Retina Vitreous Fellowship
Overview
The University of Rochester / Flaum Eye Institute is pleased to sponsor a 2-year AUPO-compliant retina vitreous fellowship that teaches all aspects of medical and surgical retina. Our priority is to provide a top-notch educational environment through “hands-on” clinical and surgical experience, ultimately preparing the fellow for a successful career in private or academic retina practice. The program has recently grown to two fellows in total (one per year) with retina-only call split between them. The fellow divides his/her time between six experienced vitreoretinal surgery faculty members, which allows for continuity of teaching and long-term development of skills. There are also opportunities for experience with faculty in uveitis, ocular oncology, pediatric retina, inherited retinal diseases (ocular genetics), and retinopathy of prematurity. Teaching in the clinical and surgical settings is strengthened by lectures and case conferences. Education for the fellow is further augmented by supported travel to national meetings and surgical fellow courses. As the Flaum Eye Institute is consistently ranked among top university departments across the country by NIH/NEI funding, there is ample opportunity for basic science, translational and/or clinical research, as desired by the fellow to supplement their clinical training and experience. Our retina fellowship director is Mark Breazzano, M.D.
Fellow Schedule
Surgical experience and learning begins immediately for the fellow in the first year, with even distribution of retina clinic and operating room time across both years of fellowship. This operating room time will provide the fellow with approximately 500 cases —including all aspects of vitrectomy and scleral buckling surgery. The fellow will primarily spend clinic time with medical and surgical retina patients, with additional procedures including laser, injection, and pneumatic retinopexy. Additional exposure to uveitis, inherited retinal diseases (ocular genetics), ocular oncology, and retinopathy of prematurity, is also provided. Dedicated time is also provided for reading and research.
Teaching Conferences
Each month, case rounds are held with didactic teaching by the faculty. Quarterly journal club is held in the Retina Service, and one half-day each month Grand Rounds in the Ophthalmology Department are held with visiting professors.
Research
Research is not required but is encouraged and can range from case report writing to basic scientific research depending on the background, goals and interests of the fellow.
What Our Graduates Say
Overall, I had an extremely satisfying and rewarding experience during my two-year vitreoretinal fellowship. The program provided outstanding clinical and surgical training with exposure to an exceptionally broad spectrum of retinal pathology.
Clinically, I gained extensive experience managing common vitreoretinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, retinal tears, and retinal detachment. I also received outstanding exposure to ocular oncology, including choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma, inherited retinal diseases through Dr. Khetan, and uveitis through Dr. Shifera and Dr. Hu. This diverse clinical experience provided comprehensive training in both common and highly specialized retinal diseases.
The surgical training was equally exceptional. I managed numerous complex tractional retinal detachments, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, rhegmatogenous retinal detachments, and macular surgery for epiretinal membranes and macular holes. I also learned scleral-sutured intraocular lens fixation from Dr. Breazzano and Dr. Ramchandran and gained experience with endoscopic vitrectomy under Dr. Narayanan. With dedicated retina operating room time Monday through Thursday, the fellowship provided outstanding surgical volume, including approximately 5–10 retinal detachment cases per week during busy periods.
During fellowship, I performed approximately 100 pneumatic retinopexies, hundreds of laser retinopexy and panretinal photocoagulation procedures, approximately 25 scleral buckle procedures, and more than 400 pars plana vitrectomies. Equally valuable was the opportunity to learn different surgical techniques and decision-making strategies from each member of the retina faculty.
By the completion of the fellowship, I felt confident and well prepared to independently manage both routine and highly complex medical and surgical vitreoretinal diseases. I am sincerely grateful for the outstanding mentorship, exceptional surgical volume, and diverse pathology that made this fellowship an outstanding training experience.
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To Apply
Applications for the Flaum Eye Institute's Retina Vitreous Fellowship are processed through the San Francisco Match. We will not consider applications from candidates who are not properly registered with the San Francisco Match.
Questions about the program are welcome and can be addressed to: Kim Catalino 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 659 Rochester, NY 14642