Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

• We examine, evaluate, diagnose, manage and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system to ensure operational readiness.
• We provide excellence in educational training for residents, externs and corps staff.
• We are recognized as a center of excellence for the ophthalmic subspecialty fields, including low vision and medically indicated contact lenses.
• We provide customer- focused support to all patients including Medical Teams for the Executive Branch of the United States Government.

WRNMMCB cannot accept any observers, trainees,or facilitators who are not United States citizens by birth or naturalization.

(Site is not available to dual citizens.) If the student has a foreign national ID card or passport, they will be required to relinquish those documents (which will be shredded by the security office) during in processing.

Dr. Geeta Girdher will email the student 60 days prior to the beginning of your rotation to verify dates, times, directions, parking, specific health test requirements, and any other instructions and paperwork that will need to be filled out. Report to the above address at 8:00 a.m. the first day of the rotation for orientation to policies, clinical protocol, administrative procedures, etc. 

^*Students are no longer allowed to drive onto the base, and it is recommended that housing be arranged that is bus and/or metro accessible.

Contact Person:

Dr. Geeta Girdher   [email protected] 
Director, Student Education

Other Clinical Mentors:

Geeta Girdher, OD, FAAO
LTC Ina Lee-Wharton
CDR Jacqueline Anderson
Mimi Lum, OD
Joseph Rispoli, OD
Joshua Walek, OD.

Support Staff:

3 opticians
2 RNs
8 surgical technicians

Operating Hours:

((7 a.m. - 5:30 pm.)
Roughly 8-9 hour days with 1 day off every other week.

Number of patients seen by extern per day:

8-10

• Our primary goal is readiness
• Provide comprehensive primary and consultative services to all active duty members
• Provide specialty eye care services such as:
  • In-depth low vision evaluations for patients with ophthalmic impairments
  • Specialty contact lens services for active duty patients who have a medically indicated requirement
  • Operationally required contact lenses for active duty patients assigned to special operational units.

• Psychology
• Geriatric medicine
• Internal medicine
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitative medicine
• Dentistry
• General practice medicine
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Respiratory
• Pharmacy
• Neurology
•  

• Topographers
• Orb Scan
• A and B scan
• Eximer and Yag Lasers
• Digital Angiography
• Pachymetry
• Main and Minor OR
• Fundus Cameras
• Humphrey Visual Field Analyzers
• Goldmann projection perimenter
• Anterior segment photographic biomicroscope
• Fundus Contact lenses, 3 and 4 mirror
• Fundus Non contact lenses
• OCT

• Patient population consists of active duty and retired members from all branches of Uniformed Services (Armed Forces and Public Health Service) and their dependents. Health care is provided to members of the executive branch of the federal government including the President of the United States, Cabinet members, and members of Congress.
• Interns required to conform to the dress code prescribed by MCO. Clinic jackets and name-tags are required.
• Orientation includes a review of military cultural customs, courtesies and ranks. Review of Optometry Student Handbook required.
• One day per week with Ophthalmology department. Specialties include refractive and cataract surgery, minor surgery procedures, retina, pediatrics, cornea, oculoplastics and glaucoma.
• Participation in Diabetic Screening clinic and physical examinations such as flight physicals and cycloplegia clinics.
• One day per week in optometry specialty clinics to include Contact Lens and Low Vision Clinics.
• Instruction by professional photographer available for interested interns
• No student equipment needed.
• Internet Access available in medical library and eye clinic.
• Weekly case reports or reports on journal articles required.
• NNMC eye clinic also affiliated with PCO, SCO, SCCO, SUNY