Fellowship

Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The Center just passed the Triennial Fellowship Review by the AUPO (Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology). We are the only approved program in North America not at a university, but at the clinical level, and contribute to the education of the next generation of ophthalmologists. We are committed to expanding our scope and making an even greater impact on the Southeast region and the Atlanta metropolitan area

Leadership in Physician Training

• Our fellowship is one of 35 training programs approved by the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Our program provides a unique mentorship experience with training in advanced surgical techniques, clinical care, and research opportunities.
• 35 fellows trained since program’s inception in 1982.
• Hall Center fellows now practice throughout the United States in both community private practices and academic positions at universities.

About the Fellowship

We are dealing with an even greater shortage of pediatric ophthalmologists in the USA. Atlanta, like most cities, has no surplus of pediatric ophthalmologists; the Center has helped graduate 35 pediatric ophthalmologists in the last 20 years to fill this critical gap. Our training fellows take care of a large number of uninsured and Medicaid patients during their training year.

Program Description

The Program includes all aspects of Pediatric Ophthalmology based in clinical perspective without relying too much on theory or research. The one-year clinical fellowship begins the first week of July each year and provides a solid foundation in medical knowledge, critical thinking, diagnostic acumen, and achieves a high level of surgical proficiency. Our program is highly successful because gives the fellow exposure to more surgical cases than any other program in the USA – over 1,000 surgical procedures each year- and thousand patients in the office setting which gives them the confidence to handle difficult problems upon leaving the fellowship. There are numerous fellowships, but not one can match the extraordinary high volume of patients, pathology and surgical cases, besides, we are the only non-academic fellowship in the nation.

The surgical cases provide extensive experience for the fellow in the following disorders: childhood strabismus, pediatric glaucoma, developmental cataracts, pediatric refractive surgery, diseases of the lacrimal system, retinopathy of prematurity, retinoblastoma, ptosis/oculoplastic/orbital. The fellow receives 50 hours of CME (continuing medical education) category 1 credits for the year. Most states require 20 hours of CME per year to maintain a medical license.

Eligibility Information

The fellow is selected yearly in November through the American Academy of Ophthalmology matching computer program, the fellows list their programs in order of preference and the programs list the applicants in order of preference. The chosen fellow will have completed a full residency in the United States in an American Medical Association approved program and complicated pathology; the fellows achieve unsurpassed surgical skills as they perform over 1,000 complex surgeries.

The training fellow gains experience in the evaluation and management of a broad range of complex pathology in pediatric ocular and visual disorders, including: refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, orbital and adnexal abnormalities, cataract, glaucoma, intraocular tumors, retinopathy of prematurity, neurologic disease, trauma, functional visual loss, nystagmus, cranial nerve palsy, tear duct obstruction, chalazion, hemangioma, blepharospasm, dermoid cyst, orbital cellulitis, conjunctivitis, scleritis, corneal abrasion and ulcer, corneal foreign body, keratitis, traumatic hyphema, iritis, ruptured globe, vitreous hemorrhage, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, coloboma, optic nerve hypoplasia and atrophy, optic nerve tumors, optic neuritis, retinal detachment, retinoblastoma, retinal hemorrhage/shaken baby syndrome, retinal dystrophies, traumatic brain injury, and cortical visual impairment.

Medical Curriculum

• The fellow receives advanced clinical training in evaluation, diagnosis, and retinoscopy.
• Obtains significant experience in pediatric retinal problems and learn to treat hereditary retinal problems as well as acquired problems such as traumatic retinal detachments and ocular toxocariasis.
• The fellow spends one morning a week in surgery with the oculoplastics associate and sees numerous presentations of congenital glaucoma.
• Surgical techniques learned include strabismus surgery including horizontal muscles, vertical muscles, retroequitorial myopexy, placement of silicone expanders, transpositions. Techniques for eyelid surgery such as levator resection and frontalis suspension. Tear duct procedures including tear duct probing, lacricath, and Crawford tube placement. The removal of orbital tumor such as dermoids and hemangiomas. Excision of cataracts with placement of intraocular lenses. Incision and curettage of chalazions, Eye trauma management including eyelid lacerations sometimes involving the canallicular system and ruptured globes.
• Examination of newborn children looking for retinopathy of prematurity at the intensive care unit at Piedmont Hospital.
• The fellow participates in the cranial facial clinic sponsored by the Children’s Medical Services of the state of Georgia where children with numerous cranial facial abnormalities will undergo cranial restructuring as well as restructuring of their facial bones. The fellow receives 35-40 lectures from Dr. Pollard on various pediatric ophthalmology topics throughout the fellowship.
• The fellow participates in the care of congenital cataracts and infantile cataracts, learns the surgical techniques as well as contact lens fitting and amblyopia treatment.