Value of combined glaucoma, cornea, and anterior segment surgery fellowships?

[MedScholar18]

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There are a few of these programs such as SW Eye Combined Glaucoma/ Cornea fellowship and the Vold Anterior Segment fellowship. Is there any value in doing such a fellowship? What would your final practice look like after such an experience?

 

[eyeeye_captain]

A big question is what are your goals, both in terms of what you want to get out of one and how you want to practice in the future?

Probably at least once a year a fellow from those types of programs will post an insane case log in terms of numbers and variety, so if that’s true and you’re looking for more reps and potentially new skills, there’s that.

In theory you’d be looking to then market yourself as a well rounded comp/glaucoma person, though I have some doubts you’d be ready to be *the* glaucoma person for an area, and I also suspect you wouldn’t want to be (which is fine). Obviously you get more glaucoma training in a glaucoma only fellowship.

I will say that the times I’ve shared patients with docs out of similar fellowships, they’ve punted complicated AS cases at the same rate as someone who never did one.

 

[Slide]

These "combined" fellowships seem more like ways for residents to remediate their surgical skills and maybe expand their skillset slightly before going into practice. Each field is now advanced enough where that you really need to devote the entire year to that specialty to do a good job. Agree with above, the few people I know that have done such a "combined" anterior segment fellowship only do phaco/MIGS/easy refractive stuff just punt complicated cases or should have referred a patient sooner to cornea/glaucoma surgeon.

 

[Bluesclera]

I think they are great options. it increases your ability and comfort with various techniques. You would be a more well-rounded provider in the area. More of the elective cash pay options would be more comfortable for you to adopt in your future practice. You could start your own practice. Lots of options! overall great option.