How to Apply for Retina Fellowship |
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Dear Doctor: We appreciate your interest in the Vitreo-Retinal Fellowship at the University of Virginia Medical Center. The fellowship takes place under the tutelage of Dr. Conway and me, the clinical faculty members of the Vitreo-Retinal Service. The fellowship runs for 12 months, but can be extended to 24 months for pursuit of research interests. Teaching material for the fellowship consists primarily of our private patients, supplemented by some clinic patients. We feel the experience is well balanced between the medical and surgical aspects of vitreo-retinal disease. Our service does approximately 300 cases a year for surgical vitreo-retinal problems, equally balanced between vitrectomy and scleral buckling procedures. Approximately 1,000 fluorescein angiograms are performed each year in our photography unit for the evaluation of medical retinal problems. We see approximately 50 patients each year with ocular tumors, primarily malignant melanoma. A clinical electrophysiology laboratory is also available for the evaluation of patients with retinal dystrophy. Patients with retinoblastoma and with retinopathy of prematurity are managed in collaboration with our pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Bruce Carter. As the year progresses, the fellow assumes a gradually increasing level of surgical responsibilities. It is our intention that by graduation the fellow will be comfortable with any type of vitreo-retinal surgery. The vitreo-retinal fellow sees all of the fluorescein angiograms and directs the Fluorescein Conference during which all of the interesting cases seen in the Department over the previous week are reviewed. This helps to ensure that the fellow reviews all interesting medical retinal problems. In addition to reviews of our clinical material and reports of interesting cases, the academic and research interests of the service center on the use of animal models and tissue culture techniques to study the problems of proliferative vitreo-retinopathy and diabetic retinopathy, and on the use of computerized vitreous fluoro-photometry to assess the blood-retinal barrier and to follow the course of various ocular disease states. The vitreo-retinal fellow is encouraged to participate in these studies or in any studies of his own initiation. To apply for the position, send us a formal CV and include a personal statement mentioning your interests and long-term goals. Three letters of recommendation are required. We would be especially interested in hearing from the chairman of your residency training program and any faculty member with whom you worked whose specialization was vitreo-retinal disease. A copy of your medical school record and Dean's letter, the results of NBME or FLEX exams, and your OKAP scores will also be useful. We realize that it may be difficult to obtain this material and will be happy to accept copies of the original material if sent directly from the office of your residency program director. Foreign applicant needs to have a valid ECFMG certificate and has passed: a) Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) or b) Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), or c) Parts I, II, and III of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). (NOTE: The LMCC (Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada) is not considered an equivalent exam and will not be accepted by the Immigration Service for this purpose.) The deadline for receipt of application is September 1, 2007. We start reviewing applications for the Fellowship starting in September. We plan to conduct interviews during the fall of 2007. We can interview foreign applicants via telephone. We will again participate in the Ophthalmology Fellowship Match, which is scheduled to take place in December 2007. Although departmental funds are available for salary support, successful applicants are also urged to apply for outside support. Sincerely yours,
James S. Tiedeman, M.D., Ph.D. |