Message from the Program Director

My roots are in the Midwest, but the southeast is incredibly appealing due to the warmth and kindness of coworkers, colleagues, patients, and the community at large.  Vanderbilt exemplifies this kindness in its commitment to patient care, research, and education. The outcome is judged based on the impact this commitment has on our patients and our community.  Our training program follows this track by identifying applicants for residency that demonstrate these characteristics.  As a result, our residents are warm, kind, hard-working, and committed to their patients beyond any minimum requirements.
Residency training is never easy, but Vanderbilt Eye institute is a place that listens to concerns and is known for implementing change to favorably address these concerns.  We have several mechanisms for anonymous submission of concerns.  Numerous committees exist with the precise purpose of improving resident training, resident experience, and ultimately resident satisfaction.  As our program director, I have the pleasure of being on all these committees, and I get to watch our faculty members bring their energy and expertise to these meetings to craft new and exciting pathways for best possible training outcomes. Because of these groups, our work is always in progress, and will never be complete.  Most committees have at least one resident member.
We have several layers of mentorship ready-made for each new resident on arrival.  This includes peer mentors, assigned faculty mentors, and informal “curbside” mentorship.  We do not enforce any particular arrangement and allow each resident to use the available departmental experience expertise to their precise needs. We have resources for mental health concerns that are completely anonymous should a separate form of assistance be needed.  Our residents receive “wellness” days, separate from vacation/sick leave, to use as needed.  There is always someone in our department ready to listen.
The clinical training is robust, with diversity in disease type, and patient heritage.  We ask our residents at the midpoint of each rotation if there is any condition they have not seen yet.  On the rare occasion when that is the case, faculty ensure that it is addressed.  Our residents learn in training environments that span several locations. This gives residents the experience of practicing in a hospital setting, a clinical setting, and hybrids of each.  This includes to Veterans Affairs hospitals, our main campus clinic and hospital, and several satellite clinics with ambulatory surgery centers.  We also have an optional elective in Guyana that provides Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) as well as extensive clinical and surgical experience unique to our program.
Our residents have numerous opportunities to experience, and participate in advocacy for patients and for our field.  We encourage several residents each year to attend mid year forum, as well as our local “day on the hill".   We also encourage and Support our residents work in outreach come up particularly through our affiliated free medical clinic “shade tree clinic”.  
As the Vanderbilt Eye institute residency program director, I have the honor of overseeing the training of some of the most talented physicians on the planet.  Every day is filled with far more joy than any disappointment.   I hope you consider our program when you are exploring your training options, and please reach out with any questions.
 

Reid Longmuir, M.D.
Director for Resident Education
Vanderbilt Eye Institute