Residency Program

This 52 week residency program is intended to provide advanced optometric training with special emphasis on evaluation and management in the areas of Cornea, External Disease, Post-Operative Surgical Care, and Medical Contact Lens Fitting. Patient care will take place in the office of Sarah Bell, O.D. and Sudeep Pramanik, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S. in York, PA and Towson, MD.

Click to download our Residency Manual.

Residency Name

Mid-Atlantic Cornea Consultants

Basic Information

Program Title:  Residency in Contact Lens and Cornea Disease

Program Type:  Contact Lens and Cornea / Ocular Disease

Program Area of Emphasis:  Cornea and Anterior Segment Disease, Specialty Contact Lens Fitting

Program Site:  Mid-Atlantic Cornea Consultants, York, PA

Program Location:  Private Clinic

Program Address: 

     1600 6^th Avenue, Suite 119B, York, PA 17403

     40 York Rd, 5^th Floor, Towson, MD, 21204

Phone Number:  (717) 650-6148

Fax Number:  (717) 855-2653

Email:  sarahbell@midatlanticcornea.com

Affiliation:  Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University

Accreditation Status: Accredited by the ACOE accrediting body, contact: accredit@theacoe.org

Director of Residency Education:  Sarah L. Bell, OD

Program Application Deadline:  February 1

Program URL:  www.midatlanticcornea.com

Program Mission

The mission of this residency program at Mid-Atlantic Cornea Consultants is to provide the entry level optometrist with specialized training and mentorship which would allow the resident to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage complicated anterior segment disease. The resident will also have exposure to extensive anterior and posterior segment disease including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal tears and detachments. The resident will manage cases that have significant ocular manifestations of systemic diseases such as autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, and Herpes Zoster. The resident will become proficient at fitting and evaluating specialty contact lenses, as well as troubleshooting complications which arise from these lenses. The program will encourage the resident to become academically and clinically knowledgeable in advanced anterior segment disease and contact lens fitting, and encourage them to share this knowledge as an educator of their peers. This fifty-two week experience will allow the resident to gain the skills necessary to distinguish themself competitively for any optometry health care job in the marketplace upon graduation, especially within the niche of specialty contact lens fitting. The program will allow for a supportive environment with appropriate supervision, such that the resident can be comfortable and efficient in a challenging clinical setting.  

The resident will train in an OD/MD private practice setting specializing in anterior segment. They will evaluate and manage pre and post-operative cases including corneal transplants, complicated cataract surgeries, pterygium removals, and corneal crosslinking. They will become proficient in scleral, hybrid, and RGP contact lens fitting using conventional methods as well as scleral profiling software. They will diagnose, treat, and manage acute and chronic ocular diseases including corneal ulcers, iritis, glaucoma, and diabetic eye disease. They will learn proper medical coding for office visits as well as the process for pre-authorizing medical contact lenses through vision carriers. 

Clinical Curriculum

This Contact Lens/Ocular disease residency program is intended to provide advanced optometric training with special emphasis on evaluation and management in the areas of Cornea, External and Internal Ocular Disease, Post-Operative Surgical Care, and Medical Contact Lens Fitting. Patient care will take place in the office of Sarah Bell, O.D., and Sudeep Pramanik, M.D., M.B.A in York, PA and Towson, MD. 

The program is 52 weeks and typically starts July 1^st and ends June 30^th of the following year.  Under special circumstances, starting and ending dates can be modified, but the duration of the program will remain fixed at 52 weeks.  Clinic hours provide 8 hours of patient care, with one half hour for lunch, Monday through Friday. The York office typically starts at 7:30AM and finishes by 4:30PM. The Towson office typically starts at 7:30AM and finishes by 4:00PM. There are no weekend patient care hours but the resident will begin to triage after- hours emergency calls after their first quarter.  The resident will be expected to report to the medical doctor on call, but is not obligated to see these patients after hours.  

