Jennifer Craig, OD, has been named supervisor of the UAB School of Optometry’s Cornea and Contact Lens residency program.
“Fitting specialty contact lenses has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career, and I am excited to help residents hone those skills so they, too, can confidently care for their patients and change their lives for the better,” she said.
Craig teaches optometry students these skills over a semester; however, working with residents provides an even greater opportunity to share her expertise with eager minds.
“To provide one-on-one education over the course of a year and really dive into the details and the art of fitting specialty lenses will truly be a rewarding experience,” she added.
Fitting contact lenses and treating anterior segment disease have been of interest to Craig since her time in private practice. She increased her specialized knowledge in these areas after joining the UAB Optometry faculty in 2021.
“My biggest mentors who helped prepare me for this role have been Drs. Adam Gordon and John Laurent,” Craig said. “Being able to learn from these two giants in the contact lens field is something I will never take for granted, and I am incredibly grateful for their willingness to mentor me and many others.”
Gordon, a UAB Optometry professor, served as the residency program’s supervisor beginning in 2005, leading the program for 21 years. Laurent cared for specialty contact lens patients at UAB Eye Care and taught students as well, retiring in 2022 after a decade of service.
In addition to her role as residency program supervisor, Craig serves as an attending in the Primary Care, Contact Lens and Specialty Contact Lens clinics. She is the course director for the Contact Lens II course and lectures for both Contact Lens I and II. Additionally, Craig teaches in both the Clinical Evaluation of the Visual System (CEVS) Lab and the Advanced International Optometry Degree Program (AIODP) Skills Lab, when optometry students learn the skills necessary to see patients before entering clinic.
The UAB School of Optometry offers advanced clinical education in specialty areas through three in-house and five affiliated residency programs. Currently, eight residency programs offer a total of 16 positions. The school places a strong emphasis on residency education, with a commitment to developing, advancing and promoting postdoctoral clinical training programs of excellence across the major areas of optometric care.