Celebrating NECO Residents

Celebrating NECO Residents

NECO hosted the annual John E. Asarkof Residency Conference. The event celebrated the residency year that runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. This was the last of four conferences throughout the year offered to all NECO Residents. NECO has 18-affiliated residency programs throughout New England that welcome 38 residents each year. These paid programs include advanced training in community-based centers and VAs, as well as other prestigious organizations.

On Friday, June 7, 2024, all 38 residents gathered on the NECO campus to catch up with each other and share their patient experiences throughout the year. Thirty-eight residents shared a specific case and the many “Clinical Pearls” that they collected along the way. For many residents, these conferences are the only time they will be on campus at 424 Beacon Street, as about half of the residents graduated from other optometry schools and many of them fulfilled residencies at locations beyond NECO’s two campus locations.

“My residency experience has been a great way to build upon my pediatric experience as a student and apply it to complex binocular vision and disease cases,” shares Dr. Caroline Marhefka, who completed her residency in Pediatrics at NECO. “I feel confident that I can either treat or refer pediatric patients appropriately!”

Dr. Marhefka’s experience highlighted the barriers that patients face when accessing follow-up appointments and treatment. “I am hoping to explore the optimal referral indices in the future to maximize patients who are treated, while not burdening the healthcare system with unnecessary referrals,” she explains.

Fellow residents presented their own experiences and findings that spanned inherited retinal diseases and the importance of genetic testing, to finding unilateral ocular manifestations due to right facial arteriovenous malformation. The day was full of learning and a sense of accomplishment after a demanding year.

The growth that each resident has undergone this year is a testament to their commitment to excellence, hard work, and perseverance. The group will undoubtedly continue their successes as they move into the next phase of their career and become leaders in the profession of optometry.

“This past year of residency has truly enhanced my ability to diagnose and manage advanced anterior and posterior segment disease, ocular manifestations of systemic disease, and diverse visual problems,” explains Hong An Do, 2024 Resident at VA Boston Jamaica Plain. “The mentorship from my attending doctors and my wonderful co-residents who continue to motivate and inspire me, have made this residency year a very enriching and memorable experience.”