Onur Melen, MD, Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship
The Onur Melen, MD, Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine offers one funded fellowship position each year to an Ophthalmology or Neurology graduate from an ACGME-accredited residency. The fellowship is AUPO-FCC-compliant. Training is customized to each fellow's background and career goals, and spans inpatient, outpatient, and surgical settings.
The fellowship is a generous gift from Onur Melen, MD, a longtime neuro-ophthalmologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Under the close guidance and supervision of five neuro-ophthalmology faculty—Adam Baim, MD, PhD, Neena Cherayil, MD, Onur Melen, MD, Shira Simon, MD, MBA, and Nicholas Volpe, MD—fellows will be prepared to independently evaluate and appropriately and responsibly treat the full range of neuro-ophthalmologic presentations.
Fellows will also work closely with specialists in neurology and neurosurgery to diagnose and treat the most complex neuro-ophthalmic disorders and offer treatment for patients with neurologic and systemic disease affecting vision and oculomotor function.
Northwestern is also home to major clinical and research programs across ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology. Fellows will be given dedicated time to conduct research and are expected to submit their work for publication by the time of graduation.
Augmenting the clinical and surgical experiences are mentorship of medical students and residents, weekly conferences, grand rounds, and lecture series.
About the Fellowship
Clinical Experience and Diagnostic Skills
The fellow attends weekly Ophthalmology Grand Rounds and biweekly neuro-ophthalmology case conferences and actively participates in inpatient neuro-ophthalmologic consultations through the hospital system. They will gain proficiency in a variety of diagnostic testing – ranging from formal perimetry (visual field testing), OCT, and ERG, to neuroimaging (MRI/CT). Fellows are also encouraged to attend tumor board and neuroradiology teaching conferences.
Teaching Experience
Fellows have a critical role in resident and medical student education – helping to evaluate and recommend treatment of inpatient and outpatient cases, and participating in formal didactics sessions to educate trainees on neuro-ophthalmologic diagnoses. They are also expected to present at departmental Grand Rounds and read and reference relevant, up-to-date literature and to present challenging cases at the standing neuro-ophthalmology conference to foster further discussion.
Surgical Experience
Ophthalmology-trained fellows will be expected to participate in strabismus surgeries with neuro-ophthalmology preceptors. We also have opportunities for both neurology- and ophthalmology-trained fellows to shadow a range of ophthalmologic and neurosurgical cases.
Research and Scholarly Experience
All Northwestern fellows are required to co-author at least one manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal with a mentor from this year-long experience. Participation in the annual Northwestern research day is also a requirement, as a culmination of the year-long program.
Ethical and Professional Development
Woven throughout the year-long program will be an emphasis on providing ethical, appropriate patient care through a professional demeanor, with clear communication skills and a sensitivity to the sociodemographic contexts of care. Thoughtful and efficient multidisciplinary collaboration is often integral to optimal patient care as well.
Application Process
All AUPO-compliant neuro-ophthalmology fellowships now complete the match through the SF Match program. The typical cadence of applications is as follows:
- June – Registration Opens
- September 1 – Northwestern Fellowship Application Deadline
- October – Northwestern Fellowship Interviews (hybrid)
- Early December – Submit Rank List
- Middle December – Match Day
Shira.simon@nm.org
Meet Our Team
Contact Us
For more information, contact program administrator Alicia Piatkowski at alicia.frasz@northwestern.edu or 312-503-3649.
Physician-Scientist Training & Resources
We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and training to help our fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.