We are excited to announce that Dr. Melissa Kontos from The University of Houston College of Optometry will be our pediatric optometry resident for 2024-25. Welcome, Dr. Kontos!
Applications for the 2025-26 pediatric optometry residency at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute are due Friday, January 31, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited to interview in person in Nashville, TN on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Mission Statement
The pediatric optometry residency program at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute provides advanced clinical training in pediatric eye care. We intend to train competent and compassionate optometrists who provide high-quality, evidence-based pediatric eye care and are prepared for a career in a medical and/or academic setting.
Program Description
Residents in our 12-month program will strengthen their pediatric exam skills and learn to diagnose and manage pediatric visual and ocular conditions in a hospital-based setting. They will learn to provide eye care to children with disabilities and developmental delay and have the opportunity to learn about pediatric low vision and pediatric contact lens fitting. Residents will have the opportunity to co-manage patients with pediatric ophthalmologists as well as other subspecialty ophthalmologists.
Clinical Curriculum
The resident will have clinic five days per week. Direct pediatric patient care is prioritized. Residents will spend the majority of their clinic time at the main Vanderbilt Eye Institute location in Nashville but will also go to the Vanderbilt Eye Institute clinic in Franklin (30 minutes south of Nashville).
The resident will also see patients in the Comprehensive and Contact Lens Optometry Clinic. The resident will provide comprehensive eye care and contact lens services and have the opportunity to learn specialty contact lens fitting.
The resident will have the opportunity to see patients in multiple low vision clinics: the Low Vision/Visual Rehabilitation Clinic, Project PAVE, and the Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment Clinic. Residents will also have the opportunity to observe subspecialty pediatric ophthalmology clinics.
There is no vision therapy in the curriculum.
Academic Curriculum
The resident will participate in the following didactic activities:
• Pediatric ophthalmology journal club
• Pediatric optometry case conference
• Weekly Vanderbilt Eye Institute Grand Rounds
• Resident lectures pertaining to pediatric ophthalmology
The resident is also encouraged to attend continuing education activities offered by the Vanderbilt Eye Institute and the UAB School of Optometry at no cost to the resident. The resident is strongly encouraged to attend the American Academy of Optometry meeting.
The resident will be required to keep a patient and academic activity log. The resident will also be required to write a paper based on original research, literature review, or a clinical case report/case series suitable for publication in a refereed ophthalmic journal. The resident will give a COPE-approved lecture as a part of the Residents Day at the UAB School of Optometry.
Core Program Faculty
Meghan Flemmons, MD
Stephanie Jian, OD, FAAO
Lori Ann Kehler, OD, FAAO
Dora Mathe, MS, OD, FAAO
Caitlyn Reynolds, OD, FAAO
Joshua Robinson, OD, FAAO
Stipend/Benefits
The stipend is $70,000 (for 2024-25, subject to annual GME increase). Health insurance and liability insurance are provided. The resident can be reimbursed for up to $3,000 of eligible academic/professional expenses. The resident is eligible for up to 15 days of vacation, not including clinic holidays.
Accreditation
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (accredit@theacoe.org).
Application
Applicants must submit an Optometry Residency Match (ORMatch) application that includes the following supporting documentation: statement of interest, curriculum vitae, official optometry school transcript, copy of full NBEO score report, and three letters of recommendation. Selected applicants will be invited to interview with the Residency Selection Committee in February.
Applicants must have earned, or will have earned by the start of the program, an O.D. degree from an ACOE accredited school or college of optometry. Applicants must have passed parts I, II, and III of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) exams. The optometry resident must be eligible for an optometry license in the State of Tennessee. Successful completion of the Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) examination and the Injections Skill Exam (ISE) is required for optometry licensure in the State of Tennessee. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
Contact Information
Stephanie Jian, OD, FAAO
stephanie.jian@vumc.org
Pediatric Optometry Residency Director
615-875-6840
Silvia Clavijo
Program Coordinator
silvia.m.clavijo@vumc.org
615-936-4931