Overview
The Ophthalmology Department offers fellowships in retina-vitreous, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, and pediatric ophthalmology. Ophthalmology fellows are actively involved in patient care and surgery at all Penn Ophthalmology locations, including the Scheie Eye Institute/Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC). Working closely with faculty, fellows learn to provide the most up-to-date care utilizing the most recent results of clinical trials.
Fellows supervise and mentor residents and medical students and participate in Grand Rounds, journal clubs, and other regular departmental teaching conferences. Additionally, fellows have access to extensive resources through the Ophthalmology Department's research centers and programs. All fellows conduct clinical and basic science research and present regularly at national and international meetings. The great majority of ophthalmology fellows go on to take faculty positions at outstanding academic institutions.
Salary & benefits
The University of Pennsylvania Department of Ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute funds fellowships. All fellows are employees of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Fellows will be paid at the PGY-5 level, as established by the office of Graduate Medical Education. The Department provides salary support, medical malpractice insurance, health benefits, vacation time of 14 days per year, and seven days of continuing medical education time.
Licensure
An active unrestricted Pennsylvania state medical license is required prior to joining the fellowship program.
Contact information
John A. Dempsey
Director, Office of Educational Programs
Phone: 215-662-8069
Fax: 215-243-4696
Email: John.Dempsey@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Fellowships offered
The Vitreoretinal Fellowship is a two-year comprehensive medical and surgical training program involving all aspects of the specialty. This fellowship provides the highest possible level of clinical education regarding the diagnosis and surgical management of medical diseases involving the retina and vitreous. The fellow will work closely with the faculty in the clinics and operating room, learning to provide the most up-to-date care utilizing recent results of clinical trials.
The fellow will start in the operating room on day one, and will be provided increasing surgical responsibility over both years of training. In the operating room, extensive experience is gained in scleral buckling, vitrectomy techniques (including bimanual techniques for membrane dissection, use of wide-field viewing systems, 25-gauge vitrectomy, etc.), the management of ocular trauma, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and other pediatric vitreoretinal procedures. All surgical cases are overseen by attending faculty.
The present surgical faculty include Drs. Albert Maguire, Benjamin Kim, Brian VanderBeek (full-time faculty members of the Scheie Eye Institute of the University of Pennsylvania), as well as Drs. Hugo Linares and Joshua Greene (volunteer faculty members). Clinical time is spent with Drs. Alexander Brucker, Albert Maguire, Benjamin Kim, and Brian VanderBeek. Additionally, the fellow rotates in the ocular oncology clinic with Dr. Joan O'Brien, the uveitis clinic with Dr. Nirali Bhatt, and the retinal degeneration clinic with Dr. Tomas Aleman. The fellow spends one half day a week at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center retina clinic, and is provided operating room time to perform surgery on patients generated from the VA clinics and referrals from outside VA facilities. The fellow also has the opportunity to participate in ROP rounds and treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with Drs. William Anninger and Graham Quinn.
Application Process
The Vitreoretinal Fellowship program accepts applications from the Central Application Service (CAS). Invited interviews for this position will be held on October 25, 2026 – person.
The Glaucoma fellowship is a one-year clinical and surgical fellowship. The glaucoma fellow is active in all aspects of the glaucoma clinics at the Scheie Eye Institute and supervises residents at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center monthly glaucoma clinic and on call. The fellow will learn to evaluate and manage all types of glaucoma and interpret a variety of clinical tests, including visual fields, ocular coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy. The surgical training includes lasers, simple and complex cataracts, trabeculectomy and trabeculectomy revisions, glaucoma drainage implants, drainage implant revisions, angle based procedures including trabectome, and transscleral cyclodestructive procedures. There are weekly Grand Rounds and monthly glaucoma resident conferences, which are led by the glaucoma fellow. The fellow is encouraged to initiate research projects, and is offered close guidance by attending faculty.
Application Process
The Glaucoma fellowship program accepts applications from the Central Application Service (CAS). Invited interviews for this position will be held on October 11, 2026 – virtual.
The Penn Neuro-Ophthalmology clinical fellowship is supervised by one of the largest full-time neuro-ophthalmology faculty groups in the country, including Drs. Grant Liu, Kenneth Shindler, Madhura Tamhankar, and Ahmara Ross.
Application Process
- CV
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement (re: Why neuro-ophthalmology?)
Application and supporting documents should be sent to Dr. Liu (gliu@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) for consideration for the fellowship. Interview Dates Oct 15 & Nov 19, 2026 – In person.
For more information about this fellowship, visit the Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship page.
The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) sponsors a two-year oculoplastic fellowship. For the qualified candidate with a career interest in reconstructive and cosmetic oculoplastic surgery, this program offers a blend of supervised and independent activities. Interaction with different services at the Center for Human Appearance at both the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides an opportunity to learn cutting-edge techniques for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
The fellow who successfully completes this program will have mastered the basic and complicated surgical techniques used in the care of both children and adults and will have learned a team approach to the management of complicated problems, especially as they relate to craniofacial disorders. It is our expectation that the fellowship period will serve as the springboard for each oculoplastic fellow to contribute significantly to the evolution of this challenging and rewarding surgical subspecialty.For more information about this fellowship and the application process, visit the Oculoplastic Fellowship page.
The Division of Ophthalmology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a comprehensive specialty pediatric practice, offering care for children with all eye and vision problems. The fellow is part of a pediatric ophthalmology team of University of Pennsylvania residents and medical students, elective trainees from the Pediatrics Residency Program at Children's Hospital, orthoptists, ophthalmic technicians, and professional administrative staff. The fellow will have exposure to top training programs in all pediatric medical and surgical subspecialties as well as world-class clinical and basic research throughout the institution.
For more information about this fellowship and the application process, visit the Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship Program page.
The cornea fellowship is a one-year clinical and surgical fellowship. The cornea fellow is active in clinics and surgery at the Scheie Eye Institute, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. The fellow will learn to evaluate and manage all aspects of cornea and external disease. The surgical training includes simple and complex cataracts, all forms of corneal transplantation (PK, DSEK, DMEK, DALK, Kpro), ocular surface surgeries and complex anterior segment reconstruction. There are weekly Grand Round, cornea specific conferences and journal clubs. The fellow is encouraged to initiate research projects and is offered close guidance by attending faculty.
Fellowship Interview Date: November 1, 2026 – in person