WVU Ophthalmology Residency Program inspires graduates to pursue careers in community-based medicine

The primary role of any physician is to meet patients’ individual needs and improve healthcare outcomes on a large scale. Graduates from the Ophthalmology Residency Program at the West Virginia University School of Medicine are taking that mission one step further, as they build lasting relationships with patients by embedding themselves within the communities where they practice.

Paul McConnell, M.D. (’10), has spent the last 16 years practicing at EyeOne in the rural community of Staunton, Virginia, where he specializes in comprehensive ophthalmology, as well as cataract and glaucoma surgery. He credits his training experiences at WVU for making him fall in love with the idea of practicing medicine in an area where he can become an integral part of the community.

“For me, the draw to practicing in areas like West Virginia and rural Virginia is the lasting relationships you build with your patients, some of whom I’ve been seeing since my arrival more than a decade and a half ago,” he said. “With community medicine, you aren’t just seeing a patient; you’re seeing a friend, a neighbor, or even a member of your family.”

Building on Community Connections: A Legacy of Outreach

McConnell’s passion for community medicine began to blossom during his residency training, where he was given the opportunity to accompany the then-chair of the department, Judie Charlton, M.D., to one of the most remote areas of the state. Together, they would travel to a clinic in Gilbert, where they would provide free ophthalmic services to a community of rural patients who would otherwise likely not receive eye care due to geographic or financial barriers.

“Dr. Charlton’s patience and ability to connect with the patients made them feel that, despite their situation, whatever it may be, there are still physicians who care for them and are willing to take whatever measures necessary to provide them with the care they need and deserve,” McConnell said. “This is something I have tried to implement in my own patient interactions throughout my career, as I work to address the vision needs of patients in rural Virginia and beyond.”

The residency program continues to build on Dr. Charlton’s legacy and dedication to patient connection by providing opportunities for residents to support the state’s blind and visually impaired youth, undergo rotations at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center and care for local veterans, and participate in a wide range of local or global ophthalmology outreach initiatives.

McConnell delivers targeted ophthalmic care to isolated patients in rural communities by participating in a series of Remote Area Medical Clinics, which provide free services such as eye exams and glaucoma screenings to patients without requiring them to travel long distances to the clinic themselves.

Rooted in Service: Addressing Disparity in the Mountain State

While many former residents have gone on to practice in various rural and urban communities across the country, several graduates have decided to remain in West Virginia following their training, carrying on the Eye Institute’s mission of addressing visual disparity in the Mountain State.

Christian Warner, M.D. (’22), has spent the last four years practicing at Marshall Eye Surgeons in Huntington, West Virginia, where he specializes in various versions of cataract and upper eyelid surgeries. He said he is grateful to have remained in West Virginia following his training, where he now focuses on addressing the vision needs of patients from rural areas in the southern part of the state.

“The need for high-quality vision care in this state is great, and that can be even more true in remote, rural areas such as the southern-most counties,” Dr. Warner explained. “My training at WVU exposed me to a diverse patient population, with a wide range of unique traumas and pathologies across the broad spectrum of ophthalmology. This made for a challenging, but incredibly rewarding training experience, that has proved invaluable during my first several years of practicing ophthalmology in southern West Virginia.”

Warner said that while there were many faculty members who served as valuable mentors to him throughout his training, it was Assistant Professor Charles Moore, M.D., who most directly compounded his interest in medical outreach initiatives.

“I was particularly inspired by the wide range of community outreach projects that Dr. Moore was constantly involved in, and by how much of his time that he dedicated to traveling throughout the state to provide eye care to rural patients who might otherwise go a lifetime without it,” Warner said. “That strong sense of selflessness and dedication to a community is something I try to draw on in my everyday practice.”

Now in his 30th year with the Department, Dr. Moore continues to inspire the next generation of ophthalmologists by providing critical support to outreach programs such as the Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Program and the Appalachian Vision Outreach Program and continued involvement in community outreach initiatives both at home and abroad.

Inspired by Moore’s commitment to service and community partnerships, Warner said he teams up with various outlying optometry and ophthalmology practices across the region to provide on-site care and follow-up to patients who would otherwise be subject to very long drives following surgical procedures that require multiple return visits.

He also structures his clinical visits to allot time for him and his team to diagnose a patient, discuss potential treatment options, and in some cases, perform laser or minor plastics procedures all in one visit, helping patients avoid the hassle of scheduling and traveling to multiple appointments.

“The true sign of having a great mentor as a medical trainee is being able to incorporate elements of their work style into your future everyday practice,” Warner explained. “I am fortunate to have had outstanding mentors like Dr. Moore during my residency training, and hope that I can continue to honor his mission as I work to address visual disparity in southern West Virginia.”

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program is an ACGME-accredited program that offers three years of extensive and comprehensive ophthalmology training, with an additional joint transitional year internship. The program is led by Associate Professor Bradley Thuro, M.D., and accepts five residents per year.

To learn more about the program, visit medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/eye/residents