Download Residency Training Program PDF - Ross Eye Institute

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OVERVIEW OF THE RESIDENCY
The Residency Review Committee of the ACGME approves programs to train
residents. It is the responsibility of the Residency Program Director to certify that
each of the residents has achieved acceptable levels of performance. If a resident
does not perform acceptably, it is the responsibility of the program director to
assist him or her if possible or, if not, to discharge him or her from the program.
Areas in which the resident=s performance is judged include cognitive skills,
surgical skills, clinical judgement, and professional conduct. Physicians accepted
into the University at Buffalo Ophthalmology Residency Program are unlikely to
have insoluble problems in any of these areas. However, in order to critically
evaluate and fairly assess trainees, it is important to outline minimum goals and
expectations.
A. Cognitive skills are assessed in the following ways: the OKAP exam
(Ophthalmic Knowledge and Assessment Program) is required and each
resident is expected to score appropriate to his/her capabilities. With the
quality of our residents, we would expect scores equal or higher than the
national average. Faculty evaluations are made quarterly by the staff
responsible for each of the resident=s rotations. Preparations for and
presentations of research projects, Grand Rounds, along with participation
in Journal Club and weekly conferences, are also evaluated by the staff.
2. Surgical skills are evaluated by the staff supervising the resident=s
rotations and during didactic and laboratory surgical sessions. It is
important to recognize that surgical skills encompass more than technical
ability (although this is certainly important): the areas of case selection,
pre- and post-operative care, avoidance and management of complications
and surgical judgement in the operating room are included and are of
utmost importance.
C. Clinical judgement is difficult to define but it is used here to describe the
various skills which separate simple cognitive skills from the ability to
practice clinical medicine. Quite often PGY-2 ophthalmology residents
can answer enough questions correctly on the OKAP examination to pass
the written portion of the American Board of Ophthalmology examination
Part I, but no one would suggest that such individuals are completely
competent to practice ophthalmology. Three years of clinical experience,
with a variety of patients under a wide variety of circumstances and
pressures, offers the opportunity for the residents to synthesize skills
(information gathering, problem solving, surgical technique, relations with
patients and colleagues, etc.) into an effective means of caring for patients.
It is this which is measured under the heading of judgement. This also is
assessed by the staff responsible for the resident=s rotation. Attendance at
all clinics and conferences is mandatory except when on vacation or in the
O.R. as a senior resident.
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