The Cornea, Refractive, and Complex Anterior Segment Fellowship is a 12-month program that begins in July. Fellows accepted into this service receive complete training in the evaluation and management of medical and surgical problems of the anterior segment.

Each fellow works with five members of the cornea faculty: Marjan Farid, MD; Sumit (Sam) Garg, MD, Sanjay Kedhar, MD, Olivia L. Lee, MD, and Matthew Wade, MD. Fellows cover cornea clinics at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at both the UCI Medical Center in Orange and on the UCI campus, and at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System under faculty supervision. Teaching opportunities include working with our highly motivated ophthalmology residents and medical students.  

By working in a referral practice, fellows gain hands-on experience with patient management of infectious and inflammatory disease processes, pre-operative and post-operative care, complicated cataract and IOL surgery, surgical management of cataract surgery complications, anterior segment reconstruction, and corneal refractive surgery (LASIK and PRK.)

Each fellow is expected to initiate a research program or participate in ongoing research efforts. The department emphasizes research in areas related to biomedical engineering, especially in the area of laser surgical techniques and therapies.

The backgrounds and needs of our applicants vary, but there are many opportunities available so that each fellow can tailor an effective program of clinical and research projects to pursue.

Watch this video below to learn more about the Cornea, Refractive and Complex Anterior Segment Fellowship Program.

Application Procedures

All applicants must register with and apply through San Francisco Match. Applications should be received by the department by the end of August.

Send supplemental materials — scores on the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP), a CV and a photograph — via e-mail to:

Natally Alvarado
Fellowship Coordinator
Department of Ophthalmology
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-4375
Phone: 949-824-7105
natallya@hs.uci.edu

Interview Process

Applicants are notified by e-mail if they are selected for personal interviews with faculty members.

Benefits

  • Choices for health, vision and dental insurance are available through the Veterans Administration at additional cost.
  • Life insurance is provided at no additional cost to the fellow.
  • Long-term disability insurance is offered at an additional cost through the University of California Regents.
  • Fellows are provided with professional liability coverage for all activities that are approved components of the fellowship program.
  • Other benefits include:
      - Two weeks of vacation and an academic leave each academic year
      - Financial support to attend major scientific meetings when the fellow is      a first author on a paper or abstract