Fellowship
Fellowship Training
Retina Associates of Kentucky is proud to offer excellent post-residency fellowships in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous since 1998. In 2007 the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky joined us in a joint fellowship program. The fellowships offered include two-year medical/surgical fellowship and a one-year medical retina fellowship.
Two-Year Medical/Surgical Fellowship
The two-year fellowship program has become one of the most popular fellowship programs in the United States due to the wide range of surgical procedures performed by the physicians at Retina Associates of Kentucky. Fellows alternate three months at Retina Associates of Kentucky followed by three months at the University of Kentucky. While at Retina Associates of Kentucky, fellows spend approximately 70% of their time in the operating room learning vitreoretinal surgery. Fellows also have a broad exposure to medical retinal diseases and their management through the Retina Associates of Kentucky main office in Lexington. Didactic experience includes a monthly surgical fellow conferences, weekly fluorescein conferences and grand rounds at the University of Kentucky.
As all of the physicians at Retina Associates of Kentucky trained at diverse training programs, retina fellows gain a unique perspective on different ways to approach a variety of basic and complex surgical diseases. Fellows will gain expertise in performing small gauge vitrectomy surgery as well as scleral buckling techniques. Fellows will be exposed to approximately 1500 vitreoretinal surgical procedures during their two years in hospital and ASC settings. Fellows will gain exposure to a variety of equipment including Alcon Constellation and Accurus platforms, Synergetics VersaVit, as well as Leica and Zeiss operating microscopes.
Retina fellows are exposed to a variety of clinical trials and are encouraged to present research at national meetings. Our past retina fellows have presented research at ARVO, American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meetings.
Procedures:
- Pars plana vitrectomy (20, 23, 25, & 27 gauge)
- Scleral buckling
- Membrane peeling techniques
- Macular hole repair
- Endolaser
- Cryotherapy
- Repair of tractional retinal detachment
- Pars plana lensectomy
- Management of dislocated intraocular lenses
- Pneumatic retinopexy
- Repair of ruptured globe
- Retisert placement
Physicians Participating in Fellowship Training:
- William Wood, MD
- Rick Isernhagen, MD
- Thomas Stone, MD
- John Kitchens, MD
- Todd Purkiss, MD, PhD
- Belinda L. Shirkey, MD
- Blake Isernhagen, MD
- Jack Hollins, MD
- Miguel Busquets, MD, FACS
- Andrew Pearson, MD*
- Peter Blackburn, MD*
- Claire Fraser, MD*
- Eric Higgins, MD*
* – University of Kentucky
Current Fellows
Past Retina Fellows:
Peter Blackburn, MD (2001-2003) Medical/Surgical; currently in academic practice at University of Kentucky.
Michael Heeg, MD (2002-2004) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in San Luis Obispo, California.
Douglas Mehr, MD (2003-2005) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in West Jordan, Utah.
Oren Plous, MD (2004-2006) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Lakeland, Florida.
Eric Thomas, MD (2005-2007) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Nitin Gupta, MD, MPH (2006-2008) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Drew Sommerville, MD (2007-2009) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Evansville, Indiana.
Russell Pecoraro, MD (2007-2008) Medical; currently in private practice in Jacksonville, Florida.
Scott Westhouse, DO (2008-2010) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Shivan Tekwani, MD (2008-2009) Medical; currently in private practice in Chicago, Illinois.
Carey Pate, MD (2009-2011) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.*
Eric Higgins, MD (2009-2010) Medical; currently at the VA medical center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Dan Prescott, MD (2010-2012) Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Fresno, California.
Ajay Singh, MD (2011-2013): Medical/Surgical fellow; Currently in private practice in Kansas City
Matt Cole, MD (2012-2013): Medical fellow; Currently in private practice in Knoxville, TN
Claire Fraser, MD, PhD (2012-2014): Medical/Surgical fellow; Currently on faculty at University of Kentucky
Kyle Thompson, MD (2013-2015): Medical/Surgical fellow; Currently in private practice in Idaho Falls, Idaho
Matthew Dykhuizen, MD (2013-2016) Medical/Surgical Currently in private practice in Cincinnati, OH
Ryan Whitted, MD (2014-2016) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Atlanta, GA
Yi Jiang, MD (2015-16) Medical. Currently in private practice in San Gabriel, CA
Greg Lee, MD (2015-2017) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Atlanta, GA.
Romulo Albuquerque, MD (2016-2017) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Roanoke, VA
Clint Ellingson, MD (2016-2018) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Evansville, IN.*
Parker DuPree, MD (2017-2019) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Jacksonville, FL.
Javed Sayed, MD (2017-2019) Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Kansas City.*
Stuart Ball, MD, Medical/Surgical; currently in private practice in Mobile, Alabama.
Dr. Michelle Abou-Jaoude (2019-2021) will join the faculty at UK.
Dr. Osama Sabbagh (2019-2021) will be practicing in Washington DC at Retina Consultants of Washington.
Dr. Shivani Reddy (2020-2022) will be practicing in Evansville at Talley Eye Institute
Stuart Ball, MD (2018-2020), Medical/Surgical. Currently in private practice in Mobile, Alabama.
Michelle Abou-Jaoude, MD (2019-2021. Currently on faculty at the University of Kentucky.
Osama Sabbagh, MD (2019-2021). Currently in private practice in Washington DC at Retina Consultants of Washington.
Shivani Reddy, MD (2020-2022). Currently in private practice in Evansville, IL at Talley Eye Institute
Hayley James, MD (2021-2023). Currently in private practice in Charlottesville, VA at Virginia Retina Consultants
Eric Weldy, MD (2021-2023). Currently in practice in Greensboro, NC at Piedmont Retina Specialists.
*Joined a practice with another Vitreoretinal Surgeon trained at RAK
Please apply to our fellowship through the University of Kentucky.
