Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree is based on the NSU Tahlequah campus. The program is four years of intensive doctoral-level training that prepares students to become effective members of a comprehensive health care team. 

Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree is based on the NSU Tahlequah campus. The program is four years of intensive doctoral-level training that prepares students to become effective members of a comprehensive health care team. The Optometric Physician has been trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye and vision problems at the primary care level. 

Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree is based on the NSU Tahlequah campus. The program is four years of intensive doctoral-level training that prepares students to become effective members of a comprehensive health care team. The Optometric Physician has been trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye and vision problems at the primary care level. 

Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree is based on the NSU Tahlequah campus. The program is four years of intensive doctoral-level training that prepares students to become effective members of a comprehensive health care team. The Optometric Physician has been trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye and vision problems at the primary care level. 

Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree is based on the NSU Tahlequah campus. The program is four years of intensive doctoral-level training that prepares students to become effective members of a comprehensive health care team. The Optometric Physician has been trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye and vision problems at the primary care level.

Oklahoma College of Optometry Primary Care (Tahlequah, OK)

Category:

Primary Care Optometry

Residency Supervisor:

Dr. Alissa Proctor
Phone Number:☎ 918-444-4020
FAX Number: (918) 458-9603
Email: proctor1@nsuok.edu

Program Address:

Oklahoma College of Optometry
1001 North Grand Ave.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
918 444-4000

Program Description

This program provides the resident with an opportunity to gain clinical experience and expertise in one or more areas of specialization within primary care optometry. A unique aspect of the Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry Primary Eyecare residency is that the resident participates in creating a clinic schedule to satisfy personal needs and interests. Residents typically choose to pursue one primary clinical interest and one or two secondary clinical interests.
Clinics include:

  • Ocular Disease Diagnosis and Management, including:
  • Emergency Ocular Services
  • Surgical Procedures
  • Laser Therapy for the Anterior Segment
  • Contact Lenses
  • Pediatrics
  • Vision Therapy / Neuro-optometric Rehabilitation
  • Vision Rehabilitation / Geriatrics
  • Primary Vision Care

The residents provide patient care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital and NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO) in Tahlequah, and occasionally provide patient care in the NSUOCO Rural Eye Program at clinics in Cherokee Nation outpatient facilities throughout northeast Oklahoma. Residents also provide evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Hastings Hospital approximately one week per month and need to be within 15 minutes of the hospital while on call.

In addition to providing direct patient care, residents participate in grand rounds, ophthalmological observation, and hospital rotations. A regularly scheduled residency seminar promotes literature review and study. Teaching is another important aspect of this program, with opportunities to become involved in didactic and clinical education of optometry students, optometrists, and other health care providers. A publishable quality research paper, literature review, or case report, and paper presentation is required and publication is encouraged.

Program Length 12 Months
Start Date July 1
Positions 2
Expected weekly hours Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week plus approximately 1 week/ month evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital. Didactic resident seminars, attendance of continuing education, and research may lengthen the weekly hours of duties.
Program Salary/Stipend $40,000
ASCO information sheet https://myasco.opted.org/searchEngines/residency_details.aspx?id=49

The mission of the Residency in Primary Care Optometry is to provide advanced clinical training for post-graduate optometrists, allowing residents upon completion of the program to pursue professional opportunities which require a high level of clinical expertise.

 

Goal A 
Provide appropriately supervised clinical educational experiences with emphasis in the area(s) of primary care optometry selected by the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Provide the resident a large number of patient encounters.
  2. Provide the resident exposure to a high diversity of clinical conditions within his/her area(s) of emphasis.
  3. Encourage appropriate referral and co-management of patients with other health care providers.
  4. Allow the resident to participate in the clinical supervision of optometry students.

