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COLLABORATING WITH YOU

Whether you are considering sending your patients with a referral, co-managing their pre- and post-op experience, visiting one of our clinics to watch surgery and learn from our experience, or applying for a fellowship, we consider it one of our greatest privileges to collaborate with doctors around the world to improve vision. Patients around the world benefit from our educational sharing, and we hope that as a doctor you will take full advantage of our resources.

Fellowships

Thank you for your interest in training in the Gimbel Eye Centre-University of Calgary affiliated fellowship program.  The following information will help you learn more about our anterior segment and refractive surgery fellowship.

Program Overview

Gimbel Eye Centre currently offers one Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery Fellowship in affiliation with University of Calgary.  The goals of our program are to assist the fellow in expanding their knowledge, experience, surgical skill and research and teaching in anterior segment and laser refractive surgery patient care.  Our program is designed to allow a fellow to learn through formal and informal methods, self-directed study, group interaction, one on one interaction with experienced surgeons, surgical observation, supervised hands on clinical and surgical experience, attendance at University of Calgary Academic rounds and by exploring some of their own interests through research, teaching and publication.

Dr. Howard V. Gimbel is the Program Director for the fellowship program.  The fellow benefits from observing and working alongside Dr. Gimbel and his experienced associates, Dr. John vanWestenbrugge and Dr. Jacinthe Kassab.

Scheduled and unscheduled meetings between the fellow and Dr. Gimbel and the other surgeons are used to discuss and plan patient care, discuss and implement new technology and new techniques, to resolve patient concerns, plan research activities and to master clinical and surgical skills.

The anterior segment and refractive surgery fellowship provides many opportunities for fellows to expand their knowledge of cataract and refractive surgery and related patient care. Through clinical and surgical management of cataract and refractive patients while under the supervision of Gimbel Eye Centre experienced surgeons.

The amount of laser refractive surgery performed by the fellow will be dependent upon the fellow’s surgical skill and successful completion of defined surgical prerequisites, patient consults and the consent of patients desiring laser refractive surgery by the fellow.  Surgery performed is always under the supervision of an experienced Gimbel Eye Centre surgeon.

Fellows participate in wet lab instruction and laser safety training, are involved in on-line certification programs, observe and assist senior surgeons with refractive surgery techniques and may perform PRK or IntraLase Lasik procedures depending on the successful completion of specified prerequisites.

Due to Alberta Health Services restrictions beyond Gimbel Eye Centre control, the fellow is not guaranteed actual cataract surgery, but will learn through excellent teaching observation, training videos and through research and video production.

The fellow will be exposed to Refractive Lens Exchange, Implantable Corrective Lens (ICL) and other lifestyle lens procedures, along with other new and emerging technologies introduced at Gimbel Eye Centre during the fellowship term.

The fellow will attend weekly meetings where Gimbel Eye Centre doctors and administration present and discuss pertinent matters relative to clinical, surgical, research and administrative topics that assist the fellow and others in keeping abreast of current trends in ophthalmology and in the principles of practice management. 

Presentation Opportunities

Fellows are expected to conduct and publish/present at least two research projects during the fellowship year.  The fellow participates in teaching medical students, residents and other fellows as appropriate.  Presentation to Gimbel Eye Centre technical and professional staff are scheduled throughout the fellowship year.  The fellow will make presentations to Gimbel Eye Centre physicians, optometrists and administrators at monthly Journal Club meetings and will participate in weekly meetings where patient care, treatment protocols, case presentations and interesting research findings are discussed. Fellows will present at the University of Calgary Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Research Day when appropriate.

Qualifications

Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery Fellowship applicants must have successfully completed an ophthalmology residency program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (US).  Foreign Medical Graduates will only be considered on a case-by-case basis.

A fellow must be registered by The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta to participate in a clinical/surgical fellowship.  Before being registered by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta the fellowship candidate must be accepted and registered by the Post Graduate Medical Education Office of the University of Calgary, For more information contact College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

Application Process

You may submit your application for a fellowship position by submitting the

Application Form and relevant information by fax, e-mail (in Microsoft Word format) or by post to:

Vice President, Medical Affairs
Gimbel Eye Centre
Market Mall Executive Professional Centre
450, 4935 - 40 Avenue, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta  Canada T3A 2N1
Fax: (403) 286-2943
E-mail: medicalaffairs@gimbel.com

Relevant Information

Please feel free to contact Annette Stanwick, Vice-President, Medical Affairs with any questions you may have regarding the fellowship program or the application process.

Annette Stanwick
Vice-President, Medical Affairs
Gimbel Eye Centre
E-mail: medicalaffairs@gimbel.com
Tel: (403) 202-3318 or Toll-free: 1-800-661-1138, ext. 3318
Fax: (403) 286-2943