Ocular Oncology Fellowship

Fellowship program director

• Arun D. Singh, MD

Teaching faculty and research mentors

• Teaching faculty and specific responsibilities: Arun D. Singh, MD
  Clinical, surgical, and educational

This one-year fellowship provides comprehensive training in the specialty of ocular oncology. The program’s emphasis is on providing both clinical evaluation and medical and surgical management of the full range of conditions encountered in the field of ocular oncology.

The ocular oncology department at the Cole Eye Institute is unique in that it manages the full variety of tumors seen in the field of ocular oncology. The world-class faculty, unmatched funding resources and academic research initiatives underway at the Cole Eye Institute, provides fellows with unparalleled training in the field of ocular oncology.

Fellows will be exposed to large numbers of patients referred for the evaluation and management of ocular tumors. Cole Eye Institute serves as a tertiary referral center for a significant volume of tumors of the eyelid, conjunctiva and cornea, uvea, retina and retinal pigment epithelium, and the orbit. Experience in pediatric ocular oncology is provided through the treatment of children with retinoblastoma.

Training is provided in various imaging techniques useful in the diagnosis and direction of management of ocular tumors including ophthalmic ultrasound, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography. Surgical experience is gained in the operating room under the direct supervision of the ocular oncology faculty.

Fellows will participate in state-of-the-art surgical techniques used for tumor biopsy, implantation of radioactive delivery systems, tumor excision, laser treatment modalities, and cryotherapy.

The ocular oncology fellowship also includes a significant research component with opportunities for investigation in the fields of cell biology, molecular biology, immunology and other relevant disciplines. Ample opportunities exist to present research projects at national professional meetings and research symposia.

Fellows will participate in teaching residents and medical students in the classroom, the clinical setting, and in other education activities such as journal clubs.

The ocular oncology fellowship provides 12 months of training with a well-rounded curriculum with the following components:

1. Clinical rotations
2. Surgical rotations
3. Research component
4. Teaching activities

Clinical rotations

The fellow will examine and evaluate patients under direct faculty supervision approximately 2.5 days per week. Clinical instruction focuses on the initial diagnosis of ocular tumors and management of these conditions.

Surgical rotations

Fellows will gain surgical experience over the course of the 12 month fellowship under the direct supervision of the ocular oncology faculty. Fellows will participate in surgery approximately one-and-a-half to two days per week. They will be exposed to a variety of surgical techniques used for the evaluation and treatment of eye tumors including: tumor biopsy (fine needle aspiration biopsy, incisional biopsy, excisional biopsy), implantation of radioactive delivery systems, tumor excision, laser treatment modalities, and cryotherapy.

Research component

The division of ophthalmic research at the Cole Eye Institute with its state-of-the-art laboratory facilities provides fellows in the ocular oncology program with significant opportunities for investigation in the fields of cell biology, molecular biology, immunology and other relevant disciplines. Approximately one day per week is reserved for research initiatives allowing the fellow to engage in academic projects of interest. Ample opportunities exist to present research projects at national professional meetings and research symposia.

Teaching activities

Fellows will participate in teaching residents and medical students at the Cole Eye Institute in the classroom and the clinical setting. They will prepare presentations for subspecialty departmental grand rounds, pathology conferences, and joint conferences with other local academic institutions. In addition, the curriculum requires fellows to prepare for other educational activities such as biannual journal clubs.

Off-campus rotations

Fellows with a subspecialty interest within ocular oncology may choose to participate in an off-campus rotation. For example, fellows with an interest in retinoblastoma or pathology of ocular tumors may arrange to travel to collaborating academic institutions for one to three months to focus on an area of interest. Off-campus rotations are at the discretion of the program chairman and are dependent upon available funding and faculty availability at off-site academic institutions.