Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship

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Application

This fellowship is approved by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS).  This is a 2-year fellowship, and candidates will matriculate in odd-numbered years.  Please go to the ASOPRS fellowship website for more information.  Interviews will be offered to candidates after a review of all application materials.  This position is offered through the San Francisco Matching Program.

Benefits

Salary is paid at an approximation of the Program Year level using ACGME salary scale at the University of Washington. The fellow is entitled to 3 weeks of paid vacation per year.  The fellow receives life insurance, and health and dental benefits through the University of Washington.  Fellows are provided with malpractice insurance for their fellowship-based activities.  The fellow will be supported to attend at least one specialty meeting as part of their advanced training.

Eligibility and Selection Policy

The University of Washington Department of Ophthalmology welcomes applicants for our AUPO-certified fellowship programs in vitreoretinal surgery, 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

The program director and associated faculty will provide high-quality instruction to our fellow.  Daily instruction will be provided and a literature review will be encouraged for all salient cases.  The methodology will change over the course of the fellowship as the trainee matures.  The style will shift from expert and facilitator to delegator.  The fellow will have oversight to make sure the clinical examination is mastered appropriately.  The ability of the fellow to elicit, organize and synthesize data to formulate appropriate medical and surgical plans will be consistently evaluated.  Over the course of the fellowship, the trainee will be given more autonomy.  Surgical feedback will be provided in real time and after each surgery.  As the fellow progresses, emphasis will be placed on independence so after graduation, the fellow will be a confident and competent oculoplastic surgeon.

Conference / Didactics

Ophthalmology Grand Rounds, weekly

Morbidity and mortality conference, monthly

Quality Improvement Conference (Oculoplastics, ENT, OMFS, Plastic Surgery), quarterly

Oculoplastic and orbital surgery didactics, quarterly

Neuro-radiology conference, bi-monthly

Pathology Conference, weekly

Head and Neck Tumor Board, weekly

Research meeting, monthly

Facial and orbital anatomy dissection lab and didactic, twice per year

Training

Hospitals Covered: Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Vetran’s Health Service of Puget Sound

Setting: Academic Center with rotations to private practice locations

Continuity of Care: There are opportunities to follow surgical and clinical patients over the 2-year fellowship at the VA, in the fellow’s clinic, and in the preceptor’s clinic.

Resident Education: The fellow will have the opportunity to provide clinical, surgical and didactic education for the University of Washington ophthalmology residents.

Subspecialty Rotations

Otolaryngology: There is a strong academic and clinical relationship between oculoplastics and otolaryngology.  The fellow rotates on the ENT service, where they participate in clinical and surgical care.  The fellow scrubs in while on service and acts as a primary surgeon where appropriate.  Cases are performed routinely with the involvement of the faculty and fellow from both specialties.  Cases include endoscopic sinus surgery as well as facial plastic surgery, both cosmetic and reconstructive.  Weekly head and neck tumor board is also attended by the fellow when relevant cases are available.

Facial Plastic Surgery: Our otolaryngology department has two fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeons on staff.  This is part of the formal rotation of the ENT service.  In addition to surgical and clinical interaction while on rotation, Dr. Kristen Moe works closely with our fellow and participates in joint cases.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: There are joint cases with OMFS as the service works closely with Dr. Jas Dillon.  The Fellow is encouraged to and given time to rotate with OMFS on an elective basis.

Craniofacial Surgery / Head and Neck Surgery: Our fellow has an elective rotation with our craniofacial service.  While on service, the fellow participates in clinical and surgical care scrubbing in with the team.  In addition to the formal rotation on the CF service, the fellow participates in joint cases with Drs. Craig Birgfeld, Richard Hopper and Joseph Gruss.  There is also a strong affiliation with the Head and Neck Service with Dr. Neal Futran.  The fellow participates in major head and neck cancer resections and free flap microsurgery reconstructions.

Neuro-Opthalmology: The fellow is exposed to pertinent neuro-opthalmologic cases as it relates to orbital and facial disease.  The fellow works with our neuro-ophthalmology team at the VA and Harborview Medical Center. 

Neurosurgery: Dr. Chambers and the UW-based faculty routinely operate with Dr. Manny Ferreira in neurosurgery. Our fellow attends the skull base tumor board when cases are available.  The fellow is free to formally rotate with neurosurgery during elective time.

Pathology: Our fellowship has a particular strength in pathology.  Both Drs. Chan and Amadi are fellowship-trained ocular pathologists and we have weekly pathology rounds.  Dr. Christopher Dirk Keen, a board-certified neuro and ocular pathologist, leads the rounds where the fellow and residents review the slides with the pathology and oculoplastic attendings. 

Neuro-Radiology: Our fellow attends monthly neuroradiology rounds that are held with Dr. Roberta Dalley, a neuro-radiologist for the University of Washington Department of Radiology.  Interesting cases are reviewed by the fellow and attendings.

Dermatology / Mohs Surgery: Our fellow participates in a rotation with our Mohs Surgeon at the University of Washington.  We have a close relationship with the dermatology surgery department and are routinely involved with Mohs reconstruction for facial and periocular defects.

Ocularist: The fellow is scheduled with the ocularist service one afternoon per quarter, where three ocularists participate in the instruction. The ocularist gives our fellow a specialized prosthetic matched to their eye after the rotation.  Our past fellow spent over 100 hours with the ocularist working on a research project.

Research

We have a monthly research meeting with our oculoplastic faculty, fellows, residents and medical students.  This meeting serves to support research in the division, brainstorm research ideas and provide mentorship for our trainees.  I continue to sponsor clinical and basic science research for our fellows and encourage quality projects.  The UW department of ophthalmology has state-of-the-art lab space at our South Lake Union Campus and the support of many basic scientists as well as access to animal labs.  Our fellowship has an endowment providing research support.  Our fellow is provided time for scholarly activity.  Scientific contribution through high-quality research is a priority of this fellowship.

Call: Residents take primary call for the department.  The fellow takes second call for emergencies requiring the services of the Oculoplstics Division.  The fellow is expected to take globe call for the department 1 week per quarter.