Clinical Experience
The Department includes nationally respected ophthalmologists who form a volunteer core teaching faculty. Residents spend time in multiple practice settings learning the intricacies of each ophthalmologic discipline. The Resident Clinic is the sole referral center for patients financed by The Lion's Eye Foundation of California-Nevada, Inc.
The majority of the first year is spent in the CPMC Resident Clinic and in private practice offices. A nurturing environment is provided, as the resident learns the foundations of the examination, diagnosis, and management of ocular disease in all of the major subspecialties. Initial operative experience, in which the resident is primary surgeon, typically occurs within the first 2 months of residency. During the summer of the first year, residents attend the Stanford Ophthalmology Basic Science Course.
The second year is spent mostly at Alameda County Medical Center (Highland) in Oakland, where operative volume increases dramatically and the resident develops improved decision making capacity and autonomy. This busy county facility promotes the resident's increasing responsibility in caring for both medical and surgical eye disease.
In the final year, surgical experience expands further as residents spend four months at Kaiser Hospital, San Francisco. A four month elective period follows, during which the resident has the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of interests, including international ophthalmology. In the final four months of training, as Chief Resident at the Lion’s Eye Clinic, each resident becomes more involved in teaching junior residents and bears primary responsibility for all clinic patients.
Surgery
The following is a list of approximate numbers of cases performed by the resident as primary surgeon over the course of a typical 3 year residency:
- Cataract Extractions - 200
- Retinal Detachment - 10
- Intravitreal Injections - 25
- Glaucoma operations - 10
- Penetrating Keratoplasty / DSEK - 5
- Photocoagulation procedures - 200
- Muscle operations - 10
- Pterygium Excisions - 10
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Facilities
In addition to private office settings, residents also work during years 2 and 3 at Kaiser San Francisco, Alameda County Medical Center (Highland), and the Resident Clinic at CPMC.
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Core Curriculum Rotations
Introduction to Clinical Ophthalmology, Ocular Pathology and Low Vision - 5 months
Cornea and External Disease - 2 months
Oculoplastic Surgery - 2 months
Glaucoma - 2 months
Retina and Uveitis - 2 months
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus - 2 months
Stanford Ophthalmology Basic Science Course - 1 month
Highland Hospital, Junior Resident - 4 months
Highland Hospital, Senior Resident - 4 months
Kaiser Hospital - 4 months
Elective - 4 months
Chief Resident at California Pacific - 4 months
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