Cornea Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens

On behalf of the cornea faculty at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, thank you for taking the time to explore our fellowship training program in cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery.

We are proud to offer one of the finest fellowship programs in the world – one that has served as the foundation for leaders in our field both in academic and private practice for over 40 years. Our deep commitment to fellow education has been instrumental in earning our Institute international recognition as a premier teaching, research, and patient care facility.

Our one-year clinical fellowship (SF Match ID #4694) is based at our campus of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the Palm Beaches in Florida. We train two full-time clinical fellows annually.

Meet Our Faculty

Structure

The BPEI cornea and refractive surgery fellowship is a one-year clinical fellowship comprised of two full-time fellows. Fellows gain the majority of their clinical and surgical experience in the Frankino Pavilion Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Surgery Center, Palm Beach Gardens Campus.

Fellows attend to patients along with faculty in their private clinics, operating room, and refractive suite in a directly supervised environment, where they operate 2-3 days per week on average. Fellows also serve as the consultant cornea specialist for the Institute, and manage high acuity corneal disease, and operate once daily on average.

Surgical Experience

Each year, the cornea service at BPEI performs over 500 corneal transplants (penetrating, lamellar, and endothelial); 20 keratoprostheses; 300 surgeries on the ocular surface (pterygium excision, tumor excision, surface reconstruction, and limbal stem cell transplantation); 500 refractive eye surgeries (LASIK, PRK, SMILE, ICL); excimer laser PTK;150 cornea cross linking procedures; and 4,000 cataract surgeries (including complex cases).

Our fellows participate in the vast majority of these procedures and operate as primary surgeons in numbers that well exceed the AUPO-reported national average.

The fellow surgical experience is bolstered by robust technology in the operating room and the LASIK and Laser Vision Center. Fellows are anticipated to obtain certifications for two femtosecond cataract platforms (Alcon LenSx, Johnson & Johnson Catalys) and two femtosecond LASIK platforms (Alcon Wavelight Refractive Suite, Johnson & Johnson iFS/Star S4) amongst a variety of other technology. Fellows particularly interested in refractive surgery also have the opportunity to train and certify in SMILE (Zeiss Visumax) and Implantable Collamer Lenses (Visian ICL).

Academics

Clinical research and academic publication are encouraged support as part of the fellowship experience. Each fellow is expected to prepare a project for presentation at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Annual Meeting each spring and is encouraged (and funded) to present their research at a major national ophthalmological meeting.

Fellows benefit from an extraordinary didactic program, including weekly Grand Rounds to our weekly cornea conference, which includes case presentations, journal clubs, and no shortage of lively discussion. Fellows also attend Medication Education Conferences sponsored by BPEI and geared toward our global ophthalmology community. Fellows are encouraged to attend major national and international meetings and receive travel funding for any domestic meeting in which they present a paper or poster.

Testimonials

Click here to hear what our alumni are saying about their cornea fellowship experience and training.

Application

Fellowship positions are filled through SF Match Program (www.sfmatch.org).

Please note: You must have a Florida State Medical License before beginning your fellowship. You must have passed all 3 parts of the USMLE for a Florida License and have spent 2 years training in the United States under direct physician supervision.

Deadline for receipt of application is September 15th.

Contact

Damarys Menendez (Manager, Fellowship Program)
P.O. Box 016880
Miami, FL 33101

Toll Free: 800-329-7000 ext. 6032
Phone: 305-326-6032
Fax: 305-326-6580
Email: d.menendez3@med.miami.edu

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