To fulfill this goal, the faculty are committed to academic, clinical, and ethical training of residents and medical students. The department trains three residents per year in a three year program that provides in-depth experience in all aspects of the field. The residents' training at MCV Hospitals and the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center includes exposure to both general and subspecialty clinical and surgical ophthalmology. Residents gain experience in neuro-ophthalmology, ophthalmic pathology, laser surgery, cataract procedures, corneal transplants, glaucoma procedures, retinal detachments, plastic surgery, and other major ocular procedures. Throughout the three years of residency, there are excellent opportunities for pre- and postoperative management of surgical patients and for continuity of care in the outpatient clinic.
Most surgical experience is gained in the second and third years of training.
The surgical volume handled by the residents is among the highest in the country. We are particularly proud of the ophthalmic outpatient facilities at MCV, which have recently been renovated. Both resident clinics and faculty offices are now located in one unit of the Nelson Clinic's fourth floor. Residents now work in one of the most modern, well-equipped, and comfortable of clinical settings among teaching programs, with ready access to faculty for consultations. Every subspecialty in ophthalmology is represented among the full-time faculty, who are philosophically committed to excellence in teaching.