Residency Programs
at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Resident News
PCO Residency Programs Earn Re-Accreditation
The PCO residency programs in Primary Eye Care, Pediatric Optometry/Vision Therapy and Low Vision Rehabilitation received the classification of 'accredited' from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).
According to Dean Linda Casser, "this outcome is a very important one and represents a critical outside review by a body that is sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education."
Appointed annually for a one year residency, appointees are clinical instructors at The Eye Institute (TEI), the University's clinical facility for optometry students. This year TEI and the University welcomed 12 residents.
The residency program at TEI is led by director Michael Rebar, OD '10.PCO at COVD
PCO alumni, faculty and students were represented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD).
Faculty members Dr. Mitchell Scheiman, Dr. Ruth Shoge, OD ’06, and Dr. Lynn Trieu provided oral presentations while Dr. Michael Gallaway and Dr. Gale Orlansky also attended.
Of the six pediatric residency programs available in private practices nationwide, PCO graduates represent five: Drs. Dana Webster ’11; Kathleen O’Leary ’11; Amanjot Sunner ’11; Nhin Nguyen ’11; Hilary Gesford ’11; Amy Trosino ’11; and Mallory Lovett ’11.
Students Jonathan Skoner ’13OD and Dustin Asay ’13OD attended, as well as alumni Marcus Myers, OD’07, Amy Bartal, OD’10 and Dan Press, OD ’07, who became a fellow of the COVD this year.
(Our thanks to Dr. Ruth Shoge for this article).
Many residents presented posters during the annual Joseph C. Toland Excellence in Education Conference on May 1, 2011:
- A Uveitis Conundrum. Tressa Larson, OD, MA
- Epstein-Barr Virus-Induced Stromal Keratitis. Yen Le, OD
- Using Optical Coherence Tomography for Imaging Suspicious Choroidal Lesions.
Michael Rebarchik, OD - A Case of Congenital Bilateral Inverse Duane’s Retraction syndrome. Alison Hixenbaugh, OD
- 5. Etiology of Acute Unilateral Enlarged Blind-Spot: Idiopathic or Hidden Culprit? Rossana Luna OD, Michael Rebar, OD, Kelly Malloy, OD
- Monocular Reduced Vision and Depth Perception Secondary to Micrtropia. Neelam Patel, OD
- Toxic Maculopathies. Christian Carlsson, OD
- Atypical Glaucomatous Field Loss Reveals Insight into Macular Nerve Fiber Structure. Mark Street, OD
The SECO International 2011 Meeting was held from March 3-6 in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of our current residents presented posters at this meeting:
- Cranial Nerve III Palsy as the Initial Manifestation of Carcinomatosis of the Meninges. Michael Rebar, OD
- A Large Intracranial Meningioma in an African American Male with Bilateral Optic Disc Edema. Michael Rebar, OD
- Eye Exam Reveals Previously Undiagnosed Meningitis. Tressa Larson, OD, MA, Dana Helvick, Tiffany Humes, Kelly Malloy, OD
- Idiopathic Stromal Keratitis. Yen Le, OD
- Familial Retinal Arteriolar Tortuosity with Preretinal and Macular Hemorrhage. Sara Shkalim
- Long-Standing, Unilateral MAL.T. Lymphoma Involving the Lacrimal Gland in a 26-Year-Old Black Woman. Michael Wong, OD
- Panuveitis: Systemic Associations and Ocular Complications. Rossana Luna, OD
Several of our current residents presented posters at the annual American Academy of Optometry (AAO) meeting in San Francisco, CA from November 17-20, 2010:
- Discovery of Bilateral, Recurrent optic Disc (Drance) Hemorrhages. Yen Le, OD
- Microphthalmia with Linear Skin Defects and Ocular Albinism: Is there a Relationship Between X-Linked Conditions? Sara Shkalim, OD,
- Etiology of Acute Unilateral Enlarged Blind-Spot: Idiopathic or Hidden Culprit? Rossana Luna OD, Michael Rebar, OD, Kelly Malloy, OD
- Bilateral Pars Planitis in a Young African American Female. Alissa Coyne, OD