Education in Ocular Desase  | Education in Low Vision | The Art of Doctoring and Teaching | Goals for Resident Develoment | Previous Residents | Current Residents | Optometry Staff  | Emeritus staff | Optometry Residency Program KCVAMC | Kansas City, Missouri | Contact Information

Kansas City VA Optometry Residency Program

The Kansas City VA Ocular Disease/Low Vision Optometry Residency is looking for enthusiastic, self starting individuals who enjoy learning in an exciting medical center environment. Three residents are selected each year. The program is affiliated with the UMSL College of Optometry and was the first COE approved residency program in the United States. As of July 2010, the program has graduated more than 80 residents. These individuals have gone on to become VA staff, optometry school faculty and deans, department of ophthalmology faculty, and practitioners in joint OD/MD practices all over the country.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Kansas City VA Optometry Residency is to help highly motivated residents become excellent doctors with expertise in ocular disease and low vision care.  We want residents to develop into doctors who are confident, independent, keenly interested in self-awareness and self-improvement, and who know how to learn on their own.  We want to develop their abilities as doctors scientifically through the understanding and application of evidence based medicine.  We also want to develop their abilities as doctors humanistically through readings and conversations about the art of doctoring.  We further want to develop great teachers – teachers of patients and of students – through readings and conversations about the art of teaching.

Optometry Residency Program Description

Education in Ocular Disease     Top

Learning eye disease in the Kansas City VA Optometry Residency is an exciting mix of didactic education, self-study, and patient care.  We understand that there are three steps to learning the medicine of optometry: learning the facts, organizing the facts, and applying the organization to help your patients.  Our experience is that optometry school does a nice job of teaching the facts.  We think we excel at helping you to organize the material so it makes sense to you, so you can recall it, and so you can take excellent care of your patients.  (This would be a great topic to discuss with our former residents when you contact them.)

The third step (applying the organization to patients) is, of course, the most important and you will do it better when you have mastered the organization.  Residents will see a wide range of glaucoma, macular disease, cataract, and diabetic patients. You will be given a lot of decision making responsibility for these patients.  We want to provide just the right amount of guidance to help you grow as a decision maker.  You’ll see many other eye problems, but in less frequency than those four.

Each day begins with an hour-long discussion of eye disease (we also do this for 2 hours on Friday afternoons).  We think the discussions are relevant, stimulating, and thought provoking (another statement to verify with our former residents).  They are designed to help you to understand eye disease in a way that doesn’t require rote memorization. Instead, they give you a framework to figure out a solution to any patient problem – even if you haven’t seen it before.

Your education in eye disease will be most influenced by the patients you examine.  They will provide the experience you need and be the source of the questions you ask.  The best students of any kind are the best questioners.  We want to encourage your interest in, and nurture your ability to become, a great questioner.  All learning begins with a question – when you ask great questions here, you will be rewarded with an opportunity to learn.

A fundamental goal of our program is to develop great lifelong learners - doctors who see the value in studying about patient care and doctors who excel at reading an article.  So, much of your learning will be done on your own, but we want to guide you through this as well.  We will teach you how to read and interpret medical literature, so you can draw your own conclusions and apply your learning to excellent patient care.  You will become an expert at reading and applying evidence based medicine.

Education in Low Vision     Top 

The Kansas City VA offers a unique education in low vision because we provide care to patients with such a wide range of vision loss and because we have so many options for solving their problems. As a resident, you are an important member of our low vision rehabilitation team - spending about a half day a week working on low vision.

  You will be working with veterans with mild to profound vision loss – great preparation for providing care for people with a range of visual needs. Examining these patients will help you to overcome any apprehensions about working with the visually disabled, will introduce you to many creative solutions for helping them, and will allow you to play a role as part of a vision rehabilitation team. You will be working with a great staff - trained in low vision rehabilitation, computer access training, orientation and mobility, and activities of daily living. .