Goal B
Stimulate scholarly development in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Encourage lecture and workshop presentations in the form of continuing education, grand rounds, optometry classroom, etc.
  2. Stimulate life-long learning by keeping the resident active in critically reviewing ophthalmic literature.
  3. Allow the resident to attend continuing education courses.
  4. Require completion of a research paper, literature review, or case report of publishable quality by the end of the residency program.

Goal C
Stimulate a commitment to service in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Enhance the resident's active involvement in the optometric community by encouraging membership and participation in optometric organizations.

All residency applications will be reviewed without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. All applications must be received by 5:00p.m. January 31.

  • Curriculum vitae
    • Education (institution, dates, major, degree or pending degree, and grade point average)
    • List of Honors, Awards
    • Professional Memberships
    • Research Projects and Publication
    • Special Presentations, Seminars and Teaching Experience
    • Employment
    • Community Service
    • Other Professional Experiences
  • Statement of interest
    Discuss:

    • Why are you interested in pursuing a residency?
    • What do you hope to gain from a residency?
    • What are your plans after you complete a residency?
  • Three letters of recommendation
    • These letters should be from individuals who can assess your clinical performance, scholastic abilities and/or teaching and research potential. Recommendation letters may be emailed or mailed by post, but must be signed and be on official letterhead.
  • A copy of your optometry school transcripts (an final official copy sent directly from the school will be required if accepted into the program)
  • Passing scores on NBEO Parts I and II or the OEBC written exam is needed to participate in Match and start the program; however, passage of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE) is required to successfully complete the program and receive a certificate at the end of the residency.
  • ORMS Application
  • Interview recommended
  • Doctor of Optometry degree from an ACOE-accredited school or college of optometry
  • License eligible in the state of Oklahoma

All application information should be sent to the Director of Residencies, Dr. Carolyn Majcher director of residencies via email or mail to:

Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry
ATTN: Residency Director
1001 North Grand Avenue Tahlequah, OK 74464-7017

As application materials are received by the school, they will be forwarded to the site the applicant is applying at. Arrange an interview. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to arrange an interview at the residency site to which they are applying. This allows the applicant to become more familiar with the residency site and the residency supervisor to become familiar with the applicant. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact either Britney Mason(mason09@nsuok.edu) or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Carolyn Majcher director of residencies

 

  • Completed publishable quality paper (research paper, literature review, or case report), all patient encounter logs with encounter types and all residency activity logs
  • Completed exit evaluations (evaluation of clinical supervisors, evaluation of residency program supervisor, evaluation of NSUOCO residency director and residency program evaluation)
  • Passing of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE)
  • Oklahoma Optometry license

  • 10 days of vacation
  • Accrual of personal leave (which includes sick leave, personal business leave, bereavement leave, military leave and jury duty leave) at the rate of 12 hours per month
  • NSU is closed for several holidays: three days at Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Spring Break (five days), Fall Break (two days) and Fourth of July
  • Professional leave to attend continuing education meetings. The amount of professional leave you receive is at the discretion of the residency supervisor. The residency supervisor encourages attendance at CE courses.
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Please see the NSU Employment Handbook for a more in-depth discussion of personal leave and holidays.

Meet the Residency Supervisor

Image

Dr. Alissa Proctor, OD, FAAO, is a Professor at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. She teaches Clinical Methods III, a course on ocular health assessment, to the second-year students in the fall, Pediatrics to the second-year students in the spring, Functional Analysis to the third-year students in the summer, and Strabismus & Amblyopia to the third-year students in the spring. When not teaching class, you will find her supervising students at school screenings, in vision therapy clinic, or in infant vision clinic. To date, Dr. Proctor is the Infant Vision Clinic Chief, the Primary Care/Ocular Disease Residency Supervisor, and the faculty liaison for COVD. She is also the faculty advisor for Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) and has taken optometric mission trips to Roatan, Honduras, the Brazilian Amazon River and Nigeria, Africa. She enjoys volunteering at Special Olympics Opening Eyes. Dr. Proctor came to Tahlequah in 2005 to complete a Family Practice Residency. She is a graduate of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and is married to Dr. Jason Proctor, Assistant Professor at NSU and the 2015 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. They have two children, Jaxon and Ashtyn.

