Battle Creek VAMC - Residency in Ocular Disease
Accredited Affiliated with Michigan College of OptometryOptometry Clinic
Armstrong Road Battle Creek, MI 49016
Phone: 269-966-5600 x6459
FAX: 269-660-6024
MISSION
The mission of this Veterans’ Health Administration optometry residency program is
to provide post doctorate clinical experiences resulting in advanced competency in
the evaluation, treatment and management of a wide variety of ocular conditions, with
a special emphasis on ocular disease. This program provides experience in the interdisciplinary
clinical care of patients with systemic health problems. Interactions with the disciplines
of laboratory medicine, internal medicine, ophthalmology and radiology enhance the
resident’s knowledge of systemic disease and its many ocular manifestations. It also
serves to sharpen the management skills of the resident in dealing with specific ocular
diseases. Lastly, the optometry residency program offers the opportunity for scholarly
pursuits. These include student teaching, written case reports and oral presentations.
The skills developed in this residency program will serve as a platform for continued
professional development and advanced competency throughout the graduate’s career.
Contact Person: Michael Vandeveer, OD, MPA
E-Mail: michael.vandeveer@va.gov or Molly.McGinty-Tauren@va.gov
Clinical Teaching Faculty: Michael Vandeveer, O.D., M.P.A.
Molly McGinty-Tauren, O.D.
Other Clinical Mentors: Matthew Johnson, O.D. Blind Rehab
Battle Creek VAMC/Grand Rapids Outpatient Clinic: The medical center provides both outpatient and inpatient care to eligible veterans
living in the region. Services include comprehensive primary health care, substance
abuse treatment, psychiatric care, dental care, and nursing home care.
Length of Program: 1 year; July 1 until June 30 of the following year
Admissions: All applicants to optometry residencies must use the Optometric Residency Matching
Services (ORMS).
ORMS provides:
- comprehensive listing of all COE accredited residency programs
- detailed instructions for applying to a residency program
- standardized application forms
- conducts a fair and standardized process for matching applicants to residency programs
More information, instructions, forms, and deadlines are available at:
Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch)
National Matching Services, Inc.
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M4S 3B1
Telephone: 416-977-3431
Fax: 416-977-5020
E-mail: ormatch@natmatch.com
Application and Instructions
Download one of the following
MSWord - allows you to type in responses and print
Pdf - allows you to print blank form for manual completion (requires Adobe Reader)
Rtf - Download, complete using your word processing program
Application Requirements:
- Name, current address and phone number
- Curriculum Vitae
- Transcripts of NBEO scores
- Transcripts of optometric education
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty members of the applicant?s college of
optometry. It is recommended that at least one of your letters of recommendations
is written by a clinical instructor who directly supervised you during your Fourth
year cliical experience.
- Brief statement from the applicant regarding the individual?s desire to complete this
particular residency program
Application Deadline: February 1
Schedule:
8:00am-4:30pm M-F; Resident is expected to be involved in the direct care of 9 scheduled
patients per day; this does not include observation of additional patients with ocular
disease and the instruction of student interns in the latter half of the program;
The resident has no on-call duties after hours, however is responsible for the care
of emergent add-ons during duty hours
Stipends and Expenses: The resident will receive $31,965 for the year in training. Resident compensation
is determined nationally and is not contingent upon productivity. The VA will carry
professional liability insurance for the resident
Scope of the Residency: Roughly 30% of patients entering the optometry clinics require either no care for
their eyes, or care limited to routine refractive procedures. The remaining 70% present
with a wide array of ocular disease states running the gamut from commonly encountered
conditions such as diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma to less common conditions
including sickle cell retinopathy and intraocular tumors. Over the course of the resident’s
year of training it is expected that he/she will encounter most conditions studied
while in optometry school.
GOALS FOR THE RESIDENCY
- To improve the resident’s ability to diagnose and manage visual and ocular disease
processes such as cataracts, macular degeneration, retinal degenerations, and diabetic
retinopathies.
- To improve the resident's ability to differentially diagnose and manage anterior segment
disease.
- To improve the residen's ability to differentially diagnose and nonsurgically manage
the glaucomas.
- To improve the resident's ability to diagnose and manage other causes of visual deficit
such as neurologic disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease.
- To develop a knowledge and understanding of the health care delivery mechanisms in
VA hospital environments and participate in multidisciplinary health care delivery.
