Optometry Residency 

The mission of the Primary Eye Care Residency at Fort Bragg is to provide advanced clinical training for military optometrists with emphasis on ocular disease and trauma, medical/therapeutic contact lens fitting, and primary vision and eye health care, allowing residency graduates increased professional capacity to manage a diverse and complex patient population. The Residency is affiliated with Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO) and is pending accreditation by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).

The optometry resident will see a complex and diverse patient load that challenges traditional and advanced optometric skills. Patient load is balanced to allow comprehensive evaluation and a diverse learning experience. The optometry resident will gain a broad range of didactic experiences that will expand his primary care skill and will be allowed adequate research time and resources to examine special professional interests.

The resident will spend the majority of his time at Womack Army Medical Center, working as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team in providing patient care. The resident will be provided the opportunity to rotate through such specialties as ophthalmology, refractive eye surgery, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, dermatology, emergency medicine, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/Neurologic Rehabilitation and pediatrics. The resident will also spend approximately one day per week seeing patients at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology in their Specialty Contact Lens Clinic and Ophthalmology service.  The resident will also participate in Grand Rounds and Case Presentations with the nine Ophthalmology Residents at that institution. A rotation through clinics at NSUOCO is also completed during the Spring semester of each year.

Resident duty hours at WAMC will be Monday through Friday from 0730 to 1630 hours and duty hours at external clinics are determined as per the medical treatment facility. Time off will be granted for all national holidays and as specified by military contract. The resident will be encouraged to take leave before and after the residency to maximize his clinical experience and should limit leave throughout the twelve month tenure to a maximum of fourteen days (ten clinic days).