Stephen Burwell, CO, COT won the 2016 Richard G. Scobee Memorial Award. This national recognition is given to the orthoptist, and training program, who received the highest written and oral scores on that year’s board certification.

Stephen joined Children’s Eye Care in 2012 as an ophthalmic tech-trainee two years after completing her BS in neuroscience at University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. In 2014, he became a student of Children’s Eye Care’s orthoptic training program. This training program consists of didactic and clinical instruction by staff orthoptists and pediatric ophthalmologists. After completing a two year internship, the student is then eligible to take the AACO national certification written and practical examinations.

Children’s Eye Care’s training program is led by certified orthoptists Judy Petrunak, CO, COT and Mary DeYoung-Smith, CO, COMT with the assistance of pediatric ophthalmologists Alexandra O. Apkarian, MD, John D. Baker, MD, Lisa Bohra, MD, Elena M. Gianfermi, MD, Rajesh C. Rao, MD, John D. Roarty, MD and Leemor B. Rotberg, MD.

During his training, he worked extremely hard learning this field. He is now working with us as a staff orthoptist. Stephen is the third student of Children’s Eye Care’s training program and our second student to win the Richard G. Scobee Memorial Award.