Residency Manual

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History of SUNY State College of Optometry's Residency Programs

SUNY, College of Optometry has been conducting year-long optometric residencies since 1974 (1974-1975 first class year), when the in-house Vision Therapy Residency was established. This was the first optometric residency program established in the country and the third to receive accreditation status. Since that time, the residency programs affiliated with and at the College have expanded to include programs in the following areas: Cornea and Contact Lenses, Ocular Disease, Primary Care Optometry, Pediatric Optometry and Vision Rehabilitation, as well as a Combined Residency/Graduate Degree Program. Specific program areas of emphasis may include one or two of the above listed category titles and/or the following: Anterior Segment; Refractive and Ocular Surgery; Glaucoma; Retina; Low Vision Rehabilitation; Brain Injury Rehabilitation; Vision Therapy and Vision Rehabilitation; Community Health Optometry. Program sites include SUNY College of Optometry, NYC; NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health East New York; BronxCare Health System, NYC; Atlantic Eye Physicians, NJ; Fromer Eye Centers, NYC; EyeCare Associates, CT; Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, NY; Womack Medical Center at Fort Liberty, NC; and four V.A. facilities in New York and New Jersey. All programs affiliated with or at SUNY are accredited or pending accreditation. The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) is the accrediting body for SUNY residency programs. More information on optometric residencies accreditation can be found on their website: www.theacoe.org or email: accredit@theacoe.org. ( Appendix J) . The residencies are clinically based, patient care oriented programs. Along with the clinical component there are formal didactic activities which are an integral part of the residency program. All residency programs have the common goal of developing unique skills and competencies in one or more areas of optometric practice. Each program provides a body of knowledge that goes beyond that which is effectively covered in the professional optometric (O.D.) program. SUNY Optometry's library, research, administrative and curricular resources serve to augment the clinical facilities, patient population, and other resources available at the residency program sites.

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