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Residency Director: Mitchell Drucker, M.D.

Residency Coordinator: Louise Switzer
                             phone: (813) 974-4835
                                          lswitzer@hsc.usf.edu

The residents at the Veteran's Hospital see 12,000 patients per year with a variety of ophthalmic problems. About half the clinics are for general ophthalmology and half are sub-specialized, with specific clinics in the fields of retina, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics and cornea/external disease. The general ophthalmology clinics are typically staffed by invited private ophthalmologists on the clinical faculty while the sub-specialty clinics are staffed by both the USF full time faculty and private practitioners, many of who are fellowship trained. Surgery is performed three days of the week.

At Tampa General Hospital residents see 8,000 patients per year conducting three half-days of

outpatient clinic. Residents also operate generally one-half day per week. All residents take emergency room call at Tampa General Hospital and see an ample amount of ocular trauma.

All Children's Hospital is a tertiary care pediatric facility. Surgery is scheduled three half days per week. There is a resident pediatric ophthalmology clinic at the USF Eye Institute.

Resident exposure to surgery increases during each year of the program. PGY-2 begin with extra ocular procedures. After demonstration in a level of competency, they progress to perform certain intraocular procedures near the end of the first year. In the second year (PGY-3) the exposure to surgery increases. Each second year resident does about 15 to 30 cataracts. In the third year a large number of surgeries of all types is performed particularly at the Veteran's Hospital. By the end of the program each resident generally has performed between 150 and 200 surgical procedures.

A pathology rotation is integrated into the three year program. Exposure to fluorescein angiography, electro-physiology, and ultrasonography is incorporated into sub-specialty rotations.

All incoming residents are given an orientation course in July and August to provide them with a foundation and background in the principles of ophthalmology, ophthalmic examination and diagnosis. During the first 10 days of July, time is spent on examination techniques with most of the emphasis on a practical refraction course. After this introduction, the residents begin in the clinic in the middle of July. Throughout July and August, lectures are scheduled by each sub-specialty specifically for the first year residents. The didactic portion of the teaching program for all residents begins in September of each year and continues through June. It consists of sub-specialty service conferences, basic science lectures, departmental rounds, and hospital section meetings for a total of approximately 156 hours a year. Grand Rounds are provided once a month with visiting professors in many different sub-specialties.

Each resident is expected to conduct independent outside reading throughout the residency program. The department purchases the Academy's Basic and Clinical Science Series for each resident. A reading list of other recommended books to purchase is given to the residents when they start the program. Residents are required to initiate and complete a hypothesis-driven research project during their three years of training. This project will be supervised by a faculty member and the results presented at grand round meetings during their second and third years.

We are delighted that you are interested in our program and we are available to answer additional questions you may have that have not been addressed in this summary. Applications should be made through the central application service of the Ophthalmology Matching Program. We request that you provide us with a vision examination to include corrected and uncorrected visual acuity, color vision, and stereopsis if you are chosen to interview. To be considered all candidates will require a personal interview at our Department. All applicants must be eligible for a Florida Medical License; and, if matched to this program, will be required to obtain a medical license or register as an unlicensed physician before beginning the residency. Florida licensure or registration requires satisfactory completion of a PGY-1 (internship) in the United States or Canada.

Cornea	Lewis Groden, M.D. Craig Berger, M.D.
Retina	Peter Reed Pavan, M.D.
Neuro-Ophthalmology	Mitchell Drucker, M.D.
Pediatric Ophthalmology	Bruce Hess, M.D. Frank Mendelblatt, M.D. Linda Nakanishi, M.D.
Glaucoma	David Richards, M.D. Christine Callahan, M.D.
Oculoplastics	Charles Slonim, M.D.
Contact Lens / Low Vision	Bruce Anderson, O.D.
Ocular Pathology	Curtis Margo, M.D.