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EDUCATION
DIDACTICS PROGRAM
The residents will share a common didactic program with the residents of The UA Program. The foundation of the residency didactic program is weekly rounds, and lectures every Wednesday and Friday morning. Residents present clinical cases weekly at rounds on Friday mornings. The Department of Ophthalmology also sponsors Grand Rounds and evening lectures programs with visiting speakers, and both are venues for interaction with the community physicians. Semi-annual oral exams are given to measure resident progress. Written tests on specific topics are also administered approximately twice a year. Residents also take the OKAP exam annually.
Rounds and conferences are held at the administrative office of the Department, where there is a 50-person conference room with multimedia capability. A computer area with Internet access, and an on-site library with recent ophthalmic publications and references are also available at the administrative offices.
Wet Lab: A state-of-the-art wet lab with full Leica operating microscope and Alcon Accurus Vitrector/Phacoemulsifier is available 24 hours a day.
CLINICAL TRAINING
During the three-year residency, residents assume increasing responsibility for patient care. Residents interact directly with medical students and assist in medical student education. An attending is always on call for consultation.
· 1st Year (PGY-2) Residents: The first year residents are primarily based at the Department of Ophthalmology outpatient facilities (UPH Eye Clinics at Kino and Alvernon). During the first year, the residents become proficient in the eye examination, and learn to formulate treatment plans under the supervision of an attending ophthalmologist. The first year residents see mainly general ophthalmology patients in the outpatient clinic. They get exposure to the areas of cornea, glaucoma, retina, pediatric ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, and contact lenses. First year residents act primarily as assistants in the operating room, with increasing responsibility as the year progresses.
· 2nd Year (PGY-3) Residents: Second year residents assume increasing levels of responsibility. Outside rotations with community physicians in retina and cornea occur during the second year. Specialty rotations at the Department of Ophthalmology occur in the area of neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, cornea, retina, ophthalmic plastic surgery, and glaucoma.
· 3rd Year (PGY-4) Residents: For nine months, third year residents are based at the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System, where the residents are perceived as the "doctor" to all patients. Attending staff are present and act in a supervisory capacity, but patient care is initiated and carried out by the third year residents under direct faculty supervision. For three months, the resident will be Chief Resident.
Call: During the first and second year, call is approximately one night per week and one weekend per six weeks, taken from home, covering the three affiliated hospitals. During the third year, call is approximately two weeks and two weekends per month for surgical backup, again taken at home.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
We are fortunate to have two faculty members who practice in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and who host our first year (PGY-2) residents for “Immersion Ophthalmic Spanish” for one to two weeks. The second year (PGY-3) residents participate in an international education experience for one week. This experience allows residents to treat rural and under-served patients, as well as distribute free eyeglasses and medicine. The year's program was conducted in Honduras in partnership with Salud Juntos, a nonprofit organization of volunteers who develop community programs and donate their professional skills. Check out our "postcards from Honduras" for more details about the Honduran experience.
Postcard 1 Postcard 5
Postcard 2 Postcard 6
Postcard 3 Postcard 7
Postcard 4 Postcard 8
RESEARCH
The faculty of The UA Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science firmly believe that research experience is essential for developing an appreciation of medical literature and scientific methods. The Department subsidizes residents to present their research at national meetings.
UA clinical faculty have varied research interests in the areas of cornea, cataract surgery, refractive surgery, myopia, glaucoma, infectious diseases, optics, amblyopia, dry eyes, and neuro-ophthalmology. Our research faculty have special interests in the area of optics, cell biology, glaucoma, and visual development. The Department has a very active clinical studies program with special emphasis in Hispanic and Native American eye conditions. The Department has ongoing collaborations with The UA College of Optical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacology, and Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
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Faculty |
Research Interests |
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Lansing Brown, MD
Clinical Lecturer
General Ophthalmology |
Dr. Brown concentrates on general ophthalmic problems. |
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Harold E. Cross, MD, PhD
Professor |
Dr. Cross heads the Medical Student Teaching Program. |
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Velma Dobson, PhD
Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Psychology
Visual Development |
Dr. Dobson's research interests are in the area of visual acuity, visual field, and refractive error development in infants and young children. Current research projects include studies of visual field extent in infants, astigmatism in Native American children, visual development in infants with retinopathy of prematurity, and vision screening in preschool children. |
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John Greivenkamp, Jr., PhD
Professor, Optical Sciences,
and Ophthalmology and Vision Science
Ophthalmic Optics |
Dr. Greivenkamp specializes in corneal surface modeling and ophthalmic testing (metrology). |
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Erin M. Harvey, PhD
Associate Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Public Health
Visual Development |
The research interests of Erin Harvey are vision screening, critical periods for the treatment of amblyopia in children, measurements of visual deficits in children with amblyopia and astigmatism, and visual perception. |
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Alan D. Marmorstein, PhD
Associate Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Optical Sciences
Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Eye |
Dr. Marmorstein's research interests include the etiology and mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration.
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Lihua Y. Marmorstein, PhD
Associate Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Physiology
Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Eye |
Dr. Marmorstein's research focuses on the study of inherited maculopathies reminiscent of AMD to pinpoint the defective cellular pathways in macular degeneration. |
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Brian S. McKay, PhD
Assistant Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Cell Biology and Anatomy
Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Eye |
Dr. McKay conducts research in RPE transplantation methods for AMD therapy, and protein expression in glaucoma. |
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Joseph M. Miller, MD, MPH
Professor and Head
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
Professor, Optical Sciences and Public Health
Visual Development |
Dr. Miller's research interests include normal visual development, the treatment of strabismus and amblyopia, the effect of refractive error on visual development, and the development and evaluation of ophthalmic instruments. |
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John C. Nichols, MD
Assistant Professor
General Ophthalmology and Cornea |
Dr. Nichols has research interests in ocular surface disorders. |
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Richard R. Ober, MD
Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology |
Dr. Ober's research interests include diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and vitreoretinal trauma. |
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Jim T. Schwiegerling, PhD
Associate Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Optical Sciences
Optics |
Dr. Schwiegerling's research interests are in the area of optical properties of the eye, including raytracing analysis, corneal topography, and wavefront sensing. Applications include intraoperative and post-operative measurement of corneal shape and customized ablation for refractive surgery. |
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Rand W. Siekert, OD
Optometrist
General Eye Exams, Contact Lens Care, including keratoconus, aphakia, and post corneal transplants |
Dr. Siekert's interest include refractive surgery, as well as complicated contact lens fitting. |
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W. Daniel Stamer, PhD
Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Pharmacology
Associate Head, Vision Science
Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Eye |
The focus of Dr. Stamer's research is to determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal maintenance of aqueous humor outflow in the human eye. |
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J. Daniel Twelker, OD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology and Vision Science,
and Public Health
Visual Development |
Dr. Twelker's research interests include refractive error in Native American children and pediatric refractive problems. |
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Roxana Ursea, MD
Assistant Professor
Ophthalmology and Vision Science
Cornea, Refractive Surgery,
and Uveitis |
Dr. Ursea’s clinical interests include anterior segment disorders, laser vision correction, and challenging uveitis cases. Her research interests include exploring new modalities of imaging of the eye, new applications of high frequency ultrasound, and the role of cytokines in anterior segment disorders. |
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Mingwu Wang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinic Ophthalmology
General Ophthalmology |
Dr. Wang’s interests include glaucoma imaging, as well as eye disease related to Parkinson’s disease. |
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