Most residents who begin our program have had a limited experience with low vision, so the optometry staff is always available with practical patient-care advice and we complement the hands-on education with weekly conversations and instruction in low vision care.  The residents learn low vision from their patients, the optometry staff, and from the rehabilitation staff.

The low vision education at the Kansas City VA has inspired many of our residents to practice low vision – some part time, some full time, and a few who are directors of low vision clinics.  Others are less interested in practicing low vision after residency, but they still benefit from studying low vision here because they gain a much deeper understanding of eye disease by participating in the rehabilitation process.

The The Art of Doctoring and Teaching     Top

Your experience will be broadened through our efforts to work on the art of doctoring.  We think and talk about this daily, but we also have a weekly discussion on a variety of topics with relevance to medicine, but are a step beyond the science of medicine – topics that range from patient communication to self awareness to leadership.  Our assigned readings might be about critical thinking, the experience of being a patient, or evidence-based medicine.  We think that great doctors have a breadth of abilities and we want to help you work on many of them.

The Kansas City VA is a great place to prepare to be a teacher.  We are passionate about great teaching here and we have graduated some wonderful teachers.  We are aware that teaching is instinctive to many doctors, but there is also an art that is less intuitive.  While here, you will read some of the great books on teaching in medicine (which helps you understand yourself as a learner too) and we will have several discussions helping you to form your philosophies as a teacher.

Your residency year is also the right time to explore and clearly define your philosophies on doctoring. 

We will guide you in doing this broadly – deciding what kind of person you want to be will influence the kind of doctor you will be.  Your purpose and motives in doctoring, the relationship you want to have with patients, and how you define the doctor's role will also influence the kind of doctor you will be.

We will also guide you in developing your philosophies more narrowly - using the year to define your management philosophies (and reasons behind them) for all eye diseases that you are likely to encounter at least occasionally.  You should be able to identify the evidence for your philosophies.  Well-considered philosophies can be an excellent guide to making wise decisions in difficult circumstances.

Goals for Resident Development     Top

Our broadly stated goal is to tap into your talents that will allow you to develop into an excellent doctor who is confident, independent, keenly interested in self-awareness and self-improvement.

We want you to learn how to provide excellent care for you patients and to become an excellent decision maker.

We want to develop your interest and ability to accurately evaluate yourself, to help you develop a life-long passion, a curriculum, and a strategy for self-education, and to help you to develop into a great questioner - to see yourself as an important resource to answer your own questions.

We want to inspire you and help you to develop the characteristics that we think make a great doctor – a doctor with great compassion, caring, empathy, selflessness, and transparent motives.  A doctor with intellectual honesty and self-awareness.   A doctor with a self-generated motivation and ability to learn.  A doctor with the ability to critically assess what you read and hear.  A doctor who sees life as an opportunity to improve the world around you and the people around you.

A highly motivated resident will leave our program with the savvy to solve a wide range of clinical problems, with the ability to understand medical literature, with a deeper and broader awareness of how the human condition is affected by eye disease, and with an unbridled enthusiasm for optometry.  It’s an exciting place and has been a major influence on many residents – we encourage you to call them and find out what their experience was like. For the contact information of current or previous residents, please call Dr. Harkins.

Previous Residents     Top

We are very proud of our history, but most proud of the 80 graduates of our program since the 1970s.

 It’s likely you will recognize several names:

1975-76  Thomas Stelmack, O.D.

1976-77  William Jones, O.D.

1977-78  Melanie Crandall, O.D.

1978-79  Joseph H. Maino, O.D.,            James D. Rubin, O.D.

1979-80  Alan A. Reizman, O.D.,           John C. Townsend, O.D.

1980-81  Bernard J. Dolan, O.D.,            Timothy T. McMahon, O.D.

1981-82  Keith R. Hoffman, O.D.,          Stuart P. Richer, O.D.

1982-83  Dennis W. Siemsen, O.D.,       Cynthia Yin, O.D.