Oklahoma College of Optometry Optometric Management Education (Tahlequah, OK)

Category:

Ocular Disease

Residency Supervisor:

Dr. Komal Patel
Phone Number:☎ (918) 444-4158
FAX Number: (918) 458-9603
Email: patel25@nsuok.edu

Program Address:

Oklahoma College of Optometry
1001 North Grand Ave.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
918 444-4000

Program Description

This unique program combines a residency in Ocular Disease offered by the Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry with a Master of Business Administration Degree (M.B.A.) offered by the NSU College of Business and Technology. This program is open to U.S. Army optometrists only.

Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week with on call duties. The 40 hours includes being scheduled in ocular disease residency activities 20 hours a week, with the remainder of the week devoted to pursuing a Master in Business Administration (class and study time). Call is shared with all in-house residents. The Army Ocular Disease Resident is half-time in the residency program for two years, and is assigned half as much call as the other residents each year of the program. The Army Ocular Disease Resident is scheduled for a total of about 5-6 weeks of call during each residency program year. Attendance of continuing education may lengthen the weekly hours of duties. Residents will be paid an U.S. Army active duty officer salary.

At the beginning of the year, you are assigned which holidays you will be on call. You are asked to volunteer for which holidays you prefer to be on call for first. If volunteering fails to cover all holidays, then names are drawn to determine who receives which holidays. If you are not scheduled on call, you are not expected at work on these holidays and they are not taken from your vacation.

Program Length 24 Months
Start Date July 1
Positions 1
Expected weekly hours Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week plus approximately 1 week/ month evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital. Didactic resident seminars, attendance of continuing education, and research may lengthen the weekly hours of duties.
Program Salary/Stipend U.S. Army active duty officer salary.
ASCO information sheet https://myasco.opted.org/searchEngines/residency_details.aspx?id=52

The mission of the Program in Optometric Management Education is to provide advanced clinical training through the Primary Care Residency and an M.B.A. degree for post-graduate optometrists, allowing residents upon completion of the program to pursue professional opportunities which require a high level culmination of clinical and management expertise.

Goal of the Optometric Management Education Program:
Completion of the Residency in Primary Care Optometry through the College of Optometry (outlined below) and completion of all the requirements for the Masters in Business Administration degree required by Northeastern State University.

Goals of the Residency in Primary Care Optometry:
Goal A 
Provide appropriately supervised clinical educational experiences with emphasis in the area(s) of primary care optometry selected by the resident.

Objectives:

  1. Provide the resident a large number of patient encounters.
  2. Provide the resident exposure to a high diversity of clinical conditions within his/her area(s) of emphasis.
  3. Encourage appropriate referral and co-management of patients with other health care providers.
  4. Allow the resident to participate in the clinical supervision of optometry students.

Goal B
Stimulate scholarly development in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Encourage lecture and workshop presentations in the form of continuing education, grand rounds, optometry classroom, etc.
  2. Stimulate life-long learning by keeping the resident active in critically reviewing ophthalmic literature.
  3. Allow the resident to attend continuing education courses.
  4. Require completion of a research paper, literature review, or case report of publishable quality by the end of the residency program.

Goal C
Stimulate a commitment to service in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Enhance the resident's active involvement in the optometric community by encouraging membership and participation in optometric organizations.

