Ophthalmology Residency
Overview of the Ophthalmology Residency Program
The Loyola Medicine – Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital Ophthalmology Residency program provides a joint education opportunity offered by the two institutions.
It has trained over 200 ophthalmologists who have contributed to the field as innovators and researchers, to the community as compassionate physicians and to Loyola as alumni educators.
The physician members of the department are faculty members of Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) and Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital.
The program takes pride in its tradition in excellence. Over the past two years alone:
- Loyola Ophthalmology residents lead in Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) training.
- Multiple residents have earned the Strich School of Medicine’s (SSOM) Magis Award in patient- and peer-recognized patient care.
- Residents have been awarded with the prestigious SSOM’s Epsilon Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society, Chicago-wide resident research 1st Place (Beem-Fisher) awards and nation-wide American Academy of Ophthalmology’s “Best Of” award.
- Residents have presented at local and national (American Glaucoma Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology) conferences.
The residency achievements are a result of the Program’s emphasis on mentorship and collaboration. Under Dr. Charles Bouchard’s leadership, the program’s faculty and residents have created technologically unparalleled virtual simulation educational systems, established multi-city online resident didactic curricula, and collaborated with multiple specialties and universities to design a comprehensive approach to resident training and patient care.
The training program utilizes both Loyola Medicine's flagship hospital, Loyola University Medical Center, and the Edward Hines Jr., VA Hospital to provide the formal instruction and patient care experience needed to prepare a physician to successfully complete the examination process offered by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). Successful completion of the examination process gains for the physician certification and benefits of such recognition.
The residency gives the physician access to the body of knowledge required to competently handle a wide variety of clinical problems related to the eye. This is accomplished by guiding the learner through the appropriate textbooks, periodicals, slide teaching sets, hands-on and virtual experiences, consultation and professional development through interaction with the faculty in a one-to-one or small group setting.
Research activities introduce the resident to the procedures and techniques necessary to carry on meaningful and productive exploration of the frontiers of ophthalmology. The Department's and University's Global Missions initiatives offer several opportunities for residents to explore, contribute to and expand different pathways of education and service.
The Department's innovative Ophthalmology Virtual Reality Simulation Lab is a unique resource that provides fundamental and experiential clinical and surgical training. Residents participate in a curriculum that begins with ocular anatomy and physiology and carries into surgery skills training, such as cataract surgery.
The latest residency evolution is the Ophthalmology Residency Wellness Program. The program addresses both extrinsic/systems-based and intrinsic triggers with a multi-modal approach to support resident physical, pyschological and professional wellness. The sessions, tools and offerings create an environment in which residents harness and optimize personal strengths.
The 2023 leadership for the Residency Program is:
- Charles S. Bouchard, MA, MD - John Mulcahy Professor and Chair
- Anuradha Khanna, MD - Vice Chair, Education,
- Chief of Ophthalmology, Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
- Evan Stubb, PhD - Vice Chair, Research
- Roshni Vasaiwala, MD - Residency Program Director
- Meredith Horacek, MD - Co-Chief Resident
- Nileema Patel, MD - Co-Chief Resident
- Alycia Snow - Residency Program Coordinator
Program Competencies
To assure the successful completion of each rotation, supervising faculty works with each resident in developing knowledge and skill in each of six core competencies as identified by the ACGME (The American Council of Graduate Medical Education).
The competencies are:
- Patient Care
- Medical Knowledge
- Systems-Based Practice
- Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
- Professionalism
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Each of these competencies have Ophthalmology-specific Milestones to guide the advancement and preparation of doctors through their residency. The new 2020 Milestones 2.0 are viewable here.
The evaluation tools used by the Ophthalmology Department to assess resident competencies at the completion of each rotation are:
| Competency Evaluation Tool | Competency Assessed |
| Written Evaluation of Resident |
|
| Oral Evaluation of Resident |
|
| Progress Notebook (check list) |
|
| Skills Transfer Manual (check list) |
|
| Patient Evaluation (of resident) |
|
| 360-degree Evaluations |
|
Faculty Evaluation of Residents
The first year residents will be given special attention by the program director during the first several months to assure appropriate orientation to the program and provide the resident with the opportunity for questions regarding any aspect of the program.
