Program goals and objectives are distributed to each resident prior to beginning their rotations. Residents are evaluated through a “360-degree evaluation” process that allows for feedback from caregivers across the patient care spectrum as well as staff and faculty. Residents meet individually with the Residency Program Director semiannually to discuss progress and define individual goals and objectives. Participation in the annual Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) examination is required.
Grand Rounds are held each Wednesday afternoon. Weekly didactics and either Journal Club or Morbidity Conference (alternating) are also on Wednesday afternoons. Didactics will emphasize the flipped classroom model, with the focus in group sessions on case-based learning. Sessions will be led by faculty of the Department of Ophthalmology, staff Optometrists, and Voluntary Faculty.
UNM has an R1 designation as a “Top Tier Research University” from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions, and is supported in part by a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the NIH, and three NIH-funded Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences includes 9 faculty with research portfolios, with focus on corneal, glaucoma, and retinal disorders; five of these are PhD scientists.
Residents will be introduced to research methodology early in residency. Opportunities to participate in meaningful research projects exist as early as the intern year. Prior to graduation, each resident is expected to complete at least one publishable research project. Faculty will provide guidance and support.
Our aspiration is to train residents to provide outstanding care to patients with the highest possible competence and professionalism, be outstanding eye surgeons, be able partners to other health care providers, act constructively within our health care systems to provide equitable eye care, and be educators to the community on all issues of eye health. The ultimate goal for the UNM residency training program in ophthalmology, consistent with our mission, is to improve the health and well-being of the citizens of New Mexico. Although UNM ophthalmology resident graduates will be fully supported should they choose to pursue fellowship training, we aim to graduate highly competent clinician-surgeons who are ready to help their communities without needing additional training.
The goal of the first nine months of PGY1 is to familiarize residents with the UNM health system and educate our residents in other areas of medicine most relevant to the practice of ophthalmology The goal of the Ophthalmology Boot Camp in the last three months of PGY1 is to introduce residents to Ophthalmology, jumpstart the learning process, initiate resident-faculty and resident-resident relationships, and to start on a rigorous program of study that will enable our residents to master ophthalmology.
The goal of PGY2 is to achieve competence in ophthalmic examinations and medical ophthalmology, the latter to include ocular health and disease and the ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. Fundamentals of ophthalmic surgery will be introduced during PGY2 through a weekly surgical wet lab curriculum, and periodic assisting in the operating room.
The goal of PGY3 is to develop the clinical skills, independence, and collegiality required to act as ophthalmic consultants within the UNMH and VA health systems; and to develop surgical competence for the most common ophthalmic surgeries performed by comprehensive ophthalmologists.