1983-84  Carolyn R. Carmen, O.D.,        Robert K. Hartnet, O.D.

1984-85  Samuel S. Belkin, O.D.,            Timothy Messer, O.D.

1985-86  Christina M. Sorenson, O.D.,   Cynthia A. Tonkovitch, O.D.

1986-87  Douglas Babel, O.D.,                Mai Ta, O.D.

1987-88  Annette M. Butler, O.D.,          Harvey D. Mack, O.D.

1988-89  Brenda Edwards, O.D.,            Gay Tokumaru, O.D.

1989-90  Todd Hildreth, O.D.,                Sheryl Martuccio, O.D.

1990-91  Dirk Dittemore, O.D.,              Mary Jo Horn, O.D.

1991-92  Nancy Nichols, O.D.,               Janet Ward, O.D.

1992-93  Lori Schelm, O.D.,                   Brian Stephens, O.D.

1993-94  Joni LaFerla, O.D.,                  Matt Pollastrini, O.D.

1994-95  Heidi Frank, O.D.,                   Ginger Cline, OD

1995-96  Patricia A. Warner, O.D.,        Nathan E. Noga, O.D.,                Michelle M. Heil, O.D.

1996-97  Cherie A. Johnson, O.D.,        Martha S. Smith, O.D.,                Kathy Keehne, O.D.

1997-98  Gina Ferguson, O.D.,              Jeffry Gerson, O.D.,                     Erica Walker, O.D.

1998-99  Chris Cheyne, O.D.,                John Harvat, O.D.,                       Wayne Gilmore, O.D.

1999-00  Carrie Koenig, O.D.,               Kristie Fecht, O.D.,                      Linda Lucas, O.D.

2000-01  Lisa Chiles, O.D.,                    Lynn Meyer, O.D.,                      Greg Stockbridge, O.D.

2001-02  Robert Weixeldorfer, O.D.,     Sandy Wurst, O.D.,                     Sarah Gerdes, O.D.

2002-03  Sarah Dougherty, O.D.,           Chanda Hjelmgren, O.D.,            Kurt Kurskie, O.D.

2003-04  Philip Roels, O.D.,                  Jeremy Anderson, O.D.,              Sean Knaak, O.D.

2004-05  Kristen Jaloszynski, O.D.,       Mindy Gordon, O.D.,                  Eric Weinbauer, O.D.

2005-06  Kyle Cheatham, O.D.,             Jaime Easton, O.D.,                  Rosemary Gonzalez, O.D.

2006-07  Jonna O’Connor, O.D.,            Blake Simmons, O.D.,               Catherine Earl, O.D.

2007-08  Ashley Rone, O.D.,                 Breanne Niebuhr, O.D.,              Anthony DeWilde, O.D.

2008-09  Abigail Jackson, O.D.,            Candice Robinson, O.D.,            Jordan Keith, O.D.

2009-10  Krystal Christensen, O.D.,      Jessica Neuville, O.D.,                Tara Smith, O.D.

2010-11  Brianne Hobbs, O.D.,             Ashley Olson, O.D.,                   Shradha Sanghvi, O.D.

2011-12  Dinita Bockhold,O.D.,            Kelly Minnich, O.D.,                   Sheena Nagaraja, O.D.

Current Residents     Top

2011-2012 Residents Top

2010-2011 Residents      Top

Ashley Olson (PUCO), Shrada Sanghvi (UCB), Brianne Hobbs (UMSL)

2009-2010 Residents      Top 

Tara Smith (UAB), Jessica Neuville (UCB), Krystal Christensen (ICO)

Optometry Staff      Top

Timothy Harkins OD Director, Optometry student and resident education program

Dr. Tim Harkins is a graduate of the Southern California College of Optometry. Dr. Harkins is a Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Kansas Medical Center and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Missouri College of Optometry. He is a recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. 

