PLAN VISIT
PATIENT INFORMATION
Careers
MyChart
Request an Appointment
Skip to Content
Careers
Request an Appointment

Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship

Program Overview

The Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI)/University of Oklahoma (OU) Department of Ophthalmology provides approximately 200,000 patient visits a year. The referral area for DMEI includes not only Oklahoma, but also southern Kansas, northern Texas, southeast Colorado, southeast Missouri, eastern New Mexico, and western Arkansas. DMEI is the region’s tertiary-level referral center for complex ophthalmic cases and currently houses the only neuro-ophthalmology practice in the region.

The Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship at DMEI/OU is a one-year fellowship. It is a funded AUPO-FCC approved clinical and surgical fellowship, with an emphasis on both adult and pediatric neuro-ophthalmology with salary and benefits at the PGY-5 level. At the end of the academic year, the Neuro-Ophthalmology fellow will be able to develop an approach to complicated neuro-ophthalmic presentations, incorporating a careful history and examination technique, a careful and complete differential diagnosis, and pursue with confidence the appropriate work-up and treatment protocol, unique to each individual patient. The clinical experience is exceptional and offers plenty of opportunity to see a vast diversity of patients.

Educational Experience

The neuro-ophthalmology fellowship is directed by Dr. Anil D. Patel, who completed his residency at the University of Saskatchewan and was fellowship-trained at the University of Iowa.

Other faculty involved in the neuro-ophthalmology fellowship are:

  • Dr. Andrew T. Melson, who completed both his residency and neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at the Dean McGee Eye Institute/University of Oklahoma.
  • Dr. R. Michael Siatkowski, who completed his residency at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was fellowship-trained at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/University of Miami.

Drs. Patel and Melson provide clinical and surgical expertise in adult neuro-ophthalmology, while Dr. Siatkowski provides clinical and surgical expertise in pediatric neuro-ophthalmology and adult strabismus.

Surgical experience for the Neuro-Ophthalmology fellow includes both paretic and restrictive strabismus problems for the child and adult. There will be significant experience in horizontal, vertical, and oblique strabismus surgery, as well as transposition, posterior fixation, and adjustable suture technique. The fellow will learn these surgical techniques, and develop expertise by the end of the 12-month fellowship, depending on surgical skill level. Additionally, optic nerve sheath decompression and temporal artery biopsy will be taught. Particular expertise will be gained in diseases such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, thyroid eye disease, Optic neuritis, stroke, and trauma. Botulinum toxin will be used extensively for benign essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.

Research Opportunities

Clinical research opportunities are incorporated into the fellowship. The Neuro-Ophthalmology fellow will be expected to produce publishable clinical research under the careful guidance of the fellowship preceptors.

Application

This fellowship is approved by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology’s Fellowship Compliance Committee and participates in the Central Application Service provided by the San Francisco Matching Program. The fellowship application form may be accessed at www.sfmatch.org.