Northern Health International Ophthalmic Surgery Fellowship (NHIOSF)
The Northern Health International Ophthalmic Surgery Fellowship (NHIOSF), which is primarily a general ophthalmology fellowship with high volume modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery and a small component of eyelid surgery. It was previously supervised by Dr Jonathan Kam but is now supervised by Dr Jack Kane and Dr Tasneem Arsiwalla.
The fellowship is aimed at those who are competent at cataract surgery but wish to be proficient and trained by some of the best in Australia. It is also suitable for applicants wishing to work in an area of need.
The fellowship is based at Broadmeadows Hospital, which is located in the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne, and services a large immigrant population. The diversity of social cultures that the fellow will interact with is one of the unique features of the program. It is common to have up to 5 different interpreters present within one session of consulting.
On completion of the fellow can expect to be able to perform:
- Modern cataract phacoemulsification techniques (400-500 cases per year)
- Secondary IOL implantation
- Pterygium excision and conjunctival autograft
- Eyelid lesion excision
- Upper eyelid blepharoplasty
- YAG laser capsulotomy, peripheral iridotomy
- Selective laser trabeculoplasty
- There is some exposure to entropion repair, ectropion repair, and ptosis surgery.
The fellowship is a 1-2 years depending on the fellow’s requirements and performance.
There is currently no after-hours on call requirement, but the fellow will expected to take calls during the normal working hours to help the hospital’s patients.
A second fellowship position focused on high volume cataract surgery and complex cataract surgery position is begun in 2025 and is be based at Northern Health and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital also runs a full-time dedicated cataract fellowship each year, and Dr Kam has some supervision of this fellowship.
