Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship
Overview
Mission
The Department offers a one-year, comprehensive, Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO FCC) compliant Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship. This competitive training program is designed to provide exposure to all aspects of neuro-ophthalmology.
Accreditation
The Fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Washington. The fellowship is approved by and monitored by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO FCC).
Goals & Objectives
The overall objective of this fellowship is to offer an exceptional blend of clinical opportunities including surgical experience in an academic setting. Our goal is to teach competent and compassionate practitioners the medical judgment and special skills required of a neuro-ophthalmologist. Fellows work with both ophthalmology and neurology trained neuro-ophthalmologists with many years of experience. A wide range of pathology and a diverse patient population are encountered throughout the year as the fellows are entrusted with increasing clinical independence and responsibility.
Application
Application
In our application process, one fellow is selected yearly for the one-year fellowship. Interviews are offered to candidates after a review of all the application materials. This position is offered through the San Francisco Matching Program (www.sfmatch.org). Please see the dates and deadlines on the website. Candidates who will have successfully completed their ophthalmology residency training and who are able to obtain a license to practice medicine in the state of Washington are considered. We are unable to provide visa support at this time.
Benefits
Salary is paid at an approximation of the Program Year level using ACGME salary scale. The fellow receives life insurance and health benefits through the University of Washington. Fellows are provided with malpractice insurance for their fellowship-based activities.
Eligibility and Selection Policy
The University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology welcomes applicants for our AUPO-certified fellowship programs in vitreoretinal surgery, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, and uveitis and ocular inflammatory disease, as well as our ASOPRS-certified fellowship program in oculoplastic surgery.
Current residents and graduates of accredited ophthalmology residencies are eligible for consideration. Preference will be given to graduates of ACGME-accredited residencies and individuals eligible for full licensure in the State of Washington. The Department of Ophthalmology is committed to developing a diverse physician workforce and welcomes applications from individuals from historically under-represented backgrounds. Our program recruits applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.
Recruitment is based on applicants’ qualifications and ability to do the job. Selection criteria for our fellowships include a record of outstanding patient care; a record of scholarship in ophthalmology; enthusiasm for serving as teacher to junior fellows, residents, and students; excellent communication skills; and a record of exemplary professionalism.
Education and Training
Clinical Experience
The Fellow will be granted the academic title of Acting Instructor at the University of Washington and will be based in the UW Medicine Eye Institute, center for ophthalmology clinical services. The University of Washington serves the entire WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region with its catchment area of 11 million patients. Faculty preceptors, Drs. Courtney Francis, Raghu Mudumbai, Eugene May, and Brian Chou include both ophthalmology and neurology-trained neuro-ophthalmologists for a diversity of clinical experience.
Clinical sites include the UW Eye Institute and 4-West clinics at Harborview Medical Center as well as the UW Medical Center-Montlake and UW Medical Center-Northwest hospitals. Activities include outpatient clinics, including a fellow’s clinic, staffing inpatient consults with residents, and teaching medical students and residents. Surgical experience in strabismus surgery, temporal artery biopsies, optic nerve sheath fenestrations, and orbital surgery is offered.
The University of Washington has a robust neuro-ophthalmology service, with collaboration with multiple neurology and neurosurgery divisions. Multidisciplinary clinics in intracranial hypertension and pituitary tumors are available as well as a neuro-ophthalmology clinic embedded in the busy multiple sclerosis clinic. Training can be tailored to the fellow’s interests in research, education, surgery, and work.
Research Experience
Fellows are expected to attend and participate in weekly Grand Rounds. The fellows are responsible for organizing the bimonthly neuroradiology conferences and the quarterly neuro-ophthalmology journal club. Fellows' scholarly activities consist of clinical research as well as some clinical and didactic teaching for the residents. Fellows are encouraged to submit their work to a peer-reviewed journal and are encouraged to attend the annual NANOS meeting where they have the opportunity to present their research.
On-Call
Residents take primary call for the Department. The fellow takes second call for emergencies requiring the services of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Division and occasionally takes primary (trauma/globe) attending call.