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Wilmer Residency Training

Residency Training:
First-Year Rotations (PGY-2)

The first-year residents (PGY 2) rotate between The Wilmer Eye Institute, Bayview Medical Center, and Greater Baltimore Medical Center. The goal of the first year is to provide residents with a strong background in general eye care (including emergencies) and an introduction to ocular surgery (including cataract surgery) at Wilmer or the affiliate hospitals. On all rotations, at least one day a week is spent in the Wilmer General Eye Service to allow for continuity of care and an understanding of the longitudinal course of various eye diseases. One or two weeks of each rotation is spent as the night float resident covering ophthalmic emergencies in the Emergency Department; during that week, the resident is not assigned clinic or OR responsibilities during the day between Tuesday through Thursday.

Orientation
A two-week orientation period takes place at the start of the year, in which the first-year residents learn basic ophthalmic skills, become familiar with the electronic medical records systems at Johns Hopkins, and attend core lectures in refraction/optics, oculoplastics, ocular trauma, neuro-ophthalmology, cornea/external disease, and glaucoma. The new residents staff the Wilmer Emergency Room (WER), accompanied at all times in the first month by a senior resident.

Wilmer Emergency Room/Consults (2)
Preceptor: PGY-3 Consults Resident and ACS

The first-year residents on these rotations manage and triage all patients referred to the WER. Residents encounter a wide variety and large volume of ophthalmic pathology. In addition, they learn and perform basic ophthalmic procedures, such as diagnostic corneal scraping, removal of corneal foreign bodies and anterior chamber paracentesis. Minor surgical procedures such as incision / drainage of chalazia and repair of lid lacerations are performed in the emergency room or minor treatment room under faculty supervision.

Residents are also introduced to the operating room. They spend one day a week on each of the two ER rotations with the PGY-4 “Wilmer Resident,” assisting with surgical procedures on patients from the General Eye Service, such as phacoemulsification and trabeculectomy. After practicing in the wet lab and reviewing surgical videotapes, the PGY-2 resident starts to perform parts of these surgeries as the rotation progresses.

Neuro-Ophthalmology
Preceptors: Neil Miller, Prem Subramanian

This rotation provides the first-year resident with an introduction to the diagnosis and management of Neuro-Ophthalmic conditions, such as optic neuritis, thyroid eye disease and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri). A half-day each week is spent in the operating room assisting in orbital and neurosurgical cases.

JHU Bayview Medical Center
Preceptors: Robert Weinberg, Elia Duh, Nick Iliff

All patients are seen by residents and presented to the supervising attending in this faculty-practice model. The majority of the rotations emphasizes anterior segment disorders, including cornea/external disease, cataract, uveitis, and glaucoma. Oculoplastic subspecialty patients are seen with Dr. Iliff. Retina patients are seen with Dr. Duh. In September 2011, Divya Srikumaran, M.D. will be joining the department and will see patients and operate with the residents.

Pathology/General Eye Service
Preceptors: Charles Eberhart, ACS, Eric Singman, Mary Lou Collins, Sudeep Pramanik

Three days each week are spent in the Wilmer Ocular Pathology Laboratory with Dr. Eberhart, emphasizing the principles of gross and histopathologic anatomy. One day is spent each week in the Wilmer GES. One day is spent in the GBMC general eye clinic.

Greater Baltimore Medical Center (2)
Preceptors: Mary Lou Collins, Vivian Rismondo, Pat Wilkinson, Sudeep Pramanik

Residents at GBMC are introduced to the subspecialties of Pediatrics/Strabismus, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Low Vision and Contact Lens. Additionally they assist in Pediatric (Dr. Collins), Glaucoma (Dr. Robin) and Vitreo-retinal surgery (Dr. Sjaarda). The GBMC General Eye Service is staffed by first-, second-, and third-year residents and provides a complementary experience to the Wilmer GES, as patients tend to present at different stages of common eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy.

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