Preceptor: Zachary Elkin, MD, MPH
Contact: Carol Conforme, Carol.Conforme@NYULangone.org and Nicole Mazzone, Nicole.Mazzone@NYULangone.org
Tel: 929-455-5009

Prerequisites: Ophthalmology Surgery Related Elective, Ophthalmology Preceptorship, or 2-week Ophthalmology electives

Who should enroll in this elective?

Students who are considering Ophthalmology as a career

Clinical sites

NYU Langone Eye Center, Bellevue Eye Clinic and OR, Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) 38th OR 

Description

This is an advanced 4-week elective that seeks to build on ophthalmologic knowledge and experiences gained in the pre-clerkship and clerkship years. It may be used to build upon experience from the 2-week Ophthalmology Introductory Elective or the Ophthalmology Surgery Related Elective (SRE). As an advanced elective, the student will be expected to serve at the level of a sub-intern. The student will gain a deeper understanding of the core principles, foundational knowledge, and essential skills relevant to the specialty through encounters with a diverse range of cases reflective of this specialty.

Objectives of the Elective

By the end of this elective, through daily contact with patients and didactics, you will:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of the field of ophthalmology, building on your pre-clerkship and clerkship experiences, through a broad exposure to ophthalmologic diseases
2. Expand your skills in outpatient workup and management of patients with ophthalmologic diseases 
3. Learn about specialty-specific history and physical exams as well as the indications for, and complications of specialty-specific procedures
4. Begin to learn how to perform ophthalmologic procedures and surgery through graduated degrees of hands-on participation 
5. Gain knowledge regarding treatment modalities used to treat ophthalmologic diseases
6. Gain insight into the interdisciplinary nature of this specialty and how our clinicians interact with other medical disciplines to provide comprehensive patient care
7. Ensure your choice of ophthalmology as a career

Key Responsibilities of the student while on Elective

By enrolling in this introductory elective, you have agreed to:

1. Participate in at least 35 contact hours of education each week
2. Provide communication of any excused absences to the Office of Student Affairs (excused absence form) and to the elective coordinator, in a timely fashion 
3. Arrive, in a timely fashion to all locations to which you are assigned  
4. Participate meaningfully in the care and management of eye patients in the general and specialty eye clinic including history and physical, exam, and assisting the resident in his or her clinic duties. Students may start seeing patients on their own under the guidance of residents and attendings and present their findings to residents and/or attendings
5. Attend all assigned clinics
6. Attend all didactics provided for trainees, as outlined below
7. Attend the medical student surgical skills sessions
8. Prepare and present a chosen topic or participate and complete a project at the completion of the rotation

Key Responsibilities of the preceptor/residents/faculty while you are on Elective

By accepting your enrollment in this introductory elective, the department has agreed to:

1. Clearly communicate their expectations of you
2. Maintain a supportive clinical learning environment 
3. Ensure that you have access to a broad case mix and clinical experience  
4. Provide the education necessary for you to gain an understanding of the patients and pathology reflective of this specialty
5. Provide feedback on your clinical skills

Didactic Program

The didactic program is designed in a self-directed, asynchronous, flipped-classroom style. Students will have access to online video lectures and cases covering the ophthalmology subspecialties, including anterior segment/cornea, retina, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastic, and neuro-ophthalmology. Textbooks are available if requested. Students will participate in a case conference during their 3rd or 4th week to review this material.

Students will also be expected to develop their clinical and surgical skills using EyeSi simulators. Students will be assigned modules to complete on the EyeSi Indirect Ophthalmoscopy and EyeSi Cataract simulators. There will be dedicated time on the rotation to practice.

Method of Evaluation

Students are evaluated by the residents, the faculty preceptor and the director of residency training. Students will be given a QR code linked to an evaluation to facilitate feedback. Students are expected to solicit feedback from at least 2 attendings each week. 

There will be a knowledge and attitudes survey administered at the start and end of the rotation. The survey will not be graded. It is used to see what content is adequately covered during the rotation. There will also be an opportunity for students to provide feedback about the rotation.

Attendance at clinical sites and didactics is required. At the end of the rotations, students will be expected to give an oral case presentation. Details will be discussed during the rotation.

Scheduling Information

Duration: 4 weeks
Months Offered: May through September. NYUGSOM students are strongly encouraged to take the rotation May or June to prepare for the Match. Any students who cannot schedule those months should speak with Dr. Elkin before the lottery.
Student point of contact before start of elective: Carol Conforme and Nicole Mazzone
On day 1, students report to: Details to be provided prior to the start of the rotation
Students per elective block: 4

Note: For this specific elective, visiting student applications will be processed through AAMC’s Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program. The VSLO Application Service (aka VSAS) enables students to browse and apply for this elective.