Ophthalmology Residency Program

                                                                                             Residency Program

Training

A Message from the Chair                                 

The Department of Ophthalmology officially began at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1925. Its first home was Ward 5 East of the then spanking-new State of Wisconsin General Hospital.

Frederick A. Davis -- a University of Pennsylvania Medical School graduate who had trained in ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and in London and Vienna and at Harvard and Penn-was the first chief. In 1924, Dr. Davis was joined by Dr. E. Eugene Neff, a University of Virginia Medical School graduate, who also trained at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Early residents recall Dr. Davis as a quiet and reflective scholarly ophthalmologist, while Dr. Neff was an extrovert whose booming voice and laugh reverberated through the halls.

Drs. Davis and Neff are also remembered as hard workers and expert, caring physicians. Through the years, the department has developed into a national leader in eye care, research and education. The traditions established by the department founders continue today and can be found in the following residency program mission statement.

Mission Statement

The Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Department has three missions equal in importance: education, research, and clinical endeavor. Our first priority in education is residency training.

• Our department must train residents who will provide compassionate and ethical care for their patients.
• Our residents must become skilled clinical ophthalmologists.
• They must be "academically oriented," in the sense of being intellectually curious with a desire to gain new knowledge both at a clinical level and a basic science level.
• Our residents must have a desire to learn and to continue to teach throughout their careers.
• They should wish to establish and maintain a continuing relationship with the department beyond their residency.

Growth in Program and Stature

One of the earliest residents who fulfilled all of these goals was Dr. Peter Duehr.  Dr. Duehr received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin and his M.D. from Rush Medical College. He joined Dr. F. A. Davis in private practice, which eventually became the Davis Duehr Clinic, an outstanding group of physicians who continue to play a role in the department and in the education of its residents.

In 1970, the Ophthalmology Department gained UW departmental status, and Dr. Matthew D. Davis became its first chair. Dr. Davis, a son of Frederick A. Davis, has been a key force in the development of the department since that time.

Dr. Davis brought the department to national prominence for its excellent residency and fellowship programs as well as its research. He was chairman through 1986 and remains a principal contributor in the department. Between 1986 and 1992, Drs. John Chandler and George H. Bresnick served as chairmen of the department. Under Dr. Chandler, the outpatient facilities were moved to University Station Clinic, and plans for our new research wing were set in motion. The latter project was brought to fruition under Dr. Bresnick.

We have made major advances in further improving what we believe to be an excellent residency program, largely through the efforts of Morton Smith, M.D. whose philosphy is continued by the current Vice-Chair, Richard Appen, M.D.

We have added a comprehensive 18-month cycle series of didactic lectures on Friday afternoons. The introduction of practice surgery facilities, a continuous and meaningful resident evaluation system, enhanced grand rounds and an augmented visiting professor series also are among some of the changes.

We hope the descriptive materials that follow will serve to introduce you to our department. I welcome your interest in our program and encourage you to meet with us and explore our educational opportunities.

Ophthalmology Residency Program

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Goals

The primary goals of our program are to:

• provide three years of intensive, carefully supervised clinical training;
• provide firm training in surgical techniques and exposure to surgical techniques, so our residents are confident to perform these procedures independently;
• offer residents opportunities for laboratory or clinical research, with strong faculty support and collaboration;
• help residents play a role in teaching medical students and residents in other fields;
• provide a firm foundation in clinical practice and exposure to research and teaching, so our residents become contributing members of the ophthalmological community if they so choose; and
• provide teaching by clinical faculty on a one-to-one preceptorial level that allows residents to develop a long-lasting relationship with the department and its members.

Experience

Clinical experience: The training program in ophthalmology begins after one or more years of post-graduate training, including a year of internship. The program is 36 months long, beginning July 1. Beginning in 1998, three residents are to be accepted per year for a full complement of nine residents.

The first year of residency, most of which is spent in the eye clinic, allows residents to develop proficiency in ophthalmologic examination, including refraction, keratometry, slit lamp biomicroscopy, perimetry, gonioscopy and ophthalmoscopy. During one rotation, a portion of the resident's time is devoted to studying ophthalmic pathology.

The second and third years of the residency provide training in all aspects of ophthalmic surgery and various subspecialty areas. All surgery is supervised by experienced faculty and is taught in a graded fashion beginning in the first year. Faculty members have sub-specialty training in the following areas: corneal and external disease, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, ophthalmic pathology, ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, retinal disease and uveitis.

The rotations at UW Hospital and Clinics and William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital provide the resident with concentrated involvement in outpatient and inpatient ophthalmic surgery.

The pediatric ophthalmology rotation also includes both inpatients and outpatients and emphasizes training in extraocular muscle surgery.

International experience: Selected residents with international career interests may choose an intensive three-week surgical rotation in India or the Philippines.

Surgical experience: In-house surgical training, i.e. cataract surgery, basic strabismus surgery, retinal, plastics, corneal, glaucoma, and basic refractive surgery, will be provided to all residents in our program.

Resident Rotation Schedule

Year 1	7/3/xx - 10/29/xx	10/30/xx - 2/25/xx	2/26/xx - 6/30/xx
Resident 1	Retina (11 wks) Peds (6 wks)	Path/Plastics (17 wks)	VA (18 wks)
Resident 2	VA (17 weeks)	Retina (11 wks) Peds (6 wks)	Path/Plastics (18 wks)
Resident 3	Path/Plastics (17 wks)	VA (17 wks)	Retina (12 wks)        Peds (6 wks)

Research experience: Numerous faculty members are involved in both clinical and basic science research. The faculty encourage participation throughout the residents stay here.

photos courtesy of University Comunications

Expectations

We expect residents to participate enthusiastically in the educational program of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Residents will find it necessary to design their reading programs and manage their time efficiently to allow preparation for clinical conferences and the annual Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program examination. It is our desire to encourage residents to prepare for a career in which they will contribute to the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in addition to the enjoyable practice of ophthalmology.

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Residency Program