Residency Program
Azul Vision, in affiliation with Marshall B. Ketchum University Southern California College of Optometry, offers a one-year optometry residency program (two positions) in the specialty of ocular disease.
The mission of this residency program is to provide optometric practitioners with the experience, skills, training, and knowledge necessary to develop advanced competence in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases and disorders of the visual system and eye problems.
To ensure that the resident acquires sufficient experience in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases of the ocular and visual systems.
To ensure that the resident develops advanced skills and competence in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases of the ocular and visual systems.
To ensure that the resident develops advanced knowledge in order to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases of the ocular and visual systems. To reinforce and expand the resident’s knowledge base in ocular disease and ocular manifestations of systemic disease.
To ensure that the resident obtains experience working with subspecialty ophthalmic providers in order to develop an understanding of his/her role in the comprehensive eye care of a patient.
To instill in the resident the importance and value of professional development.
- The resident will have no less than 2000 patient encounters in a primary and secondary care setting. These patients will include regularly scheduled patients, unscheduled urgent appointments, and after-hours “on call” patients.
- The resident will diagnose, treat, and manage ocular diseases to the extent of their license and refer to a subspecialist for procedures outside the scope of California optometric practice. Common ocular disorders encountered on a daily basis include dry eyes, cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, pathological diplopia, macular degeneration, and urgent “red eye” cases.
- The resident will acquire hands on experience in advanced techniques such as punctal dilation and irrigation, gonioscopy, epilation, foreign body removal, rust ring removal, OCT interpretation, VF interpretation, fundus photography, endothelial cell count, pachymetry, and cranial nerve testing.
- The resident will attend weekly seminars presented by MBKU adjunct clinical faculty.
- The resident will receive weekly lessons or journal articles to read and review.
- The resident will spend no less than 15 days directly observing a subspecialty clinic. Subspecialty clinics include cataract, glaucoma, cornea, oculoplastic, and retina.
- The resident will write a manuscript (research paper or case report) suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed health care journal, or prepare a poster suitable for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry or other similar conference.
- The resident will have no less than 4 days of direct surgical observation in the Eye Surgical Center. Surgical observation can include cataract, glaucoma, cornea, oculoplastic, and retina surgeries.
- To encourage the resident to practice to the extent of his/her knowledge and license, the resident will be encouraged to consult with subspecialists for challenging cases, via phone, email, or direct conversation, before referring the case for a subspecialty appointment.
- The resident will be encouraged to attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry or other similar national conference.
- The resident will be introduced to academic and research modes of practice.
- The resident will detect and diagnose ocular manifestations of systemic diseases, communicate with patients’ primary provider and specialty providers, and order laboratory tests and imaging studies as needed.
- The resident will write a manuscript (research paper or case report) suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed health care journal, or prepare a poster suitable for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry or other similar conference.
Resident Testimonials
“Azul Vision draws a diverse and complex patient population, making it a perfect opportunity to train and gain experience in diagnosing and managing intellectually complex and challenging cases.”
Talin Khachatoor, O.D.
Resident, 2021-22
"After interning for 3 months as a student, I knew that the residency program offered by Azul Vision was going to help advance my critical thinking skills, knowledge and patient care as a new grad."
Nayiri Abnous, O.D.
Resident, 2021-22
“This residency helped fuel my love for optometric learning and assisting patients. I experienced a diverse range of exam encounters, patient demographics and ocular findings during my time here.”
Timothy Hammill, O.D.
Resident, 2022-23
“The program provided many opportunities for collaborative care given the diverse range of cases that required consultations with subspecialists. They are willing to step away from their tasks at any time to answer questions you may have about a case. This creates a supportive learning environment that encourages collaboration and allows us to provide the utmost quality of care for our patients.”
Shabnam Habibi, O.D.
Resident, 2022-23
"This residency program was easily the best decision I have made to further my optometric knowledge. It provides a wide range of ocular diseases under the guidance of excellent mentors. It has given me the skills and confidence needed to enter the next journey of my career."
Austin Hoy, O.D.
Resident, 2023-24
"My residency training at Azul Vision has been the best year of my educational career. I had the opportunity to interact with a diverse patient population, see a wide range of ocular conditions, and work in a collaborative setting alongside exceptional optometrists and ophthalmologists. The knowledge and skills I’ve gained along the way have helped me grow into a well-rounded and confident clinician."
Agatha Sleboda, O.D.
Resident, 2023-24
The residency will be one year in length, typically from August 1 - July 31.
Clinic hours are from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. A typical week will consist of:
- 4.0 days: Direct patient care
- 0.5 days: Optometry seminars
- 0.5 days: Subspecialty clinic observation, subspecialty surgery observation, medical optometry clinic observation, administrative time, or additional direct patient care.
Congratulations to Dr. Austin Hoy and Dr. Agatha Sleboda for graduating from Azul Vision's Residency Program!
Dr. Agatha Sleboda was mentored by Dr. Rex Villegas, O.D. FAAO through our Los Angeles program.
Dr. Austin Hoy was mentored by Dr. Matthew Diggory, O.D. through our Inland Empire program.
The resident will have the opportunity to observe and work with the sub-specialists in their various clinics on a weekly basis. The resident will also have the opportunity to observe ocular surgery.
The sub-specialties include:
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Cornea
- Vitreoretinal
- Oculoplastics
Teaching Responsibilities:
Didactic Activities:
Optometry seminars/lectures will be held every Thursday or Friday afternoon.
Lectures will be conducted by adjunct clinical faculty from Marshall B. Ketchum University.
The seminars are attended by MBKU residents from local residency programs.
Scholarly Activities:
Research Paper/Case Report – The resident will be required to write a research paper or case report of publishable quality.
The resident must attend a national optometry education conference during the residency year (e.g. annual meeting of American Academy of Optometry).
The resident is highly encouraged to attend and participate in the annual Residency Forum at Marshall B. Ketchum University.
Application Requirements:
All applicants must apply on the Optometry Residency Match website. The application deadline is January 31. Note that all residency applicants will be evaluated without regard to sex, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, age, national origin, or non-disqualifying physical disabilities.
- Applicant must have earned an O.D. degree, or will have earned such a degree by the time of graduation, from an accredited school or college of optometry.
- Applicant must have taken and passed Parts I, II, and III of the NBEO, as well as the California licensing exam.
- The applicant must have a valid CA license to practice optometry or has met the necessary requirements to have a valid CA license, by August 1.
- The applicant must register with the Optometry Residency Match program.
- A personal interview is required. The applicant should contact the residency program coordinator to schedule an appointment for the interview.
Required Paperwork for Residency Applicants:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Letter of intent
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably from instructors who are familiar with your clinical work
- Official optometry school transcripts up to the time of your application
- Official NBEO transcripts
Rex Villegas, O.D., FAAO
Residency Coordinator (Los Angeles)
Email: rvillegas@azulvision.com
Matthew Diggory, O.D.
Residency Coordinator (Inland Empire)
Email: mdiggory@azulvision.com