The resident will attend an orientation period during the first week of the residency that covers the facilities’ layout and daily operation of the optometric clinic.  The resident also receives a copy of the most updated residency manual and employee manual during this period. The resident will examine patients under the direct and indirect supervision of Drs. Bell, and Pramanik.  As the residency progresses, there will be graduated levels of responsibility, however, all medical records throughout the year will be reviewed and co-signed by Drs. Bell or Pramanik. The resident will be responsible for examining and completing charts for 10-15 patients per clinic session – including emergent care, post-operative evaluations, comprehensive exams, corneal disease follow up care, and contact lens examinations.  The resident will be expected to perform at least two new medical contact lens fittings per month, with appropriate follow up, and participate in at least 10 contact lens exams per month. Observation in the operating room with Dr. Sudeep Pramanik will be arranged as part of the curriculum throughout the year. As the resident establishes core competencies, they will progress into later stages of our 4-part supervision policy. Graduation to the next level of supervision will be determined as a collective decision between Drs. Bell and Pramanik, and each level of responsibility will be discussed with the resident and acknowledged in writing. 

Location of patient care will be reassessed monthly to ensure proper supervision and best learning experience for resident on each clinic day.  Resident will receive a master schedule for the next month along with the rest of the staff at the end of each month.  

Surgical observation days will start at 7:30am and will end when cases are finished. Resident will then return to the clinic for same day post-op checks.  64 hours (or 8 workdays) of surgical observation will be scheduled throughout the residency (2 days each quarter) in either Pennsylvania or Maryland locations.  

Clinical Activities: 

• 30% medical/specialty contact lenses 
• 50% ocular disease care
• 10% post-operative care
• 10% surgical observation

Typical Weekly Hours and After-Hours Responsibilities:

 Resident's Typical Weekly Schedule:

Application Materials and Procedures: 

• Register and apply through ORMatch
• Submit the following application materials directly through ORMatch website:
• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement of Interest
• Official Optometry School Transcripts
• Three Letters of Recommendation from clinical faculty or supervision doctors in externships

Program Admission Requirements:

• Successful completion of Parts I, II, III, and TMOD of the NBEO prior to the beginning of the program, or, scheduled to retake any parts of board that were failed
• Prior to matriculation, applicants must have attained their Doctor of Optometry degree from a school or college of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
• Residency Applicant must be a United States Citizen
• Application for Optometric State Licensure in either Pennsylvania or Maryland

 Selection Procedure:  

• Candidates are evaluated on the basis of clinical and academic competence, interest in the program area, recommendations, and interpersonal skills.
• In-person interview with patient care observation

• Resident candidates will be ranked and assigned according to ORMatch regulations
• All applicants for educational programs, employment, or in services to the public will be considered without regard to race, color, religious creed, ancestry, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic status, physical or mental disability or any other characteristic protected by law.  

Vaccination requirements:

Employees must submit proof of vaccination or documentation of medical or religious exclusion, and we reserve the right to request testing for any unvaccinated employees.

Interview Protocol:

We are pleased to offer in-person interviews and ask that candidates submit proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 3-5 days of arrival and self-quarantine until the office visit. Candidates must also pass our standard screening questions.

Booster Requirements:

Not required at this time, but encouraged.

Effective Date:

07/01/2021

Application Deadline:  February 1^st 

Website: http://www.midatlanticcornea.com/residency-program/

Program Length:  52 weeks

Program Start and End Dates:  July 1^st – June 30^th

Completion Requirements   

• Attend and complete all assigned clinic sessions in a professional manner and remain in clinic until all patients are cared for or the clinic preceptor states otherwise
• Maintain patient care log as assigned (with a minimum of 1200 patient encounters)
• Attend and document all other assigned activities, including in-house clinical, didactic, and scholarly activities
• Complete the required manuscript of publishable quality
• Present a clinical case at PCOSU Resident Day
• Achieve satisfactory performance evaluations
• Complete all assigned evaluations of the residency program and faculty

Completion status is discussed at each of the formal evaluations with the resident, as well as periodically throughout the year. The residency certificate is released only upon completion of all elements.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary is updated yearly and can be reviewed using the residency manual link.  

The resident along with all eligible employees of Mid Atlantic Cornea Consultants will receive health insurance coverage through our practice policy with Aetna:  www.aetna.com