Kristen Moyer, OD (previously Jaloszynski) is a magna cum laude graduate of the SUNY College of Optometry. She completed the KCVAMC Optometry residency program in 2005 and prior to coming back to the KCVAMC, she was a staff doctor at the Leavenworth VAMC. Dr. Moyer is an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Missouri College of Optometry. She is the Chief of Optometry at the KCVAMC.

Anthony DeWilde OD FAAO Director, Tele-Retinal Imaging Program

Anthony DeWilde, OD is a graduate of the University of Missouri – St. Louis College of Optometry. He completed the KCVAMC Optometry residency in 2008. Dr. DeWilde is an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Missouri College of Optometry. He is currently head of the TeleRetinal Imaging Program for diabetic patients and serves as lead optometrist for the new VISOR low vision rehabilitation clinic.

Candice Law OD Director, Low Vision Sevices

Candice Law, OD, MS graduated with her degrees as a Doctor of Optometry and Masters of Vision Science from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts.  She completed a residency in Ocular Disease and Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 2009.  Prior to joining the staff at the KCVAMC eye clinic, she worked locally in an O.D./M.D. private practice providing comprehensive and low vision exams.  Dr. Law is currently Director of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Education Program and an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Missouri College of Optometry.

Emeritus staff     Top

Joseph H Maino OD Former Chief, Optometry

Dr. Joseph Maino is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and completed the Ocular Disease/Low Vision Rehabilitation residency at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. During his 30 year tenure at the Kansas City VA he was a Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Kansas Medical Center; Adjunct Professor, University of Missouri College of Optometry and Low Vision Consultant, Kansas State School for the Blind.

Robert Carty OD Former Chief, Optometry

Dr. Carty is a graduate of the Sothern College of Optometry and he also has a MS Ed from Troy State University. He was the first Chief of Optometry at the Kansas City VA Medical Center.

Optometry Residency Program - Kansas City VA Medical Center     Top

Basic Information 

Length of program

12 calendar months

Program Start/End

July 1 thru June 30th inclusive  

Salary/Stipend

Approximately $30,000/year

Benefits

Voluntary participation in Group Health Insurance Plan
Professional liability insurance (Federal Tort Law)
Sick leave/Annual leave
Authorized absence to attend professional meetings
Free parking

Expected weekly hours

Approx 45 hours in the clinic each week.
The resident is expected to spend additional time in self-study.

Completion Acknowledgement

Certificate

Requirements for Completion

Completion of the 12 months of residency

Patient care requirements
Participation in discussions and lectures
Presentations and tutorials for fourth year students & faculty
A publishable quality paper or poster
Attend a major optometry conference.

Non-discrimination

The KCVAMC Optometry Residency Program provides equal educational opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or sex.

Optometry Residency Program Admission Requirements 

O.D. degree from an accredited program by starting date
Successful completion of NBEO examinations
3 Letters of recommendation
Interview
Eligible for state optometry licensure
Must be a US citizen
GPA of 3.40 (out of 4) or higher
Completion of OR Match application (www.natmatch.com)

Interviews typically start in January and end the third week of February. Qualified applicants, who have applied through ORMS, may call to schedule an interview starting the second week in December. For additional information, to get phone numbers of former residents, and to schedule an interview contact: Dr. Timothy Harkins 816-861-4700 ext 57434   timothy.harkins@va.gov 

Kansas City, Missouri    Top

Go to Kansas City Information

The Kansas City metropolitan area offers an amazing number of attractions. They include wide boulevards, beautiful parks, fantastic architecture, art, jazz clubs, museums, shopping and more than 200 fountains. 

Optometry Residency Program Contact Information     Top

Eye/VICTORS Clinic (112G)

Kansas City VA Medical Center

4801 Linwood Blvd

Kansas City, MO 64128

Dr. Timothy Harkins

Coordinator, Education Program

(816) 861-4700 or 1-800-525-1483

ext 57434

Timothy.Harkins@va.gov

Please call Dr. Harkins to schedule January interviews starting the second week in December.