What is a Fellow?
ATTAINING A FELLOWSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ORTHOKERATOLOGY AND MYOPIA CONTROL
Unlocking the Expertise: Becoming a Fellow in Myopia Control and Orthokeratology
Postgraduate fellowship training is part of this in-depth training to become a specialist. A fellowship is not a part of the basic medical eye care training but is a designation that is granted after years of advanced study.
A FIAOMC is a practitioner who has made a serious commitment to the practice of myopia control and orthokeratology. They have undergone hundreds of hours of advanced training in this field and have used this skill to manage myopia with various techniques successfully. While they are talented at treating all cases, they distinguish themselves with the ability to design and troubleshoot complex and challenging cases (highly nearsighted or astigmatic, abnormally shaped corneas, and out-of-control myopia, to name a few). A FIAOMC is the gold standard representing the highest level of knowledge, ethics, and patient care in this field.
A doctor must meet several requirements prior to applying for a fellowship. Once these requirements have been met they may apply for the fellowship. The FIAOMC journey involves presenting several highly complicated cases that they have personally designed and managed. They must pass a 60+ question written test. Finally, they must sit for a 2-3 hour oral examination (administered by three experienced FIAOMCs) where they are presented with difficult puzzling cases and the candidate must identify problems and solutions for each patient. If they demonstrate fellowship-level skills, they are only then granted their FIAOMC. The testing is rigorous. Currently, there are 155 doctors worldwide who have successfully taken the journey.
Once they have attained their FIAOMC, a fellow is obligated to give back. They are an elite group of doctors who demonstrate their commitment to myopia control through lectures, creating webinars, setting standards of care, educating the public, and mentoring other practitioners who have challenging cases.