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Global Ophthalmology Fellowship

About the Global Ophthalmology Fellowship

Thank you for your interest in the John A. Moran Eye Center's Global Ophthalmology Fellowship. Our fellowship offers a unique opportunity to develop an individualized experience based on your background and our wide range of partner institutions. We strive to provide each fellow with the tools they need to continue to become leaders and make a meaningful impact in the field of global ophthalmology.

Please note: Prior training in a U.S. fellowship program in cornea, glaucoma, retina, or uveitis is preferred but not required.

Important Dates

  • Application deadline: See SFMATCH for the Global Fellowship listing and relevant deadlines.
  • Interviews: 2024 TBA
Shawn Gulati, MD, MPH
Former Moran Global Fellow Shawn Gulati, MD, MPH, spent two months at Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, in 2023, teaching glaucoma diagnostic, testing, and surgical skills.
Sophia Fang, MD, MS
Former Moran Global Fellow Sophia Fang, MD, MS, trains nurses at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana.
Sila Bal, MD, MPH
Former Moran Global Fellow Sila Bal, MD, MPH, performs post-operative examinations during a high-volume surgical outreach trip in Nepal in 2023.
Avni Shah, MD
Former Moran Global Fellow Avni Shah, MD, performs surgery in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Global Ophthalmology Fellowship Experience and Goals

Our fellows spend anywhere from 6-12 months directly in the field working with Moran's Global Outreach Division partner institutions. Our goal is to empower to become a leader in global ophthalmology through education in public health, leadership development, clinical and surgical care in low-resource settings, and eyecare capacity building. 

Our partner sites include the Aravind Eyecare System in India, the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal, and Bugando Medical Center and the University of Dodoma in Tanzania. Other core sites include Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Ghana, Bolivia, and Ethiopia. 

Essential to our fellow experience is the opportunity to work with U.S.-based partners. This includes our long-standing work with the Navajo Nation and other Native American communities, our clinics in Salt Lake City and Park City serving unhoused and recently resettled refugee patients, and our work with other underserved communities in the region.

A core goal is for each fellow to gain independence in leading and collaborating with partners in various contexts and build a global network with key stakeholders in foreign governments, NGOs, hospitals, and service organizations. Clinical and surgical practice during these periods will have a large degree of independence. Networking with overseas organizations, including the Himalayan Cataract Project, Tissue Banks International, and other international eye banks, is strongly encouraged. 

Our traditional fellowship is a 12-month experience that can be completed after residency or subspecialty fellowship training. In general, we recommend completing the global fellowship after subspecialty fellowships, as your specialized skillset can be augmented throughout the global fellowship year.  If you are interested in a shorter-term fellowship, please contact the fellowship directors directly to explore opportunities and options. 

What Makes the Moran Eye Center Global Ophthalmology Fellowship Unique?

We strongly encourage and support each fellow's unique skillset, understanding their impact as learners and teachers. As an academic center, we value our fellows' specialized interests that go beyond providing surgical and clinical care. Our goal is to support our fellows in becoming leaders in global ophthalmology and public health. 

Three former global fellows share why they chose Moran for their training:

Sila Bal, MD, MPH
"One word: the people. Through Moran Global Outreach, I have had the opportunity to grow alongside enthusiastic and inspiring leaders in global ophthalmology in the U.S. and globally through our partner organizations. This fellowship has not only been one of the best years of my academic career, but it has also led to tremendous personal and professional growth. One of the best feelings this year was the transformation with partner organizations from total strangers to a family that works together to restore sight for our patients. The work that the Moran Eye Center achieves each year is incredible, and the people are what make it that much more special!"
Sila Bal, MD,MPH Former Global Fellow 2023-2024
Sophia Fang, MD, MS
"The Moran Global Outreach Fellowship is a great opportunity to build your own adventure, sharing your unique skills and perspectives while learning from all of Moran's amazing long-standing outreach partners."
Sophia Fang, MD, MS Former Global Fellow 2019-2020
Avni Shah, MD
"There are few academic eye centers in the U.S. that consider outreach as a core mission and probably none with more experience or commitment to the underserved than the Moran Eye Center. I knew I would have a solid platform here to begin my foray into the vast and varied fields of global ophthalmology, and I've been privileged to learn from some wonderful mentors along the way. Moran has helped me grow as a clinician and surgeon and has been endlessly supportive of my interests and goals during my fellowship."
Avni Shah, MD Former Global Fellow 2018-2019

Requirements

As with all our fellowships, the Global Fellowship is NOT considered a PGY-5 ACGME-accredited fellowship position. We hire fellows as limited-term, faculty-appointed physicians who must be credentialed at our affiliated hospitals; therefore, only U.S. citizens who have completed USMLE exams in the U.S. and/or completed their residency training in the U.S. are eligible. 

Due to our affiliation with the Veterans Administration Hospital, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this employment.

Questions?

If you have further questions, please contact Erika Ruiz (erika.ruiz@hsc.utah.edu).

Thank you for your interest in the Moran Global Fellowship Program. We look forward to hearing from you!

Education Program Resources

Contact Us

University of Utah School of Medicine

Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

John A. Moran Eye Center
Academic Office
65 Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84132

Phone: 801-585-3719
Fax: 801-581-5806

Rachel G. Simpson, MD, Vice Chair of Education
Phone: 801-581-2352
rachel.simpson@hsc.utah.edu

Sravanthi Vegunta, MD, Associate Program Director
Phone: 801-581-2352
srav.vegunta@hsc.utah.edu

Meghan Johnson, Programs Manager, Academics
Phone: 801-213-4044
meghan.johnson@hsc.utah.edu

Chandler Thompson, Executive Assistant
Phone: 801-581-3023
chandler.thompson@hsc.utah.edu

Barbara Korous, Director, Operations
801-585-6143
barbara.korous@hsc.utah.edu