Salus Announces New Director of On-Campus Residency Programs

The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University recently named Chad Killen, OD ‘19, Resident ‘20, FAAO, of Philadelphia, director of the On-Campus Residency Programs.

During his residency, Dr. Killen, who joined the faculty in 2021, had the opportunity to learn from several mentors, gaining an increased understanding of the various approaches to managing ocular disease while practicing at The Eye Institute (TEI), the main clinical facility of PCO/Salus.

“I really have a passion for the residency program, and I thought I could continue the greatness set by those before me,” Dr. Killen said.

Dr. Killen graduated from Gettysburg College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences before earning his Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from PCO/Salus, where he participated in several activities. As a student at PCO/Salus, he was president of the Gold Key Honor Society and the Contact Lens Club. He was also the director of internal affairs for the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), worked as a teaching assistant in the clinical skills lab and was on the Athletic Committee that helped plan intramural sports for the students.

He received the William Feinbloom Low Vision Award and the Bernard Blaustein Resident of the Year Award for the Class of 2020 before joining the faculty as a clinical Instructor in Primary Care and Low Vision Rehabilitation services. At TEI, he works predominantly with third- and fourth-year students but has taught in the clinical problem-solving course and clinical skills lab as well. Dr. Killen’s most recent accomplishment was becoming a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry at this year’s annual meeting in Boston.

Among his new duties are to oversee all the residents at TEI in Primary Care/Ocular Disease, Low Vision Rehabilitation/Ocular Disease, Cornea/Contact Lenses, Neuro-Ophthalmic Disease and Pediatrics/Vision Therapy. Currently, there are 12 on-campus residents.

In addition, Dr. Killen will be responsible for ensuring TEI’s programs continue to operate according to the guidelines as established by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) in providing a rigorous clinical and didactic residency experience for all on-campus residents.

“The residency program has such a great legacy here at TEI,” Dr. Killen said. “The residents are kind of the heartbeat of our clinic and making sure they are educated and supported is such a big deal. I want to make sure they all have the same great experience that I did and that we continue to recruit the top of every class from all the different schools across the U.S.”

One of his main goals is to make sure PCO/Salus is attracting candidates from across the country to ensure residency classes are diverse with residents from all backgrounds.

“My residency had optometrists from all different optometry schools, which I thought created a really great learning environment,” Dr. Killen said. “We saw how everyone learned at their individual schools and what skills they brought to the table that we could teach each other. I think that creates the best learning environment and overall residency experience.”