 

Interested applicants for military residency programs must be Active Duty Army officers in order to apply. The selection process is quite different from its civilian counterpart. The optometry residency programs are one of many advanced educational opportunities that are available via the Medical Service Corps Long Term Health, Education, and Training (LTHET) process. Each year, the military publishes the available programs in the LTHET message (Appendix 15). Applicants apply approximately 18 months prior to the expected residency start date (i.e. applications completed this spring are for academic year 2013-2014). Therefore, as a result, military optometry officers go back to complete a residency after a few years in practice. All eligible applications are reviewed and residents are selected by a board of Army officers. Decisions are made based on both, academic and military records. Decisions are published in June, the year prior to the residency starting date. In the event of a vacancy, Army optometry will solicit applications from 4th year optometry students participating of the Army Health Professional Scholarship Programs. The application would then include a letter of intent, three letters of recommendation, and a current transcript. A board of Senior Army optometrists (including all Army residency supervisors) would review the applications and make selections.

All eligible Army applicants are solicited to apply for the residency via the LTHET message (Appendix 15). A list of application materials is included in the Long Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) message released each December by the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps and includes a DA Form 3838, Commander's Memorandum, Transcripts, DA Photograph, Memorandum from the Optometry Consultant at the Office of the Surgeon General and a signed/dated officer record brief (ORB)

  • Completed publishable quality paper (research paper, literature review, or case report), all patient encounter logs with encounter types and all residency activity logs
  • Completed exit evaluations (evaluation of clinical supervisors, evaluation of residency program supervisor, evaluation of NSUOCO residency director and residency program evaluation)
  • Passing of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE)
  • Oklahoma Optometry license

  • 10 days of vacation
  • Paid sick leave
  • NSU is closed for several holidays: three days at Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Spring Break (five days), Fall Break (two days) and Fourth of July
  • Professional leave to attend continuing education meetings. The amount of professional leave you receive is at the discretion of the residency supervisor. The residency supervisor encourages attendance at CE courses.
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Health insurance

Meet the Residency Supervisor

Image

Dr. Komal Patel received her Bachelor of Medical Sciences in Microbiology & Immunology from Western University, London, Ontario and her Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science, Ontario, Canada. She subsequently completed a Residency in Primary Care at the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry.

Dr. Patel joined the optometry faculty at NSUOCO as an Assistant Professor in July 2022. She recently became a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. She attended the 2022 American Academy of Optometry meeting in San Diego, CA where she gave an Ellerbrock Grand Rounds presentation on the management of a retrobulbar hematoma with canthotomy and cantholysis. She has also presented continuing education lectures at the Triad Eye Institute Symposium, Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians Vision Summit, and Optometry's Meeting.

Cornea and Contact Lenses (NSUOCO Tahlequah, OK)

Category:

Cornea and Contact Lenses

Residency Supervisor:

Dr. Latricia Pack
Phone Number:☎ 918-444-4044
FAX Number: (918) 458-9603
Email: packl@nsuok.edu

Program Address:

Oklahoma College of Optometry
1001 North Grand Ave.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
918 444-4000

Program Description

This program provides an opportunity to gain clinical experience and expertise in the areas of advanced contact lens fitting and diagnosis and management of corneal conditions, while continuing to sharpen skills in other areas of optometry. The residency is 50-60% cornea and contact lenses and 40-50% other areas of interest. Patients are typically from the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center clinical population. The resident also has the opportunity to work with nationally recognized clinicians in hands-on specialty contact lens fitting workshops. Observations with other eye care specialists are available through external rotations. A regularly scheduled residency seminar promotes literature review and study. Teaching is another important aspect of this program, with opportunities to become involved in didactic and clinical education of optometry students, optometrists, and other health care providers. A publishable quality paper is required, and other contact lens related research and case reports are encouraged.

The 12 month residency begins July 1 and ends June 30. Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week plus evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital approximately one week per month. Attendance of continuing education may lengthen the weekly hours of duties.

Program Length 12 Months
Start Date July 1
Positions 1
Expected weekly hours Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week plus approximately 1 week/ month evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital. Didactic resident seminars, attendance of continuing education, and research may lengthen the weekly hours of duties.
Program Salary/Stipend $40,000
ASCO information sheet https://myasco.opted.org/searchEngines/residency_details.aspx?id=50

The mission of the Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses is to provide advanced clinical training for post-graduate optometrists with emphasis in contact lenses and anterior segment conditions, allowing residents upon completion of the program to pursue professional opportunities which require a high level of clinical expertise.

