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MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Orlando VAMC Optometry Residency program is to provide training to post-doctoral level optometrists that will enhance their clinical skills in ocular disease, geriatrics and primary care.
NEED TO KNOW
3 positions for 25/26 Residency Year (As of 11/12/24).
Start Mid to Late June, Finish Mid to Late 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 12 residency trained optometrists on staff (9 at ORL, 3 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 accredited by the ACOE and had a site inspection 6/11/24 as part of the normal accreditation process.
The Orlando VAHCS Residency in Ocular Disease with emphases in Primary Care and Geriatrics holds the status “accredited” from the ACOE (theacoe.org; [email protected])
The Orlando VAHCS Residency in Ocular Disease with emphases in Primary Care and Geriatrics holds the status “accredited” from the ACOE (theacoe.org; [email protected]) with the next full evaluation visit currently scheduled for June 2032.
Contact the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at [email protected] or 1-800-365-2219. Click here for more information about accreditation of optometric residency programs.
OPTOMETRY FACULTY
Dr. Jenette Cantrell, Dr. Babita Gounden (CL at ORL), Dr. Nirmani Karunathilake (residency co-coordinator at LKB), 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, Dr. Trisha Tran, Dr. Erica Walker (low vision at LKB), Dr. Betty Wang
RESIDENT’S SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
GRADUATED SUPERVISION
CURRICULUM
RESIDENT ACTIVITIES
RESIDENCY COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
BENEFITS
HOUSING
LOCATIONS
APPLICATION CRITERIA
OFFICIAL APPLICATION SITE
SELECTION PROCEDURE
LICENSURE REQUIREMENT
VA REQUIREMENT
CONTACT
Beth Norris, OD, FAAO
Orlando VAMC – Lake Nona Eye Clinic
13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Email: [email protected]
UPDATED 6/17/24
The mission of the Orlando VAMC Optometry Residency program is to provide training to post-doctoral level optometrists that will enhance their clinical skills in ocular disease, geriatrics and primary care.
NEED TO KNOW
3 positions for 25/26 Residency Year (As of 11/12/24).
Start Mid to Late June, Finish Mid to Late 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 12 residency trained optometrists on staff (9 at ORL, 3 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 accredited by the ACOE and had a site inspection 6/11/24 as part of the normal accreditation process.
The Orlando VAHCS Residency in Ocular Disease with emphases in Primary Care and Geriatrics holds the status “accredited” from the ACOE (theacoe.org; [email protected])
The Orlando VAHCS Residency in Ocular Disease with emphases in Primary Care and Geriatrics holds the status “accredited” from the ACOE (theacoe.org; [email protected]) with the next full evaluation visit currently scheduled for June 2032.
Contact the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at [email protected] or 1-800-365-2219. Click here for more information about accreditation of optometric residency programs.
OPTOMETRY FACULTY
Dr. Jenette Cantrell, Dr. Babita Gounden (CL at ORL), Dr. Nirmani Karunathilake (residency co-coordinator at LKB), 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, Dr. Trisha Tran, Dr. Erica Walker (low vision at LKB), Dr. Betty Wang
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.
GRADUATED SUPERVISION
CURRICULUM
RESIDENT ACTIVITIES
RESIDENCY COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
BENEFITS
- 25/26 Salary $45,046 set nationally by VA OAA.
- 24/25 Salary $44,477 set nationally by VA OAA.
- 23/24 Salary $43,924 set nationally by VA OAA.
- Federal Holidays, 13 Days Annual Leave, 13 Days for Sick Leave, 2 Authorized Absence Days to attend CE Meetings
- Professional liability (Federal Tort Claims Act) coverage while at the VA or on external rotation:
- VA physicians are covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act - 28 U.S.C. § 1346 and 28 U.S.C § 2671. Medical personnel have statutory immunity from “individual” malpractice liability while acting within scope of employment. A VA physician cannot be sued in civil court for the malpractice (tort) claim.
- Health Insurance is Available (discussed at VA NEO, will be 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, ARE NOT ALLOWED to live with any staff optometrist based at Lake Nona or Lake Baldwin.
LOCATIONS
- Lake Baldwin
- 5201 Raymond Street, Orlando, FL 32803
- Lake Nona
- 13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
APPLICATION CRITERIA
- OPTOMETRY RELATED
- The applicant will have achieved a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent in optometry school and have passed Part 1 of the NBEO to be considered for an interview.
- 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.
- 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(s) 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
Beth Norris, OD, FAAO
Orlando VAMC – Lake Nona Eye Clinic
13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Email: [email protected]
UPDATED 6/17/24
