Glaucoma Fellowship
Fellowship Overview
The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) division of Glaucoma offers a one-year AUPO certified fellowship for glaucoma management and surgery at the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute. The goal is to provide fellows with a fundamental understanding of glaucoma pathophysiology, diagnostics, and clinical/surgical care accomplished using the most cutting-edge ophthalmic tools and advances. The environment supports this with world-renown glaucoma leaders and next-generation technological innovations to openly explore how we can continue to advance how to understand, diagnose, and treat glaucoma.
More than 180 individuals have obtained clinical and/or research training in glaucoma at the University of California, San Diego. Many of these individuals hold distinguished academic positions and are glaucoma leaders throughout the world. Other fellows have distinguished themselves in their community in clinical practice or in industry. View our Glaucoma Fellows.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experience consists of participation in glaucoma faculty clinics as well as independent fellows' clinics at the Shiley Eye Institute in La Jolla and at the UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. Fellows gain surgical experience by performing independent and supervised surgery and working with faculty preceptors.
Glaucoma Faculty
Faculty Testimonials
What I took away from my glaucoma fellowship:
"Glaucoma fellowship is the most critical of "next steps" in our careers. In residency, we make life-long relationships, but we also all move in different directions in terms of clinical interest, scholarly pursuits, and personal life. Glaucoma fellowship builds a different kind of family. We are forever linked, not simply based on past shared experiences, but moving in the future: the next challenging glaucoma clinical case, glaucoma research question, or professional advancement hurdle. Personally, I am a former glaucoma fellow at UCSD, and I am forever grateful to have joined a huge family of glaucoma clinicians, researchers, and leaders throughout the world. This family has not only supported me in my education and career growth, but I also know that I am only one family call away from a true world's expert for any glaucoma question in the future."
— Dr. Alex Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
Locations
Shiley Eye Institute Operating Room and Team
The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute operating rooms are conveniently located on the third floor of the Shiley Eye Institute building. This allows convenient access between clinical outpatient and surgical spaces for constant and seamless patient care between the two. The OR is thoughtfully designed with a spacious waiting area and both pre- and post-op spaces conducive to efficient case turn-over as well as patient satisfaction. Fellows should anticipate spending 1-2 days a week in the operating rooms.
Fellows have a robust surgical experience with a wide variety of surgical procedures including:
- MIGS procedures (iStent, OMNI, Hydrus, trabectome, and XEN)
- Cataract and glaucoma surgery
- Trabeculectomy with and without anti-metabolite
- Glaucoma drainage device
- Laser diode cyclophotocoagulation (standard and micropulse)
Fellowship Education and Scholarly Activity
The fellow holds an appointment in the UC San Diego Department of Ophthalmology as Clinical Instructor. Fellows also are expected to actively participate in numerous didactic activities of the Glaucoma Division and the Department of Ophthalmology. The Glaucoma division has monthly journal clubs, lectures, and weekly resident/fellow teaching conferences. There also are weekly Departmental Grand Rounds presentations throughout the year. The fellow will work closely with residents assigned to the Glaucoma service.
In addition to clinical and surgical experiences, all fellows participate in clinical or translational research and will have the opportunity to present their findings at local, regional, and national meetings. Fellows also have the opportunity for involvement in ongoing innovative clinical trials.
Opening in 2003, the Hamilton Glaucoma Center is dedicated to clinical and translational glaucoma research. This 13,500 sq. ft. facility is adjacent to the Shiley Eye Institute. Each fellow has an office on the first floor. The first floor also has space dedicated to clinical research in glaucoma. There, the Imaging Unit at the Hamilton Glaucoma Center is one of the most technologically sophisticated and well-equipped in the world. The second floor has laboratories and additional office space. Our renowned translational science laboratories and faculty investigators are accessible to meet and discuss unmet needs inspired by glaucoma clinical care at UC San Diego that can lead to project planning and research.
Life in San Diego
San Diego is known for its year-round ideal climate, averaging about 55 degrees in January to 73 degrees in August. This means that San Diego is an outdoor and sporting paradise where you can enjoy the sun, surf, mountains, deserts, and the international flavor of our city.
How to Apply
Applicants for fellowship training in Glaucoma who have completed an ACGME residency in the US (and Canada, if eligible for California licensure) must register for the Ophthalmology Fellowship Match online by submitting the required application and supplemental materials listed therein.
Dates
The deadline for this process is September 15 of the year prior to the start of the desired fellowship-training year. The fellow must be eligible for a California Medical License, as medical licensure from the California Medical Board is required.
International Applicants
International applicants for glaucoma fellowship are considered outside of the SFMatch and should contact Marlene Virgen at mvirgen@health.ucsd.edu for additional information. These positions focus on glaucoma research with an opportunity for clinical activities.
