Extensive clinical experience
Fellows accepted into the neuro-ophthalmology service join a very busy, focused clinical team. The first two months of the fellowship are full clinical immersion, where fellows will evaluate patients with a large variety of neuro-ophthalmologic problems and provide second opinions for cases referred primarily by ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, interventional radiology, rehabilitation, and oncology. Clinics are staffed by at least one attending physician.
Most neuro-ophthalmological fellows will work on the Clifton Campus, but some may occasionally see patients at Grady Memorial Hospital.
On a daily basis, neuro-ophthalmic fellows can anticipate the following clinical workflow:
- All medical records are reviewed the day before clinic by fellows and residents
- One fellow or resident sees the patient first
- If necessary, visual field testing and ocular imaging are performed
- The fellow or resident will discuss the findings and plan with attending
- The attending will review all findings (including brain imaging studies) and discuss with patient with trainees present
- After clinic: the fellows collect best images for teaching and reviews findings with residents and students
Focus on research
Neuro-ophthalmological fellows are expected to choose and pursue a research topic that will be presented and published. Each fellow is assigned an Institutional Research Board (IRB)-approved research project prior to the beginning of their fellowship. Within a week of arriving on campus, fellows take the CITI course/test and are then added to the relevant IRB. Data collection and analysis are done during the first few months of the fellowship, so that abstracts can be submitted to NANOS as well as other appropriate professional organizations (AAN, ARVO or AAPOS). Manuscripts are submitted in the spring of the fellowship year.
Emphasis on medical care
This fellowship focuses on medical neuro-ophthalmology but some ophthalmology-trained fellows may elect to participate in surgical procedures during the second half of their fellowship. Neurology-trained fellows are encouraged to observe surgical procedures to understand basic surgical techniques.