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NEED TO KNOW
2 positions for 24/25 Residency Year (This may change to 3 and will be updated accordingly).
Start Mid-June, Finish Mid-June (52 weeks later).
Official start/finish dates announced after ORMatch results.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO VAMC
The Orlando VA Medical Center, in East Central Florida, is a member of the VISN 8 Healthcare System. The Orlando VA Medical Center includes the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona (ORL), Community Living Center, Outpatient Clinics (OPC) at Lake Baldwin (LKB), Daytona Beach, Viera and Palm Bay as well as the Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Clermont, Kissimmee, Tavares and Deltona.
There are 10 residency trained optometrists on staff (6 at ORL, 4 at LKB) and they each supervise the Orlando VA’s Optometry Residents and Students in clinic. The optometrists provide primary eye care as well as management of chronic ocular diseases and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. Some optometrists also participate in low vision exams, specialty contact lens exams and fitting as well as the evaluation of patients with TBI. The Orlando VAMC Eye Clinic has a teaching program involving fourth year optometry students from several different colleges of optometry.
Ophthalmologists on staff are based at Lake Nona and include: cornea specialists, retina specialists, an oculoplastics specialist, glaucoma specialists, a general ophthalmologist as well as ophthalmology residents. Ophthalmologists manage advanced chronic eye diseases and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases as well as preform major / minor eye surgeries, intravitreal injections and laser procedures.
There are numerous eye technicians on staff at each location that provide triage, screen patients, do Visual Fields, photos, OCT, pachymetry, B-scans, etc.
The Orlando VAMC developed the Optometry Residency program in March 2007. Nova Southeastern University is the academic affiliate. The first optometry resident started July 1, 2007. The residency program is fully accredited by the ACOE and due for a site inspection May 2024 as part of the normal accreditation process.
OPTOMETRY FACULTY
Dr. Jenette Cantrell, Dr. Babita Gounden (CL at ORL), Dr. Lauren Kiggen (low vision at ORL), Dr. David Lynne (Chief of all Orlando Optometry for Corporate Orlando, CL at ORL), Dr. Maria Mandese (Chief of Lake Nona and Lake Baldwin Optometry, TBI at ORL) Dr. Beth Norris (residency co-coordinator at ORL), Dr. Claire Pizzimenti, Dr. John Spalding, (residency co-coordinator at LKB), Dr. Trisha Tran, Dr. Erica Walker (low vision at ORL), Dr. Betty Wang
INTERNAL / EXTERNAL ROTATIONS
RESIDENT’S SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
DIDACTIC ACTIVITIES
REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENCY COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
BENEFITS
HOUSING
APPLICATION CRITERIA
OFFICIAL APPLICATION SITE
SELECTION PROCEDURE
LICENSURE REQUIREMENT
VA REQUIREMENT
CONTACT
John M. Spalding, OD, FAAO
Orlando VAMC – Lake Baldwin Eye Clinic
13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Email: john.spalding@va.gov
UPDATED 8/16/23
2 positions for 24/25 Residency Year (This may change to 3 and will be updated accordingly).
Start Mid-June, Finish Mid-June (52 weeks later).
Official start/finish dates announced after ORMatch results.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO VAMC
The Orlando VA Medical Center, in East Central Florida, is a member of the VISN 8 Healthcare System. The Orlando VA Medical Center includes the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona (ORL), Community Living Center, Outpatient Clinics (OPC) at Lake Baldwin (LKB), Daytona Beach, Viera and Palm Bay as well as the Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Clermont, Kissimmee, Tavares and Deltona.
There are 10 residency trained optometrists on staff (6 at ORL, 4 at LKB) and they each supervise the Orlando VA’s Optometry Residents and Students in clinic. The optometrists provide primary eye care as well as management of chronic ocular diseases and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. Some optometrists also participate in low vision exams, specialty contact lens exams and fitting as well as the evaluation of patients with TBI. The Orlando VAMC Eye Clinic has a teaching program involving fourth year optometry students from several different colleges of optometry.
Ophthalmologists on staff are based at Lake Nona and include: cornea specialists, retina specialists, an oculoplastics specialist, glaucoma specialists, a general ophthalmologist as well as ophthalmology residents. Ophthalmologists manage advanced chronic eye diseases and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases as well as preform major / minor eye surgeries, intravitreal injections and laser procedures.
There are numerous eye technicians on staff at each location that provide triage, screen patients, do Visual Fields, photos, OCT, pachymetry, B-scans, etc.
The Orlando VAMC developed the Optometry Residency program in March 2007. Nova Southeastern University is the academic affiliate. The first optometry resident started July 1, 2007. The residency program is fully accredited by the ACOE and due for a site inspection May 2024 as part of the normal accreditation process.
