Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Hines VA Hospital Residency in Ocular Disease & Low Vision Rehabilitation

1. Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Hines VA HospitalResidency in Ocular Disease & Low Vision Rehabilitation

2. Ocular Disease • Direct management 100% • Large patient population with high prevalence of acute and chronic disease • Resident will manage many cases of a given disease

3. Ocular Disease • Attendings with experience • most have 10 or more years working in VA setting managing eye disease • Chief has 32 years experience with 30 in the VA • See Web page ‘The Players’

4. Ocular Disease • Attendings see patients with residents • pass ongoing experience to residents • assure quality of patient care • always available for consultation

5. Ocular Disease • Ophthalmology • Shared rounds at VA • both OD & MD residents present cases • ODs attend grand rounds at UIC • present cases • Frequent clinical interaction

6. Ocular Disease • Medical specialties • Frequent interaction • Resident does most if not all of the medical work up • Diagnosis confirmed by specialty • Consult for other specialties (clinic, ward)

7. Ocular Disease • Environment (see ‘The Experience’) • fully equipped • 10 lanes • digital photography, angiography & OCT • fundus topography • ultrasonography (a & b scans / pachymetry) • Perimetry (all types)

8. Ocular Disease • Environment • minor OR • conference facilities • electrodiagnostics • lasers

9. Low Vision Rehabilitation • Experience in continuum of care • Hines Blind Rehabilitation Center • 4 months 3 days per week rotation • severely disabled (legally blind) • comprehensive rehabilitation • Chief has >25 years experience in Low Vision Rehabilitation and research.

10. Low Vision Rehabilitation • Hines BRC • Multidisciplinary • ADL • Communication • Orientation & mobility • Leisure skills • Psychology • Low Vision • Gold standard for rehabilitation

11. Low Vision Rehabilitation • Experience in continuum of care • VICTORS • Partially sighted • comprehensive low vision rehabilitation • Low Vision Rehabilitation (Outpatient) • Partially sighted & Legally Blind • comprehensive low vision rehabilitation

12. Low Vision Rehabilitation • Experience in continuum of care • Pediatric low vision • 3 day trip to school for multiple disabled children • Attend with pediatric ophthalmology fellow & ICO faculty

13. Clinical Hours • Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 7:30 AM-~ 6 PM • Wed = conference/lecture • ~ 7:30AM – 6PM • No weekends • Unless patient needs to be seen (corneal ulcer, etc.) • Off on 11 Federal holidays • Sick days & vacation days • Academy meeting

14. Overall • Extensive exposure to ocular & systemic diseases • Routine & obscure • Complete physical diagnosis & lab testing • Comprehensive Low Vision • Tough program, hard work, but well worth it!!! • Results in confidence approaching any condition that you will encounter

15. General information • Malpractice for practice in VA is covered under federal tort. • External practice (moonlighting) is discouraged • Malpractice is covered by resident or non-VA facility. • VA offers vacation and health insurance benefits with current Chicago stipend $32k.

16. Certificate Requirements • Successful completion of full 12 months of clinical experience. • PowerPoint presentation of case at ICO Grand Rounds by 11 months • Complete 1st journal review by 6 months with JB Attendings • Completing manuscript or presentation of publishable quality by 12 months of program.