For Doctors of Optometry seeking to specialize, Ambulatory Care Residency Programs In California offer unparalleled opportunities for advanced clinical training. Among these distinguished programs, the Veterans Affairs Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center (VALAACC) program stands out, providing a robust curriculum focused on ocular disease and low vision rehabilitation. This residency, established in 1979, offers a unique blend of comprehensive patient care and academic enrichment through its affiliation with the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) at Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU).
Program Overview
Located at the Veterans Affairs Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center in Los Angeles, California, this one-year residency program accepts one resident position annually. It is a cooperative program between the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) and VALAACC, ensuring a high standard of optometric education and clinical experience.
Program Faculty:
- Coordinator: Diana Wu, OD
- Chief of Optometry: Chang Kim, OD
The program benefits from the expertise of attending optometrists and ophthalmologists within the VA system and the academic rigor of SCCO faculty.
Mission Statement
The core mission of this residency program is to cultivate exceptionally competent and compassionate optometric practitioners and educators. Jointly developed by the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University (SCCO at MBKU) and the Department of Veteran Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), the program is dedicated to advancing clinical optometric education. It aims to provide qualified post-doctoral optometric practitioners with an enriched educational experience and advanced clinical skills in Ocular Disease and Low Vision Rehabilitation.
Alt: Exterior view of the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center, showcasing its modern facilities for advanced ambulatory care and residency programs.
Goals and Objectives
The residency program is structured with specific goals and objectives to ensure comprehensive training:
Goals:
- Enhance Clinical Skills: To expand the resident’s technical abilities, knowledge, and clinical decision-making in primary eye care, ocular disease, and systemic disease manifestations.
- Specialized Low Vision Training: To develop advanced clinical skills in the specialized evaluation, treatment, and management of low vision for patients with partial sight.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: To promote the resident’s understanding and appreciation for the importance of working within a coordinated multidisciplinary healthcare team.
- Communication and Education: To enhance the resident’s ability to effectively present ophthalmic information to both healthcare professionals and the general public.
- Scholarly Development and Lifelong Learning: To foster an appreciation for scholarly activities and a commitment to continuous professional development.
Program Objectives:
- Extensive Patient Base: Provide exposure to a large and diverse primary care and ocular disease patient population.
- Complex Case Exposure: Offer a variety of diverse, challenging, and complex patient cases to enhance diagnostic and management skills.
- Low Vision Expertise: Provide extensive experience in low vision evaluations and rehabilitation strategies.
- Advanced Technology Utilization: Offer opportunities to utilize cutting-edge low vision devices and technology in patient care.
- Interprofessional Consultation: Encourage and facilitate regular consultation with other healthcare providers to foster collaborative patient care.
- Referral Management: Provide experience in both receiving and initiating referrals to and from other medical disciplines.
- Effective Communication: Develop proficiency in communicating with other providers through consultations and comprehensive summary notes.
- Presentation Skills: Develop and deliver lectures and clinical presentations to healthcare professionals, including 4th-year SCCO students and faculty, as well as to the public.
- Grand Rounds Participation: Actively participate in Grand Rounds and in-depth case discussions to broaden clinical perspectives.
- Professional Development: Strongly encourage attendance at major optometry meetings such as the American Academy of Optometry.
- Scholarly Contribution: Prepare a publishable quality manuscript, case report, or poster for peer-review or presentation at national optometry meetings.
Resident Activities
To achieve these objectives, residents engage in a variety of activities at both the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center (VA LAACC) and the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO):
At VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center (VA LAACC):
- Low Vision Patient Care: Examine a diverse patient population with subnormal vision, assessing their needs for low vision devices to improve daily living.
- Ocular Disease Management: Evaluate and manage patients with varying degrees of vision loss resulting from systemic and ocular diseases.
- VIST Liaison: Act as a liaison with the VA Vision Impairment Service Team (VIST), participating in weekly meetings to discuss patient evaluations, treatment plans, and enrollment in support programs.
- Interdisciplinary Learning: Engage with the Chief of Optometry and attending ophthalmologists to enhance learning and participate in Optometric Grand Rounds Workshops at other VA medical centers.
- Clinical Instruction: Provide clinical instruction to fourth-year SCCO students in rehabilitative optometry under faculty supervision.
- Case and Topic Discussions: Lead weekly case and topic discussions for optometry students assigned to LAACC.
- Research and Scholarly Work: Develop an original research project or prepare a case report manuscript suitable for publication.
- Primary Care Exposure: Gain practical knowledge of primary care services at VA LAACC through weekly assignments with a primary care physician (MD), with planned expansions to include dermatology, ENT, and neurology experiences.
At Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO):
- Vision Rehabilitation Instruction: Provide instruction in vision rehabilitation to SCCO fourth-year students at the Optometric Center of Los Angeles.
- Residency Forum Participation: Participate in the Residency Forum presentation for fourth-year SCCO students at the College.
