Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship
The neuro-ophthalmology division in the UIC Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science offers a 1-year clinical fellowship. The purpose of the fellowship is to provide training in the diagnosis and management of neuro-ophthalmic symptoms and conditions. In addition to developing the fellow’s fundamental understanding of neurological and ophthalmic disease the training will hone their skills in patient interview and examination, performance and interpretation of specialized diagnostic testing and patient management. This fellowship has been approved by the University of Illinois at Chicago Committee on Graduate Medical Education and the American University Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO-FCC).
Applying Heading link
The fellowship is designed for individuals who hold a clinical medical degree (M.D. or equivalent), will have completed residency training in neurology or ophthalmology at the time that their fellowship begins and will have an unrestricted medical license in Illinois at the time that the fellowship begins.
Applicants interested in applying for fellowship during the 2024-2025 academic year or thereafter will need to submit their application through the SF Match.
To learn more about the Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship, please contact the associate fellowship director, Brooke Johnson, DO by sending an email to bjohn30@uic.edu.
Program Overview Heading link
Clinical experience
The neuro-ophthalmology fellow will evaluate patients in neuro-ophthalmology outpatient clinics under the supervision of the teaching faculty. The outpatient clinics are held at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, which is on the University of Illinois at Chicago West Campus, located 2 miles from downtown Chicago. Approximately 150 patients per month are seen in this setting. The clinic is equipped with Goldmann perimeters, a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, and an infrared video pupillometer in addition to all the standard ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic equipment. The ophthalmology department is equipped with fundus photography, spectral domain OCT equipment and ultrasonography capabilities. The University of Illinois Hospital is equipped with modern neuro-imaging capabilities including 3T MRI.
In addition, the neuro-ophthalmology fellow will assist with neuro-ophthalmology consultations for inpatients at the University of Illinois Hospital, which is connected to the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. Approximately 75 patients are seen in this setting each month.
Research experience
The neuro-ophthalmology fellow is expected to complete a research project leading to a paper or presentation. This will be planned with the assistance of the program director. The fellow is encouraged to participate in scholarly activities including attending local and national neuro-ophthalmology meetings.
Educational experience
In addition to instruction by the teaching faculty centered around patients who are being/have been evaluated by the fellow, the fellow is expected to participate in weekly ophthalmology grand rounds and the ophthalmology resident didactic lecture series. The fellow will develop their own teaching skills by assisting the faculty with the supervision of residents who are rotating on the neuro-ophthalmology service and delivering didactic sessions to medical students, ophthalmology residents and/or neurology residents.
