Residency Program

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Resident Call

All call is home call, not in-house call. 

Weekday call shifts begin at 4:00 p.m. and end at 7:00 a.m. the following morning.

Sunday night call shift begins at 7:00 p.m. and ends at 7:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Primary Call

  • Primary call is taken by the first-year ophthalmology residents (PGY-2) every 4th night on average.  They also average one weekend of call per month.
  • To help acclimate new first-year residents (PGY-2) to primary call, the second-year resident (PGY-3) will rotate every 4th night for the first 8 weeks of an academic year on must-see “buddy” call with the first-year (PGY-2) residents. During this time the second-year resident will examine every patient alongside the first-year resident. For the following 8 weeks of the academic year the call system transitions from a “must-see” to a “must-call” system where the upper level resident is available to directly examine patients but must discuss patients with the primary resident.
  • During the month of January, interning (PGY-1) residents will take primary call with constant must-see supervision by a second-year (PGY-3) or third-year (PGY-4) resident. The interning resident is never solely responsible for delivery of ophthalmic care but actively participates in decision making as a part of the treatment team.
  • Primary call responsibilities include:
    • ER and inpatient consults at the University Hospital (adult), Children's of Mississippi Hospital (pediatric), Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants, and the Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center.
    • Management and follow-up of inpatients followed by the ophthalmology services

Senior Call

  • Senior call is taken mostly by second-year (PGY-3) residents with occasional third-year (PGY-4) coverage. Each PGY-3 takes senior call on average one weeknight per week and one weekend per month. Each PGY-4 takes senior call on average one Sunday per month.
  • Senior call responsibilities include:
    • Performing all emergent surgical procedures under the direct one-on-one supervision of the attending physician.
    • Overseeing the admission of all patients.
    • Supporting the first call resident with any questions or problems he or she might have in the course of the call.
    • Answering patient after-hours calls and performing any necessary after-hours visits from UMMC clinic patients.