Ophthalmology
Glaucoma Fellowship
Learn From the Best
The Glaucoma Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to work with a large faculty who have extensive clinical experience and academic expertise. The Glaucoma Service, led by David S. Friedman, MD, MPH, PhD, includes some of the most well-known glaucoma specialists in the world. Our faculty have trained at premier institutions, including Mass Eye and Ear, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Duke Eye Center, Wills Eye Hospital, and Wilmer Eye Institute, to name a few. Lucy Shen, MD, (Director of the Fellowship) and Daniel Vu, MD, (Associate Director of the Fellowship) lead the fellowship and are committed to ensuring that fellows have the best training experience available to become future leaders in the field.
Unparalleled Clinical Training
Fellows learn how to manage the most difficult glaucoma cases, have opportunities to engage in research, and will have the support of our faculty in their career development. They are directly involved in clinical decision making and the surgical care of patients.
Fellows will:
- Work with attendings in outpatient glaucoma clinics
- Operate frequently, performing the entire range of glaucoma surgeries
- Perform glaucoma lasers
- Teach residents and other students who rotate through the service
- Staff residents in the Mass Eye and Ear Emergency Department
- Participate in educational meetings, including journal clubs, frequent faculty discussions, and national conferences
Alumni of the program have become glaucoma service directors, department chairs, and medical school deans. Our trainees are also well-represented within the American Glaucoma Society, the Glaucoma Research Society, and the American Ophthalmological Society.
AUPO-Certified
This fellowship is certified by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO FCC).
Highlights
- Fellowship Director: Lucy Shen, MD
- Associate Fellowship Director: Daniel Vu, MD
- Program length: 1 year (beginning in July)
- SF Match number: 4171
- Number of fellows each year: 3
- Additional faculty:
- Inas Aboobakar, MD; Michael V. Boland, MD, PhD; Michael Chang, MD; Teresa Chen, MD; David S. Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH (Director, Glaucoma Service); Daniel Liebman, MD, MBA; Michael M. Lin, MD (Associate Director, Glaucoma Service); Milica Margeta, MD, PhD; Courtney Ondeck, MD, MPhil; David A. Solá-Del Valle, MD; Allison Soneru, MD; Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD; Nazlee Zebardast, MD, MSc
Program Details
Clinical Responsibilities
The medical management of and surgical treatment of glaucoma—including pre- and postoperative care—are essential to training. Most of the fellow's time is committed to direct patient care on the Glaucoma Service at three locations:
- Mass Eye and Ear, Boston (243 Charles Street)
- Mass Eye and Ear, Longwood (800 Huntington Ave.)
- Jamaica Plain VA Hospital
In clinic, fellows are encouraged to make decisions regarding patient care, including formulating differential diagnoses and management plans. The attending physician works closely with the fellows in clinical decision making.
In the operating room, fellows are expected to perform both scheduled and emergency surgeries under the guidance of the attending physician. This includes everything from trabeculectomy, tube-shunt surgery, MIGS, cataract surgery, pediatric glaucoma surgery, and tube revision, to bleb revision and more complex glaucoma surgeries combined with retina or corneal surgery.
Glaucoma fellows take call for the Glaucoma Service about every third week. The on-call fellow is responsible for all glaucoma emergencies and admissions to the Glaucoma Service during weeknights and weekends. An assigned attending will be on call at all times and available for immediate backup for complicated cases, admission, or surgical procedures.
Fellows staff residents in the Mass Eye and Ear Emergency Department approximately one half-day per week for six months.
A detailed schedule of clinical responsibilities will be provided in July.
Facilities
All facilities are fully equipped to ensure that we provide optimal glaucoma care. This includes numerous devices that measure intraocular pressure, several visual field machines, a nonmydriatic fundus camera, and OCT machines for optic nerve imaging. Additional imaging devices, such as swept source OCT with OCT angiography, are available at Mass Eye and Ear's main campus.
Eligibility
All applicants must be eligible to obtain a full medical license per the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
Requirements
The Glaucoma Fellowship participates in the San Francisco Match Program: #4171
Applications are due in mid-September and must include:
- SF Match application
- Three letters of reference
Completed applications will be reviewed in September, and selected applicants will be invited for interviews in late October or early November. More details are available at sfmatch.org.
Once matched, fellows must also complete a Mass Eye and Ear staff application.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Lucy Shen or fellowship coordinator Yazmin Vargas Aboytes.Fellows are encouraged to pursue research projects, although it is not a requirement of the program. Faculty can provide resources and mentoring.
Fellows who would like to pursue academic careers should be aware that Mass Eye and Ear holds a career development grant allowing the institution to extend a K12 award to a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist. K12 awards provide a graduating fellow junior faculty status with 80% protected time for research. While this is a competitive award, Mass Eye and Ear fellows who demonstrate strong research potential will be given careful consideration.
Lectures
Glaucoma lectures and wetlab teaching sessions are held on selected Friday mornings (dates and times will be posted). These lectures are didactic in nature and cover a wide range of glaucoma topics, while the wetlab sessions provide hands-on experience with incisional glaucoma surgeries and MIGS.
Journal Club
Glaucoma journal club occurs quarterly. All faculty and fellows are expected to attend. Fellows and residents will present several papers on a topic of clinical importance, with guidance from the glaucoma faculty.
Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds is held on Thursday mornings. Once per year, the fellow will be responsible for presenting a case.
Glaucoma Rounds
Glaucoma Rounds are held via Zoom once or twice a month. The glaucoma faculty at Mass Eye and Ear and elsewhere present cases, surgical videos, and other clinical pearls to glaucoma fellows and residents interested in glaucoma. If you would like to view a recording of a previous glaucoma rounds, please contact Lucy Shen.
Fellows Course
Each fellow is expected to write a review paper with faculty mentorship and to submit it for publication. The theme of the Fellows Course dictates the topic for the paper.
Professional Societies
Our fellows are encouraged to apply for membership to the American Glaucoma Society.
Salary
Competitive annual salary.
Malpractice
Malpractice premiums are fully paid by Mass Eye and Ear.
Health Insurance
Mass Eye and Ear offers competitive benefits, including health insurance for fellows and their families.
Vacation/Sick Leave
Each fellow is allotted vacation time.
Professional Meetings
Attendance and participation at meetings is encouraged. Vacation time and travel reimbursement are available.
