Fellowships

NEW! San Francisco Formal Match Update

Attention future neuro-ophthalmologists! Applications for 2024-25 neuro-ophthalmology fellowship positions will be coordinated through the SF-Match Ophthalmology Fellowship match. The directors of the 35 AUPO-compliant neuro-ophthalmology programs have been diligently working to register their programs. Starting from June 30th, applications will be accepted from interested applicants. 

If you are planning to begin fellowship training in 2024, please take note of the following steps:

• Register and submit your applications for a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship through the SF-Match for ophthalmology fellowships. You can access the application portal at this link. The application process commences on June 30th, 2023, for fellowships starting in July 2024. Application deadlines vary by program, with the earliest being August 23, 2023.
• Review the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below for additional information. 
• It's important to note that application eligibility criteria vary by program. While many programs accept applicants with a background in neurology or ophthalmology residency training, some also consider applicants with international residency training. These specifics are outlined in the descriptions for each program on the SF Match listing. If you have any questions regarding individual programs, please reach out to the fellowship director or the designated contact person mentioned for that program.
• Please be aware that the fellowship positions included in the match are AUPO-compliant. You can find more information about AUPO-compliant fellowship positions at this link.  It's important to note that the match does not encompass non-AUPO fellowship positions, such as self-funded positions for international trainees, research-only fellowships, neuro-otology fellowships, etc. For inquiries regarding these non-AUPO positions, please contact the respective program director.

• If you know someone who is a potential fellow in training intending to start fellowship training in 2024, we kindly request you to share the above information with them.

Quick Links:

• SF-Match for ophthalmology fellowships.  
• AUPO-compliant neuro-ophthalmology fellowships. 

FAQs about SF Match

• When are applications accepted?
  • Please see the match website for timelines.
• Can international medical school graduates or international medical residency graduates apply?  
  • YES! Though this is program dependent.  Please review the program descriptions provided through SF-match or contact programs directly to enquire.
• Can neurology residency graduates apply?
  • YES!  Though some programs limit eligibility to applicants who have completed ophthalmology residency, the majority of programs welcome neurology trained applicants and some only accept neurology applicants.  Note that some institutions have multiple programs with different eligibility criteria.  Details are contained in the descriptions for individual programs provided through SF-match.  Further questions should be directed to programs.
• How do I determine which programs I am eligible for?
  • Please review the program descriptions provided through SF-match or contact programs directly to enquire.
• Are all neuro-ophthalmology fellowship programs being filled through the match?
  • All AUPO-FCC programs applications are through the SF-Match.  Some institutions may offer research fellowships or international self-funded fellowship match which are not AUPO-FCC compliant and are not part of the match.  Applications for these are directly to programs.
  • *Any positions in AUPO-FCC compliant programs filled outside the match prior to June 4, 2022 will be honored.

NEW! NOVEL Neuro-Ophthalmology Illustrated Curriculum and TDS Health update  

July 11, 2022, the NOVEL Neuro-Ophthalmology Illustrated Curriculum has been adopted as the official subject matter curriculum to be used by AUPO FCC compliant neuro-ophthalmology fellowship programs.

Since 2016, NANOS and Eccles Health Sciences Library of the University of Utah have partnered with Teton Data Systems to create neuro-ophthalmology products on TDS Health, an online curricular and reference platform. Contact your librarian today and ask them to add these NANOS products to your library: 

• NANOS Illustrated Curriculum for Neuro-Ophthalmology with Walsh & Hoyt’s Clinical Neuro-Ophthalmology  
• NANOS NOTE: Neuro-Ophthalmology Techniques of Examination for Non-Neuro-Ophthalmologists

To learn more about NANOS curricular products in Stat!Ref, contact TDS Health at www.tetondata.com, 800-901-5494. Read full press release here. 
To enquire about other educational resources and membership, contact NANOS Executive Office.

AUPO FCC compliant programs

Please click here to view AUPO FCC compliant programs.

NON AUPO FCC compliant programs

Please click here to view NON AUPO FCC compliant programs.

NANOS Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowships and the Value of AUPO FCC Compliance

NANOS believes in neurologic and ophthalmic education and in the importance of neuro-ophthalmology training including fellowship training. In support of this goal, the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) Fellowship Compliance Committee (FCC) is dedicated to providing a national system that will enhance patient care for ophthalmologic diseases by promoting uniform standards for fellowship training and educational programs in ophthalmic subspecialties including Neuro-Ophthalmology.

Although the AUPO FCC compliance process is entirely voluntary, NANOS strongly endorses the concept of standardization and quality in neuro-ophthalmic fellowship education. NANOS through our Professional Standards Committee has defined a set of criteria for our subspecialty constituting standards for fellowship training that include curriculum as well as research and clinical experience.  Applicants should be aware that neuro-ophthalmology fellowship programs do not participate in the SF Match and consequently applicants should start their application and interviewing process as early as possible. Many fellowship programs fill one, two or even more years in advance and applicants are encouraged to start early because we do not participate as a specialty in the matching program.

In addition, the AUPO FCC has developed general guidelines applicable to all fellowships; the establishment of fellowship requirements; and the monitoring of compliance of individual fellowship programs with these requirements. Programs admitted to the compliance program are monitored on a triennial or quadrennial program review basis to assure that they remain in compliance.

In summary, the AUPO FCC program offers educational standards, protection of the public, protection of institutions, protection of trainees, accountability and enforcement. NANOS strongly endorses programs that are AUPO FCC compliant.

Please click here to view Young Neuro-Ophthalmologist career path tool kits and view videos why NANOS members became Neuro-Ophthalmologists.

2022 AAO Advocacy Ambassador Program

NANOS was proud to be able to sponsor Mary Labowsky’s participation in the Mid-Year Forum 2022 via the Advocacy Ambassador program as part of the NANOS mission and advocacy goals. The 2022 program had 49 societies - 36 state societies and 13 subspecialty/specialized interest societies - who sponsored 169 members in training to attend the Mid-Year Forum 2022.

Mary Labowsky, NANOS 2022 Advocacy Ambassador participant, has a message for everyone who is interested in advocating for neuro-ophthalmology, our profession and patients. Click here to get inspired for action or view the video below.

AUPO Resources and website

Click here to go to the AUPO site for more information.

Programs

• Program requirements for Fellowship Education in Neuro-Ophthalmology (Adobe Acrobat® .pdf)
• Application Question List
• New Program Application(must be submitted by May 1 for a July 1 compliance date)
• Continue Program Application
• Deadlines for New Program Applicants

Program Triennial Reviews

• Triennial Review Question List
• Continue your Program's Online Triennial Review

Fellows

• Fellow Exit Survey (Requires the user account information emailed to you.)
• Fellow Exit Survey Question List

Compliant Fellowship Programs

• AUPO FCC Compliant Program Information

NANOS Fellows-In-Training Group photo at the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California

UPFRONT CASES

(Unknown Patients for Residents in Ophthalmology or Neurology Training) is a NANOS/JNO joint project aimed at piquing the interest of medical students, as well as ophthalmology and neurology residents before they have made final career plans, in order to expose them to what we do. Selected cases will be in a citable format and presented as a narrated PowerPoint. Please note that these cases should written at a resident level or above.

Click here to learn more about UPFRONT Cases.