Ophthalmology residents practice patient advocacy
Lobbying opportunities and equal access clinics promise access to quality patient care
Aug. 3, 2022 — Residents in the University of Florida College of Medicine department of ophthalmology graduate after having performed nearly 2,000 procedures, and they also leave with an ability to advocate for the best patient care possible.
The residency program ranks No.1 in the country in the number of cataract surgeries that residents perform and maintains a 100% pass rate on board exams. Cataract surgeries are the most common procedure practicing ophthalmologists encounter, said Casey Beal, M.D., FAAP, director of the department’s residency program, and at UF, residents graduate with about 300 of these surgeries under their belts.
The program is three-pronged, focusing on education, service and research. High surgical volumes, the ability to operate earlier in their residency and advocacy opportunities are compelling draws for soon-to-be residents considering where to complete their training.
Casey Beal, M.D., FAAP, residency program director
“Other ophthalmology residency programs may not start performing primary cataract surgeries until third year, which is the last year of ophthalmology training,” said Pamela Martin, M.D., a chief resident in the department. “Getting to start doing cataract surgery — just the minor steps during the first year and then performing full cataract surgeries as a second year — is a huge advantage compared to some programs.”
The program goes further than teaching its residents necessary surgical skills. Residents also learn the influence of policy on patient care and how to advocate for increased access to quality care. Every year, UF’s program and the Florida Society of Ophthalmology select two second-year ophthalmology residents to travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate for patients.
Nick Garson, M.D., a chief resident in the department, took his knowledge and patients’ best interests to the American Academy of Ophthalmology advocacy program in Washington, D.C. in April. As an advocacy ambassador, Garson met with legislators on Capitol Hill and discussed issues like Medicare and Medicaid coverage and providing quality care to veterans.
“We advocate and do what we do because we put patients first,” Garson said.
These efforts help notify members of congress about issues they are unaware of while introducing residents to the world of policymaking.
In January, the department accepted an advocacy award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for its commitment to the Academy's advocacy ambassador program where residents receive hands-on policy development experience.
“In medicine, you are typically taught to take care of the patient sitting in front of you and give them the best possible care, and as long as you’re doing that, then you’re doing well,” Beal said. “But I think now we’re realizing that a lot of the health policy that is made either at a state or national level determines and can control patient care, so we need to do more than just do great work for the patient sitting in front of us. We need to also impact policies that will impact all the patients in our state or our region.”
This patient-centric advocacy led the American Academy of Ophthalmology to choose UF’s program as the recipient of the Commitment to Advocacy Award in January. Only eight programs have received this accolade.
For UF ophthalmology residents, patient advocacy doesn’t stop at conversations on Capitol Hill. In Alachua County, trainees volunteer at two Equal Access Clinic Network clinics — one adult and one pediatric — that are open two evenings a month to serve the uninsured and underinsured.
Eye exams including full dilation, cataract evaluations and glaucoma checks are a few of the services provided by faculty, residents and medical students at these free clinics. This experience gives residents the opportunity to not only care for underserved patients but to also teach undergraduate and health professions students who volunteer.
In addition to learning, teaching and taking care of patients, UF ophthalmology residents conduct and publish research to improve patient care. Every resident participates in research, and the program sends one resident to the annual Florida Society of Ophthalmology meeting to present their work. For the last five years, a UF resident has won the society’s research award.
“Our residents are outstanding, the faculty are very focused on residents when teaching and we get a wide variety of practice locations,” Beal said. “They come in knowing very little about ophthalmology because it’s not robustly taught in medical school, and, very quickly, their knowledge expands exponentially. That’s the best part — watching them grow across the three years.”
