The mission of the Primary Care Optometric Residency Program at Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry is to help residents develop into confident and independent doctors through guided professional development and advanced training in an inter-disciplinary environment. This educational experience utilizes state of the art technology to deliver extensive clinical experience, exposure to academic teaching and involvement in research.

General Information

Duration of Agreement: July 1 - June 30 
Number of Positions: One (1) position available each year. 
Annual Salary: The annual compensation is $55,000. The resident's compensation is not contingent upon productivity. The resident is paid bi-weekly. 
Hours: The resident is scheduled for a minimum of 40 hours per week at the MWU campus or an external site. 
Leave: The resident is appointed as a Visiting Instructor and is offered the benefits at the level of a Visiting Instructor as described in the Visiting Faculty Benefit Handbook. 
Professional Liability Protection: Professional liability insurance is provided by Midwestern University for all sites at which the resident rotates. 
On-Call Duty: The resident is on-call several times throughout the year.

Program Goals

1. Enhance clinical skills with a diversity of patient encounters to allow residents to excel in the practice of optometry.
2. Develop the resident's knowledge base and develop skills for lifelong learning and evidence-based patient care.
3. Offer academic opportunities in both didactic and clinical teaching and promote the development of effective teaching strategies.
4. Develop the resident's communication skills with the healthcare community for effective co-management and promote an interdisciplinary educational experience.
5. Provide opportunities for scholarship.
6. Promote resident involvement in community and college service.
7. Guide residents in professional development and job placement.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Applicants must earn the degree of Doctor of Optometry from a school or college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education prior to the starting date of the residency program.
2. Applicants must have passed the NBEO Part I and have taken Part II by the application deadline. The selected candidate must have passed Part II and be scheduled to sit for Part III.
3. Applicants must be eligible to be licensed as an optometrist in the state of Arizona.

Application Requirements

• Applicants must apply to this residency program through the Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch) online at www.natmatch.com/ormatch/.
• Applicants must submit a letter of intent describing the applicant's reasons for pursuing a residency at the Arizona College of Optometry, as well as their goals and expectations for the year.
• Three letters of recommendation from faculty or practicing optometrists familiar with the applicant's clinical and/or didactic abilities are required; at least one letter must be from a faculty member.  Letters should be submitted directly by the author through ORMatch.
• Applicants must include a current curriculum vitae, NBEO board scores, and an unofficial optometry school transcript through ORMatch.  Applicants invited to interview will be asked to additionally supply an official transcript from their optometry school's registrar.

Selection Procedure

• Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.
• Applicant rankings will be determined by Residency Coordinators and submitted to ORMatch.

Completion Requirements

• The resident is required to keep a detailed log of all program activities via Meditrek® and meet submission deadlines.
• The resident is required to deliver a COPE - approved continuing education lecture.
• The resident is required to deliver patient care services at a satisfactory level at all clinical sites as determined by the clinical supervisors/preceptors involved in the resident's training.
• The resident is required to prepare a manuscript of publishable quality. It may be a case report, literature review or original research.
• The resident will be expected to act in a professional manner with all patient, student, faculty, and staff interactions.

Accreditation Status

• The program was initially accredited in 2019, with the next full site visit expected in 2028. The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) is the accrediting body.  Contact the ACOE at accredit@theacoe.org 

Contact

For additional information about this residency program, please contact:

Christopher Lowe, O.D.
Residency Coordinator-Primary Care
Midwestern University Eye Institute 
5865 W Utopia Rd. 
Glendale, AZ 85308 
clowe@midwestern.edu
623-806-7264