefully. The 2008-2009 ORMS applications are usually available by October. When they are available, I will inform you.

If you apply to a program that is not affiliated to a school or college of optometry, you need to contact the program coordinator directly regarding the application process.

Yes, student loans generally are deferrable while a student is in an accredited residency training program. It is the responsibility of the resident to secure and complete the necessary forms, which are available from financial institutions providing the educational loans.