Fellowship

About the Fellowship

Our sub-specialty fellowship is a paid two-year training position under the direction and mentorship of Dr. Richard Feist, Sr., Dr. John Mason, III, Dr. Michael Albert, Jr, Dr. Jason Crosson, Dr. Reese Feist, and Dr. Richard Martindale. One to two new fellows are matched each year (for a total of 3 fellows at any one time) to begin the program on July 1st. The Retina Consultants of Alabama (RCA) physicians hold faculty appointments at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital and the Callahan Eye Hospital. The UAB Callahan Eye Hospital is the region’s only Level I Ocular Trauma Center. This state-of-the-art facility has a fully-staffed 24-hour emergency room seven days a week. The RCA clinic is located within the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital.

Comprehensive Training Program

The vitreoretinal fellowship is a comprehensive training program encompassing all aspects of medical and surgical retina care. During the two-year training, fellows work under close supervision of the RCA physicians in the clinic and operating room where they gain the knowledge, experience, and expertise to diagnose and manage all vitreoretinal disease and trauma. Fellows have the opportunity to perform approximately 1000 primary retina surgeries (evenly spaced over the 2 years). Fellows graduate comfortably managing any and all surgical retinal issues including but not limited to:

• Traction retinal detachments
• Complex PVR detachments
• Scleral buckles (primary and vit-buckles)
• Macular surgery
• Complex IOL cases (scleral fixated, iris fixated, etc.)
• Biopsy and radioactive plaque placement for choroidal melanoma
• Retinoblastoma chemoreduction with laser therapy
• Severe ocular trauma
• Vitrectomy for endophthalmitis

Fellows gain experience in the clinic with medical retina including but not limited to:

• Tumors (ocular oncology–including Retinoblastoma)
• Retinopathy of Prematurity
• Uveitis
• Macular Degeneration
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Retinal Vein Occlusions
• Inherited retinal diseases

Dr. Mason, in addition to being a retinal specialist, is the only ocular oncologist in Alabama—treating a high volume of ocular melanomas.  Drs. Feist, Albert, Crosson, and Martindale all have expertise in treating ROP. Fellows also rotate with Dr. Russell Read, a fellowship trained uveitis specialist in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.

Fellows have the opportunity (optional, not required) to participate in one international mission during their fellowship. Fellows travel with attendings to either Nicaragua or Kenya to perform retina surgery in underserved areas. Dr. Ben Roberts, a former RCA graduate is a full time retina surgeon serving at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. Fellows also have the option (not required) of serving in a diabetic eye clinic for uninsured patients founded and run by Lauren Mason MBA (diabeticeyeclinical.com).

Clinical Research

RCA fellows participate in clinical and basic science research as well as industry and National Institute of Health sponsored clinical trials. Presentation of original research at local and national conferences, and the preparation of research projects for publication in peer-reviewed journals is encouraged and supported, but not required. These activities are fully funded by RCA. Participation in regular lectures, Grand Rounds, research conferences and journal clubs is required. Scheduled on-call coverage is assigned on a rotating basis between the three fellows. An attending physician is scheduled for back-up call at all times and is always available to staff the on-call fellow.

Fellowship Benefits

• Salary
• Health and Dental Insurance (Provided at No Cost)
• Malpractice Insurance (Provided at No Cost)
• State License Fees, Medical Organizations and Societal Membership Dues and Approved Continuing Education Meeting Expenses Reimbursed
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time

Current Fellows

Nathan Fischer, MD
Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery Fellowship
2023-2025

Dr. Fischer graduated from University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. He completed his ophthalmology residency training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology.

Alexandria Chaulk, MD
Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery Fellowship
2022-2024

Dr. Chaulk graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Medical School in Dallas, Texas.  She completed her ophthalmology residency training at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Alex Wright, MD
Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery Fellowship
2022-2024

Dr. Wright graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He completed his ophthalmology residency training at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

• The University of Alabama School of Medicine, Ophthalmology Program, Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
• Retina Consultants of Alabama, Accredited by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Fellowship Compliance Committee