- Program Evaluation and Reporting: Prepare patient logs and quarterly evaluations for both SCCO and VA leadership, documenting progress towards program objectives.
Alt: Interior of the VA Ambulatory Care Center in Los Angeles, highlighting the collaborative environment for medical professionals and residents in ambulatory care settings.
Eye Clinic Facility
The VA LAACC Eye Clinic, located on the 3rd floor, is well-equipped to support comprehensive eye care and residency training. Optometry operates with professional autonomy alongside ophthalmology. The clinic features:
- Five Optometric examination lanes
- Four Ophthalmologic examination lanes
- Dedicated Low Vision exam lane and optometrist office
- Three visual field instruments (2 HFA 750i, 1 Goldmann perimeter)
- A/B ultrasound
- Zeiss IOLMaster
- Pachymeter
- Topcon digital fundus imaging system
- Zeiss corneal topographer
- Heidelberg Spectralis OCT
- Zeiss/Lumenis Argon Laser
Type and Number of Patients
The program’s strength lies in its emphasis on low vision rehabilitation, ocular & systemic disease management, and interdisciplinary health care. Patients often present with complex, interconnected health issues, including ophthalmic manifestations of systemic diseases and medication toxicities. Common conditions include hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and COPD, alongside histories of substance abuse, stroke, PTSD, neoplasia, seizure disorders, dementia, and multiple sclerosis.
Residents benefit from full therapeutic drug prescribing privileges and access to on-site laboratory and radiology services. The collaborative environment fosters frequent consultations across various medical specialties. A minimum of 600 patient encounters is required for residency completion, with residents typically seeing 8-10 patients daily, varying with the complexity of cases, especially low vision evaluations.
Length of Residency and Stipend
This is a one-year residency program, running from July 1st to June 30th. The annual stipend for the 2023-2024 year was $50,505, subject to periodic review by the VA Central Office.
Benefits
The program offers a comprehensive benefits package:
- Health Insurance: Health insurance options are available.
- Holidays: Observance of all federal holidays.
- Educational Travel: Authorized absence and a travel stipend for attending the American Academy of Optometry meeting or equivalent national meetings.
- Vacation and Sick Leave: Accrual of annual leave and sick leave per pay period.
- Liability Coverage: Liability coverage for care provided at the VA.
- Continuing Education: Over 120 continuing education credits earned through Optometry Clinical Seminars.
- Information Resources: Extensive online journal and textbook subscriptions, a medical library, and access to SCCO library services.
Prerequisites and Application Process
Prerequisites:
- O.D. degree from an ACOE-accredited institution by July 1st of the program year.
- Successful completion of NBEO Parts I and II and TMOD prior to the ORMATCH deadline.
- Passing NBEO Part III and state licensure (any state) before or during the residency year.
- U.S. Citizenship.
- Interview (currently via Zoom).
- Strong computer skills.
Application Process:
- Apply through the OR Match system by the January 31st deadline, including CV, letter of intent, NBEO scores, references, and transcripts.
- Hold or be expected to earn an O.D. degree from an accredited school.
- Pass NBEO Parts I and II.
- Applications are reviewed by the Residency Coordinator.
- Interviews are granted to complete applications.
- Eligibility for optometry licensure in a U.S. state with full therapeutic privileges by the residency start date.
- U.S. Citizenship is mandatory.
Selection Process and Completion Requirements
Selection Process:
Candidates are ranked based on application materials, interview performance, and professional characteristics. The Residency Coordinator submits a ranking list to ORMatch, and matching outcomes are communicated by ORMatch.
Completion Requirements:
- Submission of all required paperwork to SCCO at MBKU and the Residency Coordinator.
- Full-year attendance from July 1st to June 30th.
- Provision of high-quality, ethical care to Veterans.
- Attendance at Greater Los Angeles VA Optometric Clinical Seminars.
- Development of a publishable case report or poster.
- Presentation at the SCCO at MBKU Residency Forum.
- Attendance at the American Academy of Optometry Meeting is highly encouraged.
Upon satisfactory completion, residents receive a Certificate of Completion from SCCO and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Program Accreditation and Housing
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), with the next site visit scheduled for November 2025.
Housing:
Housing is not provided; however, affordable housing options are available near the VA LAACC’s downtown Los Angeles location, with good access to public transportation.
For Further Information
For more details about this ambulatory care residency program in California, please contact:
Dr. Diana Wu
Residency Program Coordinator
VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center
Optometry Service MDP 112C
351 E. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012-3328
213.253.2677 • Fax: 213.253.5123 • [email protected]
or
Judy W.H. Tong, OD
Assistant Dean of Residencies
Southern California College of Optometry at
Marshall B. Ketchum University
2575 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831-1699
714.449.7429 • Fax: 714.992.7811 • e-mail: [email protected]
This residency at the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center offers a unique and comprehensive training experience in ocular disease and low vision rehabilitation, making it an excellent choice for optometrists seeking advanced specialization within ambulatory care residency programs in California.