OPTOMETRY FACULTY
Dr. Jenette Cantrell, Dr. Babita Gounden (CL at ORL), Dr. Lauren Kiggen (low vision at ORL), Dr. David Lynne (Chief of all Orlando Optometry for Corporate Orlando, CL at ORL), Dr. Maria Mandese (Chief of Lake Nona and Lake Baldwin Optometry, TBI at ORL) Dr. Beth Norris (residency co-coordinator at ORL), Dr. Claire Pizzimenti, Dr. John Spalding, (residency co-coordinator at LKB), Dr. Trisha Tran, Dr. Erica Walker (low vision at ORL), Dr. Betty Wang
INTERNAL / EXTERNAL ROTATIONS
- VA Optometry: Low Vision, Specialty Contact Lens, TBI
- VA Ophthalmology Clinic and OR Observation
- External Ophthalmology: Retina
RESIDENT’S SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
- Monday to Friday 7A—4P (no call for now). However, urgent care may extend hours.
- Residents will rotate equally at Lake Nona and at Lake Baldwin via a very detailed rotation schedule announced well in advance.
DIDACTIC ACTIVITIES
- 1st Tuesday of Month Training Day (resident slide quiz to students, journal article/quiz)
- Weds 330-530 Optional Ophthalmology Lecture (for resident(s) at ORL that day)
- Thursday 7a-830a Streamed BPEI/Wilmer/Wills Grand Rounds, 1230p-2p OD conference (Journals, Lectures, Case Presentations, Quizzes, etc.)
- 2nd Friday of Month: VA Central Office TMS Optometry Lectures
REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENCY COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
- 3 Formal Grand Rounds Presentations: 1-2 at VISN 8 Meetings and/or Local Society Meeting, 1 at Nova College of Optometry
- Completion of Paper or Poster (AAO, East-West, SECO, HOA, Florida AAO, AOA Congress or Orlando VAMC) by June 15
- Obtain 3 hours of CE at CFSOP and 12 hours of CE at national meeting (AAO, East-West, SECO, HOA, VisionExpo, Nova, AOA Congress, etc.) at own expense
- Satisfactory performance on all evaluations, timely completion of staff / program evaluations. Completion of all check-out procedures at the Orlando VAMC.
BENEFITS
- 23/24 Salary ($43,924) set nationally by VA
- Federal Holidays, 13 Days Annual Leave, available time for Sick Leave, 2 Authorized Absence Days to attend CE Meetings
- Professional liability (Federal Tort Claims Act) coverage while at the VA
- Health Insurance (at resident’s expense)
HOUSING
- The Resident is responsible for their own housing. If possible, residents should live between Lake Nona and Lake Baldwin.
- 24/25 Residents and beyond, should not plan to live with any staff optometrist based at Lake Nona or Lake Baldwin.
APPLICATION CRITERIA
- OPTOMETRY RELATED
- The applicant will have achieved a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent in optometry school to being considered for an interview.
- The candidate must have a passing score from Part I of the NBEO to be interviewed
- Part II and TMOD scores shall be submitted as soon as they are available.
- Candidates must pass both Part II and TMOD by the ORMatch date in order to be ranked in ORMatch by March of the residency year.
- Every candidate that applies is required to take Part III of NBEO and have scores submitted as soon as available. A passing score is required prior to 7/31 of the residency year.
- The applicant must have earned an OD degree or will have earned such a degree from an accredited School or College of Optometry prior to July 1.
- OTHER
- Residency applicants must be citizens of the United States to be considered
- Residency applicants will be evaluated and chosen without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. (Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov))
- More on eligibility / paperwork involved:
OFFICIAL APPLICATION SITE
SELECTION PROCEDURE
- After all of the minimally acceptable candidates have been interviewed and the supporting materials reviewed, a panel of full-time staff optometrists will rank a number of candidates and send the rankings to the ORMatch office by the matching deadline.
- Once the Orlando VAMC Optometry Residency Program Coordinator has been notified as to the outcome of the matching process, the matched applicant will be contacted.
LICENSURE REQUIREMENT
- The selected resident is required to have submitted an application for an optometry license in any state prior to July 1.
- Should the selected resident not have an optometry license prior to July 31, the selected resident may be discharged from the program and an alternate resident (if available) may or may not be selected to fill the position through names of unmatched residents provided by ORMatch or other sources.
VA REQUIREMENT
- COVID vaccination (or approved exception) is a requirement for VA employment, including those who are coming to VA as without compensation (WOC) and those whose compensation is covered by a disbursement agreement (DA).
CONTACT
John M. Spalding, OD, FAAO
Orlando VAMC – Lake Baldwin Eye Clinic
13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Email: john.spalding@va.gov
UPDATED 8/16/23