Goal A 
Provide appropriately supervised clinical educational experiences with emphasis in contact lenses and anterior segment conditions.

Objectives:

  1. Provide the resident a minimum of 1000 patient encounters.
  2. Provide the resident exposure to a high diversity of clinical conditions within contact lenses and anterior segment conditions.
  3. Encourage appropriate referral and co-management of patients with other health care providers.
  4. Allow the resident to participate in the clinical supervision of optometry students.

Goal B
Stimulate scholarly development in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Encourage lecture and workshop presentations in the form of continuing education, grand rounds, optometry classroom, etc.
  2. Stimulate life-long learning by keeping the resident active in critically reviewing ophthalmic literature.
  3. Allow the resident to attend continuing education courses.
  4. Require completion of a research paper, literature review, or case report of publishable quality by the end of the residency program.

Goal C
Stimulate a commitment to service in the resident.

Objectives:
  1. Enhance the resident's active involvement in the optometric community by encouraging membership and participation in optometric organizations.

 

All residency applications will be reviewed without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. All applications must be received by 5:00p.m. January 31.

  • Application - ORMatch
    • You must register for ORMatch ( ORMS Application Form) in order to send applications to residencies. All core application materials listed below are submitted online using the ORMatch Application Service. Once you submit an application, the residency will have access to your application information immediately. Submitted applications cannot be changed or withdrawn. The Director of Residencies at the residency's affiliated school or college of optometry will also have access to your application information.
  • Curriculum vitae
    • Education (institution, dates, major, degree or pending degree, and grade point average)
    • List of Honors, Awards
    • Professional Memberships
    • Research Projects and Publication
    • Special Presentations, Seminars and Teaching Experience
    • Employment
    • Community Service
    • Other Professional Experiences
  • Statement of interest
    Discuss:

    • Why are you interested in pursuing a residency?
    • What do you hope to gain from a residency?
    • What are your plans after you complete a residency?
  • Three letters of recommendation
    • These letters should be from individuals who can assess your clinical performance, scholastic abilities and/or teaching and research potential. Recommendation letters may be emailed or mailed by post, but must be signed and be on official letterhead.
  • A copy of your optometry school transcripts (an final official copy sent directly from the school will be required if accepted into the program)
  • Passing scores on NBEO Parts I and II or the OEBC written exam is needed to participate in Match and start the program; however, passage of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE) is required to successfully complete the program and receive a certificate at the end of the residency.
  • ORMS Application
  • Interview recommended
  • Doctor of Optometry degree from an ACOE-accredited school or college of optometry
  • License eligible in the state of Oklahoma

  • Completed publishable quality paper (research paper, literature review, or case report), all patient encounter logs with encounter types and all residency activity logs
  • Completed exit evaluations (evaluation of clinical supervisors, evaluation of residency program supervisor, evaluation of NSUOCO residency director and residency program evaluation)
  • Passing of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE)
  • Oklahoma Optometry license

  • 10 days of vacation
  • Accrual of personal leave (which includes sick leave, personal business leave, bereavement leave, military leave and jury duty leave) at the rate of 12 hours per month
  • NSU is closed for several holidays: three days at Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Spring Break (five days), Fall Break (two days) and Fourth of July
  • Professional leave to attend continuing education meetings. The amount of professional leave you receive is at the discretion of the residency supervisor. The residency supervisor encourages attendance at CE courses.
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Please see the NSU Employment Handbook for a more in-depth discussion of personal leave and holidays.

Meet the Residency Supervisor

Image

Latricia D. Pack is a Professor at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO). She received her Doctor of Optometry degree from NSUOCO in 1998. After completing of a Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at NSUOCO in 1999, she was invited to join the faculty.