- To develop a knowledge and understanding of the social, emotional, and cultural characteristics
common to patients in hospital environments.
- To prepare optometrists for lifelong scholarship in patient care, education, and optometric
leadership.
- To provide adequate facilities and resources for use by the residents.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
-to better understand the differential diagnosis of the various ocular disorders which
affect vision
-to better understand the disease mechanisms which lead to visual impairment
-to establish appropriate treatment plans for patients with disorders of the eye or
visual system
-to understand and consistently utilize the full scope of professional services available
to patients with ocular disorders
-to develop effective skills for communicating with patients, optometry staff, and
other disciplines
-to effectively communicate with others through oral and written reports
-to develop effective teaching methods with optometry students-to share with other
health care providers the value of optometry
-to develop supervisory skills in the interdisciplinary management of patients with
visual disorders
-to develop skills for the supervision of assigned students
-to better understand administrative interactions with other agencies involved in
the care of hospitalized patients with visual disorders
-to develop administrative techniques necessary for the management of components such
as scheduling, budget, supplies, staff/patient ratio, etc.
INSTRUMENTATION
Each of the three exam rooms comes equipped with up to date instrumentation including:
Computerized record system with desktop computer (internet accessible)
- Ultramatic phoropter
- Computerized acuity projections systems
- Keratometer
- Trial lens set with trial frame
- Slit lamp with Goldmann tonometer
- Automated lensometers
- Wheel chair glide with reclining exam chairs
Also within the clinic:
- Visucam Zeiss fundus camera
- Stratus OCT
- Anterior Segment OCT
- A/B Scan ultrasound unit
- Humphrey visual field analyzer
- FDT Visual Field
- Perkins tonometer
- Portable ultrasound pachymeter
- Tonopen
- Topcon Auto-refractor
- Hertel exophthalmometer
- Potential acuity meter
- Blood pressure
Non-contact tonometer Hand instruments/injectables for simple excisions
- Foreign body removal kit
- Hand held slit lamp
- Punctal dilation and irrigation kit
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY HEALTH SERVICES
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Rehabilitative Medicine
- General Practice Medicine
- Nuclear Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Dentistry
- Clinical Pharmacy
STAFF EXPECTATIONS
- Residents must be hard-working, self-motivated, and enthusiastic. Residency programs
are independent in nature, so what you get out of the program depends on what you
put in to it. Dedication, discipline, and commitment are expected.
- The resident is a role model for senior optometry students as well as a representative
for optometry to the medical community. The resident must conduct him/herself at all
times with composure, patience, and professionalism.
- Teamwork is stressed in the clinic. It is expected that all members of the clinic
staff will contribute to the goal of providing comprehensive and compassionate care
to the patients. Ancillary staff is limited, so residents are expected to take part
in all tasks associated with the care of the patients.
RESIDENT PRIVILEGES
Leave time:
- Ten days of annual leave submitted with 60 days advanced notice
- All federal holidays (ten)
- Authorized absence may be grated at the supervisor’s discretion for the attendance
of conferences or professional development
- Ten days of sick leave
Health Insurance (contact director for information)
- Professional liability protection
Amenities:
- A small on campus store and cafeteria are available
- The hospital medical library is available for resident use
- Residents may use the full facility gym
PROGRAM ENRICHMENT
- The resident is encouraged to interact with other disciplines inside and outside the
medical center. Opportunities exist to visit Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Pathology,
Primary Care, and Dermatology as well as to visit private ophthalmologists in the
area.
- The resident is encouraged to interact with 4th year externs from MCO in the long
distance Virtual Grand Rounds academic course.
- The resident must be prepared for teaching, public speaking, and writing opportunities.
- The first Friday of every other month is devoted to Grand Rounds at the Grand Rapids
Outpatient Clinic. The resident is an active participant during rounds, guiding the
presentation and discussion of case reports
REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARDING OF RESIDENCY CERTIFICATE
Satisfactory completion of all of the programs stated goals and objectives, giving
exception only when the program and/or facility could not make appropriate provisions
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Vandeveer at the address above, or
Bruce Morgan, OD, FAAO
Director of Residencies
Michigan College of Optometry
Ferris State University
1124 S. State Street, MCO 231
Big Rapids, Michigan 49307
(231) 591-2180 - telephone
(231) 591-2394 - fax
morganb@ferris.edu
