Education

The University Specialty Clinics Department of Ophthalmology echoes the mission of its institution, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine by seeking to improve the health of the people of the State of South Carolina through the development and implementation of programs for medical education, research and the delivery of health care. Medical education is a key element of our mission. Improvement of eye care depends on the education of three key populations.

We provide education for our patients, particularly in the area of preventive eye care. Promoting routine eye examinations for the prevention of vision impairment and blindness from glaucoma and diabetic eye disease is an important element of eye care education.

We also offer the highest quality, fully accredited educational program for medical students and residents. The future of eye care begins with the education of doctors-in-training. The Palmetto Health Alliance and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine has a dynamic three-year ophthalmology residency program dedicated to training doctors to be exemplary primary eye care physicians with a breadth of experience in the medical and surgical diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. We also train medical students and other non-ophthalmology residents in the basics of eye care so that they may be better physicians. Our focus is preventive eye care.

The third population is our professional colleagues. Many eye diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, brain diseases, AIDS and trauma have associated eye signs and symptoms. Providing focused updates in these areas to other physicians will help to increase the level of care to all patients.

We view education as a central part of our mission to improve the health of all citizens and we seek to provide the most robust educational programs possible.

Please have a look at our Patient Education Library.