Dr. Pack is the course instructor for Contact Lenses I and Contact Lenses II and assists with teaching Contact Lenses III. She serves as Contact Lens Clinic Chief and Supervisor of the NSUOCO Cornea and Contact Lenses Residency. Most of her clinical duties are in the contact lens clinic. Dr. Packs research interests include contact lenses, corneal topography, and most anything related to the anterior segment. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

Ocular Disease (NSUOCO Tahlequah, OK)

Category:

Ocular Disease

Residency Supervisor:

Dr. Komal Patel
Phone Number:☎ (918) 444-4158
FAX Number: (918) 458-9603
Email: patel25@nsuok.edu

Program Address:

Oklahoma College of Optometry
1001 North Grand Ave.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
918 444-4000

Program Description

This Ocular Disease Residency provides advanced clinical training for post-graduate optometrists with emphasis in ocular disease. This program provides an opportunity to gain clinical experience and expertise in the areas of advanced ocular disease diagnosis and management, while continuing to sharpen skills in other areas of optometry. The residency is 50-60% ocular disease and 40-50% other areas of interest. 

The residents provide patient care and student education at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital and NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO) in Tahlequah, and occasionally provide patient care in the NSUOCO Rural Eye Program at clinics in Cherokee Nation outpatient facilities throughout northeast Oklahoma.

The resident will participate in various ocular disease clinics including:

  • Emergency Ocular Services
  • Surgical Procedures
  • Laser Therapy for the Anterior Segment
  • Glaucoma
  • Diabetes Clinic
  • Retina Referral
  • Cataract Care
  • Specialty Care/Dry Eye

Residents also provide evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Hastings Hospital approximately one week per month and need to be within 15 minutes of the hospital while on call.

In addition to providing direct patient care, residents participate in grand rounds, ophthalmological observation, and hospital rotations. A regularly scheduled residency seminar promotes literature review and study. Teaching is another important aspect of this program, with opportunities to become involved in didactic and clinical education of optometry students, optometrists, and other health care providers. A publishable quality research paper, literature review, or case report, and paper presentation is required and publication is encouraged.

Program Length 12 Months
Start Date July 1
Positions 2
Expected weekly hours Expected weekly hours of duty are 40 hours per week plus approximately 1 week/ month evening and weekend emergency room eye care at Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital. Didactic resident seminars, attendance of continuing education, and research may lengthen the weekly hours of duties.
Program Salary/Stipend $40,000
ASCO information sheet https://myasco.opted.org/searchEngines/residency_details.aspx?id=64

The mission of the Residency in Ocular Disease is to provide advanced clinical training for post-graduate optometrists with emphasis in ocular disease allowing residents, upon completion of the program, to pursue professional opportunities which require a high level of clinical expertise.

 

Goal 1: Provide appropriately supervised clinical educational experiences with emphasis in ocular disease 

Objectives:

  1. Provide the resident with a minimum of 1,200 patient encounters
  2. Provide the resident exposure to a high diversity of clinical conditions within ocular disease
  3. Encourage appropriate referral and co-management of patients with other health care providers.
  4. Participate in the clinical supervision and education of optometry students.

Goal 2: Stimulate scholarly development in the resident. (UNCHANGED)

Objectives:

  1. Encourage lecture and workshop presentations in the form of continuing education, grand rounds, optometry classroom, etc.
  2. Stimulate life-long learning by keeping the resident active in critically reviewing ophthalmic literature, especially literature relating to vision rehabilitation.
  3. Allow and encourage the resident to participate in didactic activities such as attending continuing education courses. 
  4. Require completion of a research paper, literature review, or case report of publishable quality by the end of the residency program.

Goal 3: Stimulate a commitment to service to the community and the profession in the resident.  

Objectives:

  1. Encourage the resident's active involvement in the optometric and low vision rehabilitation professional communities by encouraging membership and participation in optometric and other professional organizations.