Faculty members provide feedback to each resident on their service on a daily basis. The clinical and surgical management skills are assessed and appropriate support and encouragement of quality care is provided. Residents have opportunity to discuss different approached to management.
Formal faculty evaluations of all residents take place every 3 months. Evaluation forms (via New Innovations) are completed for each resident by the Service Line Director and supervising attendings. Each resident's ACGME Milestone progress is discussed in a meeting with all the Service Line Directors. The resident is given the opportunity to read through and converse about the evaluation with the Program Director during the Semi-Annual Reviews.
Each resident takes the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) Exam. The residents discuss the results of the exam with the Program Director. If the results are unsatisfactory, the resident will be given additional help in the areas of weakness. Any resident who has not achieved a satisfactory status after l8 months will be placed on academic probation and may be required to complete an additional 3-6 months of training in order to successfully complete their residency training.
Resident Evaluation of Faculty
All full- and part-time faculty are evaluated by the residents at the end of each rotation on the GME Toolkit (New Innovations Web Monitoring). A copy of the evaluation is electronically submitted to the Attending only after enough evaluations have been accumulated so that all resident evaluations are anonymous. A second copy of the evaluation is kept by the Department Chairman.
Resident Evaluation of Program
Each resident evaluates the program on an annual basis. The Program Director addresses the general areas of deficiency and tries to make changes to address the deficiencies. Evaluations are kept on file. These evaluations are also done anonymously.
Resident Evaluation of Rotation
The residents will evaluate their experience in the following subspecialty rotations in order to improve the training in these areas (via New Innovations):
- Anterior Segment
- General Surgery
- Oculoplastics
- Pediatrics
- Posterior Segment
All Evaluations by the Residents, i.e., Evaluation of the Faculty; Evaluation of the Rotation; Evaluation of the Program are anonymous.
How to Apply
The Department of Ophthalmology encourages applications from motivated individuals who desire a collegial atmosphere in which to develop their critical diagnostic, patient management, microsurgical skills and research abilities.
2023 Interview Dates:
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Friday, December 1, 2023
Interviews start at 7:30 am both days.
Please remember that SFMatch has an updated timeline for the 2023-2024 Match.
Each applicant must contact the Central Application Service (CAS) to request a standardized application form which is available from:
The Central Application Service
SF Match
655 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(voice) 415-447-0350
(fax) 415-561-8535
help@sfmatch.org
sfmatch.org
The CAS Application is available online in PDF format. In order to view, download, save and edit the application, you will need to have FREE Adobe Reader installed on your computer.
Applicants should send their completed form to CAS, which then forwards it to Loyola. SF Match recommends that you have your application to them by September 15.
Loyola's CAS application submission target deadline is Thursday, September 15, 2022.
Loyola will accept additional letters of recommendations. Please have the writer send the letter via email to Ophthalmology2160@gmail.com.
Loyola University Medical Center accepts exchange visitors sponsored through the Exchange Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Applicants must be eligible for a J-1 or J-2 Visa. These are the only visa types supported by our institution.
For information regarding J-1 and J-2 Visas, the Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program and application process, please visit the following links:
- General Information about the Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program (EVSP)
- Basic Requirement of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
- Online J-1 Visa Application Overview
The CAS application should include:
- Your completed CAS application form (please type or print).
- A personal statement.
- Your official college transcript.
- Your official medical school transcript.
- A copy of your USMLE scores or FLEX Examination scores.
- Three faculty letters of recommendation, and one from the dean of your medical school.
(The Dean’s letter may be submitted after October 1.) - A bibliography or copies of your publications, if applicable.
- Your official OMP Match Number.
Please request that the CAS send all materials to:
Loyola University Medical Center
Department of Ophthalmology
Director Residency Program
2160 South First Avenue
Building 102, Room 2606
Maywood, IL 60153
A committee carefully reviews each applicant’s materials and invites the best qualified applicants to be interviewed at Loyola. All applicants are given thoughtful consideration and decisions are not based on race, religion, creed, age or sex.
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