Fellowship in Diseases and Surgery of the
Retina and Vitreous
June 2009
Thank you for your interest in our program. The 2010-2012 fellowship application period is now open.
About the Program
This two-year fellowship is designed for advanced training in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery. The goal is to provide world class clinical training. This requires an intense commitment, and each day is filled with clinical and academic challenges. The training includes diagnosis and treatment of medical and surgical retinal diseases in adults and children. This fellowship available to graduates of accredited American ophthalmology residency programs and is available only to applicants with licensure to practice in the state of Illinois by the start of the fellowship.
One fellow will be chosen through the 2009 match program. The fellowship starts on July 7, 2010 and ends on July 6, 2012. Stipends are provided at the PGY5 and then PGY6 levels. 24 days of vacation per year are available as provided in the university system. Vacation time must be used for all voluntary absences, including job interviews.
Educational Responsibilities
The fellow must participate in and frequently prepare for the departmental weekly Grand Rounds, the Retina Conference, Chicago's Rabb Retina Club, and other UIC Continuing Medical Education Courses.
The fellow also participates in the education of medical students and ophthalmology residents.
Clinical Responsibilities
Although we have a large volume of the usual vitreoretinal diseases, UIC has a particularly large volume of complex retinal detachments from severe diabetic retinopathy, trauma, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy that require advanced surgical techniques. These cases serve as excellent challenges and learning experiences.
The vitreoretinal fellow will learn surgery through graded hands-on techniques with the faculty. The surgical team, composed of the attending surgeon, fellow, resident, nurses, and anesthesiologists, works together to provide superb surgical care. The fellow learns the approaches, tools, and skills to perform surgical procedures including scleral buckling, vitrectomy, epiretinal membrane dissection, laser, retinotomy, retinectomy, and perfluorocarbon liquid, silicone oil, or gas injection/removal, among others. The fellow typically performs more than 150 complete cases. The fellow also becomes adept at nuanced postoperative care, a critical contributor to therapeutic success. In every case the attending will seriously consider the ability of the fellow and the demands of the case to determine the best manner to advance the fellows' education.
In the clinic, the fellow has the opportunity to manage a wide variety of patients with the guidance of the faculty. The patients include those referred to the faculty and those referred from the General Eye Clinic and other clinics. The fellows order and interpret angiograms and optical coherence tomograms. They also perform and interpret ultrasounds. Laser treatments, cryopexies, pneumatic retinopexies, and intravitreal injections are also performed when indicated.
In the hospital, the fellow examines vitreoretinal consultations including weekly examinations in the neonatal unit of premature infants to monitor and treat retinopathy of prematurity. They accompany the attending physician until they show adequate proficiency. The fellow also learns to treat with peripheral ablation as indicated by these exams.
Research Responsibilities
Since this is an intense clinical fellowship there is limited research time for the fellows. Nonetheless, each faculty member is involved in clinical and basic research projects, and the fellows' participation is expected. Those with special research interests can usually arrange an extra year. However, each fellow must develop at least one clinical retina manuscript for publication. This teaches the process of independent evaluation of the literature upon graduation.
Additional Rotations
UIC has a very active uveitis section under Debra Goldstein, M.D., and Howard Tessler, M.D. Rotating on this Service provides an opportunity for the fellow to examine and diagnose difficult cases. These include infectious retinitis, white dot syndromes, toxoplasmosis, sarcoidosis, pars planitis, and other complicated inflammatory diseases.
In addition, UIC has a hereditary retina and electrophysiology section under Gerald Fishman, M.D., that provides an opportunity for the fellow to examine and diagnose the unusual cases followed and referred.
Affiliated Hospitals
Although the majority of the fellowship training takes place at the UIC Eye Center, the fellow sometimes sees patients at the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Hospital.
Vitreoretinal Faculty
Jennifer I. Lim, M.D.
Director of the Vitreoretinal Service
Professor of Ophthalmology
Michael P. Blair, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Norman P. Blair, M.D.
Vitreoretinal Fellowship Director
Professor of Ophthlamology
William F. Mieler, MD
Professor of Ophthalmology
Vice Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology
Lawrence J. Ulanski, II, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Application Process
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Completed SFMatch application form.
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Medical School Transcript
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OKAP Results
Please send in your application, personal statement, and curriculum vitae by email, as well as mail. This will help ensure that you are listed as an applicant.
Application Timeline for Fellowship Match
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Application Process begins: July 2009
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Deadline for accepting applications: August 31, 2009
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Interview Invitations: September 2009
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Interviews: October/November 2009
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Match Decision : December 2009
Mail Contact
Vitreoretinal Fellowship
Attn: Terry Tatone
University of Illinois at Chicago
MC 648
1905 W. Taylor St.
Chicago IL, 60612
Email Contact
ttatone@uic.edu
Phone Contact:
312-996-7832
Fax:
312-355-0520