CEI: Training the Next Generation of Eye Specialists

CEI: Training the Next Generation of Eye Specialists
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There may be no better training program for ophthalmology fellows and optometric residents than the Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI), thanks to doctors like James Osher, M.D., a world-class vitreoretinal specialist at CEI.

“The fellowships at Cincinnati Eye Institute are considered among the top training programs in the country,” says Dr. Osher, chief medical officer at CEI and a previous co-director of the retinal fellowship program. “Our fellowship directors and faculty fine-tune each program to produce top-notch surgeons to release into the world.”

Choosing a Path

For Eric Williams, M.D., choosing a career in eye care was easy. However, deciding where to specialize within the ophthalmology field wasn’t so clear-cut at first.

During his second year of residency, he learned more about the retina specialty, its unique complexity and ability to directly improve patients’ quality of life. “It truly felt like the master of the eye,” he says.

The breadth of conditions retina specialists treat and the vast population they serve captured his attention right away. “I pretty much instantly fell in love,” Dr. Williams says.

Now, Dr. Williams is completing a two-year retina fellowship with Cincinnati Eye Institute. The fellowship will give him top-notch surgical training under the care of world-class specialists in his subspecialty.

Passionate physicians like Dr. Williams entering the field is great news for ophthalmology as a whole — and for the patients they will serve.

The American Association of Medical Colleges projects that by 2034, the United States could see up to 124,000 shortages in physicians.

In light of that trend, CEI, one of the largest ophthalmic practices in the U.S., is on a mission to recruit and train the best doctors. CEI is a partner practice of EyeCare Partners (ECP), the nation’s leading clinically integrated eye care network. With ophthalmology and optometry practices in 18 states, ECP is committed to investing in young talent to help educate, mentor and create career paths for the long term.

That’s where the fellowship program comes in.

Excellent Training with Experienced Doctors

In addition to retina fellowships, CEI offers positions specializing in the cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, complex anterior segment surgery and neuro-ophthalmology. The fellowships last one to two years, with two-year programs including surgical specialties like Dr. Williams’s retina fellowship. CEI also has a robust, 13-month optometric residency program in association with The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

The fellows’ training with CEI’s experienced doctors will help them care for patients now and in the future.

“The opportunity to train at CEI has opened the door to not just a working relationship but also mentorship with some of the very best in the field,” says Chloe Khoo, M.D., a first-year vitreoretinal surgical fellow. “To have mentors here at CEI who support my personal and professional growth and development means a lot to me.”

In addition to their training at CEI, ophthalmology fellows train with faculty at the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati VA Medical Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Williams says one unique aspect of his CEI fellowship is that everything he does relates directly to his education or to providing patient care. “Not all fellowships are like this — we’re really set up to succeed,” he says.

According to Dr. Osher, CEI’s cutting-edge technology, innovative surgical techniques and complex pathology, and commitment to world-class patient care are what sets apart the

fellowships.

“This combination makes our limited fellowship positions extremely competitive and highly desirable,” Dr. Osher says.

Dr. Khoo points out numerous benefits of her fellowship, including the range of subspecialties under CEI’s roof. The varied expertise of the surgeons she trains with has helped her learn new techniques and skill sets and exposed her to different approaches to medical decision-making.

Her favorite part of the fellowship — the people she works with — is connected to what brought her to this career path in the first place.

“Being able to restore a patient’s vision and quality of life surgically was what drew me most to the field,” Dr. Khoo says. “We all work toward a common goal of providing quality, patient-centered care. My fellowship here has set the benchmark for the standard of care that we ought to provide to our patients.”

High Quality Care

CEI’s high-caliber fellowship program isn’t just an incredible opportunity for the fellows themselves. It also helps their current and future patients, who will reap the benefits of the world-class training they receive.

“This fellowship is a large foundation of what I’ll rely on treating patients for years and decades to come,” Dr. Williams says.

CEI physicians are responsible for ensuring that the next generation of ophthalmologists is well-trained to provide the highest-quality care to patients — and Dr. Osher says that training fellows is a “labor of love.”

The work often involves early-morning and late-evening teaching sessions essential to fellows’ education. These efforts demonstrate CEI physicians’ commitment to providing the best fellowship training possible.

Dr. Osher says, “It’s all worth it in the end when we see the final product — a supremely trained, caring, empathetic eye surgeon ready to embark on a career dedicated to the restoration of vision.”

Do you need a specialist in eye care? Cincinnati Eye Institute has multiple locations throughout Greater Cincinnati. Visit cincinnatieye.com to learn more or schedule an appointment.

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