Electives - Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology

Elective Number: 2002 (arranged)

Rotation Supervisors: Dr. Laura Cook and Chief Residents

Designated Signer: Shae Berghuis; snb4b@virginia.edu; 982-0377

Duration: 4 weeks

Available: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Report to: Shae Berghuis

Time to Report: 8:30 am

Place to Report: OMS 2nd floor room 2841

Typical day: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Attendance: Attendance at elective activities is mandatory.

• Anyone who is ill or has a personal or family emergency must contact Student Affairs and the Attending on Service.
• Students are allowed to take off up to 1 day per week to interview between November 1 and February 1.
  • Specific days missed must be approved by the Attending on Service.

Number of students per rotation: 1 

Course Description: The ophthalmology elective will acquaint all medical students with the techniques of examination of the eye, common fundus pathology, cataracts, glaucoma, common external problems such as infections, and also ophthalmic emergencies. Students interested in Ophthalmology as a possible career choice will wish to spend a greater proportion of their time in activities such as following patients that they have seen in the clinic to the operating room and following their postoperative course. Students will spend the majority of their time in the Resident Clinic with 1st and 3rd year ophthalmology residents. If they have more of an interest to see specific subspecialty ocular conditions, they are able to spend time with specific Attendings in the clinical practice and in the operating room. Students going into non-ophthalmic fields of medicine are better served seeing acute eye problems in the Eye Clinic with the ophthalmology resident on call, with less time spent in the operating room setting, observing ophthalmic procedures.

Goals and Objectives:

• expose students to Ophthalmology as a possible career choice;
• for the students not interested in Ophthalmology as a career choice, to expose them to a diverse variety of eye conditions that primary care physicians will encounter. Instruct them on which conditions can be treated effectively by primary care physicians and what type of conditions need to be referred to an ophthalmologist;
• expose all students to a variety of ophthalmic surgery and pre-op and post-operative care.