Fellowship Program Director
Teaching Faculty
- Justis P. Ehlers, MD
- Peter K. Kaiser, MD
- Daniel F. Martin, MD, Cole Eye Institute Chairman
- Andrew P. Schachat, MD, Fellowship Program Director and Vice Chairman
- Jonathan E. Sears, MD
- Rishi P. Singh, MD
- Sunil Srivastava, MD
- Alex Yuan, MD
The goal of the two-year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute is to provide the best advanced training in the world for the management of vitreoretinal diseases. The program’s emphasis is on providing the highest quality clinical experience that allows fellows to become thoroughly familiar with every aspect of vitreoretinal diseases and the state-of-the-art medical and surgical management of these conditions, combined with research to advance the diagnosis and management of these problems.
The diverse patient population that seeks treatment here covers the range of vitreoretinal diseases, including retinal detachment secondary to degenerative disorders, diabetic retinopathy, inherited vitreoretinal disorders, retinopathy of prematurity and a large macular degeneration patient population. Fellows gain surgical and clinical experience at Cole Eye Institute locations and MetroHealth Medical Center.
This intensive program of study includes the opportunity for fellows to perform common and advanced vitreoretinal surgeries under the supervision of some of the world’s leading retinal surgeons, in one of the finest ophthalmological surgical facilities in the world. Faculty members are committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders in this subspecialty and, therefore, ensure that fellows acquire world-class surgical skills during their training here. Fellows are given the opportunity to play a central role in the care of patients, and enjoy increased autonomy in the Fellow Clinic and while performing complex surgeries.
The vitreoretinal surgery fellowship includes a significant research component, reflecting the Cole Eye Institute’s underlying philosophy that synergy must exist between research and patient care. Fellows have an opportunity to participate in laboratory research at the Cole Eye Institute in the fields of cell biology, molecular biology, immunology and other relevant disciplines and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Fellows also must conduct clinical research and publish their results.
Dedicated research time is incorporated into the schedule. The faculty can assist in developing research projects at both the basic and clinical levels.
Fellows also gain the experience of teaching and giving didactic lectures to residents. During the time that residents rotate through the vitreoretinal surgery service, the fellows are available for consultation during clinic. They also participate in the residency conference program and are responsible for presenting the weekly fluorescein angiography conference with the faculty in attendance.
Ultimately, the vitreoretinal fellowship at the Cole Eye Institute seeks to train the next future leaders in their field.
Cole Eye Institute has two fellowship slots each year.