Ocular Oncology Fellowship
The U-M Medical School Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Ocular Oncology Fellowship offers both a one year clinical fellowship and a one year research fellowship at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.
Trainees will gain expertise in ocular oncology, a highly specialized field that deals with benign and malignant neoplasms, as well as masquerading conditions involving the ocular surface, ocular adnexae, intraocular region, and orbit in both pediatric and adult patients.
This fellowship is open to international medical graduates.
For More Information
Program Overview
The clinical and research ocular oncology fellows will work under the direct supervision of Hakan Demirci, MD, ocular oncology program director.
The clinical and research fellowships are 12-month training programs with the option to extend training to 24 months. The start date is flexible and will be determined once a candidate is accepted into the training program.
Learn more about the fellowship program by jumping to the sections below:
How to Apply
To apply for the Ocular Oncology Fellowship, please submit the required documents to Laura Gwyn, Educational Programs Manager.
We welcome international fellows. Fellowship positions for international medical school graduates or physicians are generally non-funded positions. Interested applicants are encouraged to obtain a funding (e.g., grant) from their respective ministry of health, institution or organization or use personal funds to support their participation in the neuro-ophthalmology fellowship position.
On occasion, we may have funding available for international fellows. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact us since this varies from year to year.
Of note, this program offers only J1 visas.
If you are interested in the international fellowship position, please contact the program director at [email protected].
Eligibility
Please note, all documents are required to be in English.
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Photograph taken within the past 6 months
- Medical school diploma from an accredited World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) medical school (English translation)
- Medical school transcript (English translation)
- Medical license from the country of origin
- Ophthalmology residency diploma from a 3-year residency training program
- Must have completed USMLE steps 1, 2ck, 2cs (required for clinical fellows)
- Personal statement (career goal, rationale for interest in ocular oncology)
- Three letters of recommendation addressed to Dr. Hakan Demirci. One of the letters must come from the department chairperson.
- Valid ECFMG certificate (required for clinical fellows to be able to perform clinical duties)
- Must be eligible for a J-1 Physician visa (required for clinical fellowship)
Training Experience
Clinical fellows will become proficient in the diagnosis and management of ocular oncology patients, who require more complex and holistic care. The fellow will work closely with University of Michigan Health physicians and medical teams outside of ophthalmology, including those involved in the specialties of pathology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, hematology, neurology, pediatrics, otolaryngology (head, neck, skull base), and dermatology.
Due to the complexity and scope of this sub-specialty, training will be tailored to the requirements and career goals of each clinical fellow.
The clinical training site is W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, a tertiary, university-based, referral hospital. The ocular oncology clinic receives referrals from comprehensive ophthalmologists and specialists in ophthalmology, including cornea or external disease, retina, oculoplastics, and pediatric ophthalmology.
- Examine, diagnose, and plan the management of surgical and non-surgical patients seen in the ocular oncology clinic
- Examine pediatric patients under anesthesia, using indirect ophthalmoscope, B-scan ultrasonography and RetCam
- Assist and/or perform in-clinic procedures including, but not limited to, intravitreal/intralesional injection, laser therapy, cryotherapy, minor ocular surface and adnexal excision biopsy
- Assist and/or perform major surgeries in the operating room
- Take calls, as staffed by residents, on ocular oncology patients
- Attend the weekly ophthalmology grand rounds
- Guide and teach residents, as necessary, in the clinic, operating room or at bedside
Prior to the completion of training, the research ocular oncology fellow is required to have at least two publications in a major ophthalmology journal.
The clinical ocular oncology fellow is encouraged to have at least one publication in a major ophthalmology journal.
Benefits
The clinical fellow will receive insurance coverage through Michigan Medicine. Please note, the clinical and research ocular oncology fellowships are non-funded positions.
Fellows are encouraged to obtain a grant from their respective ministry of health, institution or organization to support their participation in the 12-month ocular oncology fellowship program.
Current Fellows
Meet our current Ocular Oncology trainees. We emphasize teamwork, excellence, and leadership while preparing our fellows with resources to be successful in their careers.
Program Leadership
Hakan Demirci, MD
Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Medical School
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