You must register for ORMatch ( ORMS Application Form) in order to send applications to residencies. All core application materials listed below are submitted online using the ORMatch Application Service. Once you submit an application, the residency will have access to your application information immediately. Submitted applications cannot be changed or withdrawn. The Director of Residencies at the residency's affiliated school or college of optometry will also have access to your application information.

  • Curriculum vitae
    • Education (institution, dates, major, degree or pending degree, and grade point average)
    • List of Honors, Awards
    • Professional Memberships
    • Research Projects and Publication
    • Special Presentations, Seminars and Teaching Experience
    • Employment
    • Community Service
    • Other Professional Experiences
  • Statement of interest
    Discuss:

    • Why are you interested in pursuing a residency?
    • What do you hope to gain from a residency?
    • What are your plans after you complete a residency?
  • Three letters of recommendation
    • These letters should be from individuals who can assess your clinical performance, scholastic abilities and/or teaching and research potential. Recommendation letters may be emailed or mailed by post, but must be signed and be on official letterhead .
  • A copy of your optometry school transcripts (an final official copy sent directly from the school will be required if accepted into the program)
  • Passing scores on NBEO Parts I and II or the OEBC written exam is needed to participate in Match and start the program; however, passage of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE) is required to successfully complete the program and receive a certificate at the end of the residency.
  • ORMS Application
  • Interview recommended
  • Doctor of Optometry degree from an ACOE-accredited school or college of optometry
  • License eligible in the state of Oklahoma

All application information should be sent to the Director of Residencies, Dr. Carolyn Majcher director of residencies via email or mail to:

Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry
ATTN: Residency Director
1001 North Grand Avenue Tahlequah, OK 74464-7017

As application materials are received by the school, they will be forwarded to the site the applicant is applying at. Arrange an interview. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to arrange an interview at the residency site to which they are applying. This allows the applicant to become more familiar with the residency site and the residency supervisor to become familiar with the applicant. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact either Britney Mason(mason09@nsuok.edu) or the Director of Residencies, Dr. Carolyn Majcher director of residencies

 

  • Completed publishable quality paper (research paper, literature review, or case report), all patient encounter logs with encounter types and all residency activity logs.
  • Completed exit evaluations (evaluation of clinical supervisors, evaluation of residency program supervisor, evaluation of NSUOCO residency director and residency program evaluation)
  • Passing of either all parts of the NBEO (Parts I, II, III and TMOD) or all parts of the OEBC (written exam and OSCE)
  • Oklahoma Optometry license

  • 10 days of vacation
  • Accrual of personal leave (which includes sick leave, personal business leave, bereavement leave, military leave and jury duty leave) at the rate of 12 hours per month
  • NSU is closed for several holidays: three days at Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Spring Break (five days), Fall Break (two days) and Fourth of July
  • Professional leave to attend continuing education meetings. The amount of professional leave you receive is at the discretion of the residency supervisor. The residency supervisor encourages attendance at CE courses.
  • Professional leave to attend continuing education meetings. The amount of professional leave you receive is at the discretion of the residency supervisor. The residency supervisor encourages attendance at CE courses.
  • Health insurance

Meet the Residency Supervisor

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Dr. Komal Patel received her Bachelor of Medical Sciences in Microbiology & Immunology from Western University, London, Ontario and her Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science, Ontario, Canada. She subsequently completed a Residency in Primary Care at the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry.

Dr. Patel joined the optometry faculty at NSUOCO as an Assistant Professor in July 2022. She recently became a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. She attended the 2022 American Academy of Optometry meeting in San Diego, CA where she gave an Ellerbrock Grand Rounds presentation on the management of a retrobulbar hematoma with canthotomy and cantholysis. She has also presented continuing education lectures at the Triad Eye Institute Symposium, Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians Vision Summit, and Optometry's Meeting.