November 29, 2018 - Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, is expanding its extensive support of eye care professionals through the launch of a one-of-a-kind training opportunity, the Alcon Retina Fellows Institute. The unique educational offering supports retina fellows during a weekend-long training at the Alcon Experience Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The inaugural program, which took place earlier this month, invited 40 fellow attendees to enhance their education through experiential surgical trainings. This hands-on program emphasizes well-rounded learning over lecturing by featuring the latest innovations in retina surgery led by a small group of world-class faculty. The Alcon Retina Fellows Institute is another example of the company’s commitment to the continuous education of the eye health community by helping to develop the next generation of retinal surgeons.

“At Alcon, we believe that as the leader in eye care, we are responsible for supporting the surgeons of tomorrow in every step of their education so they are armed with the knowledge they need to achieve the best-possible patient outcomes,” said Jim Di Filippo, General Manager, US Surgical, Alcon. “The Alcon Retina Fellows Institute is just one facet of our long-running partnership with the retina community, and we are pleased to be sharing our facilities and technologies, along with best-in-class faculty, to deliver a premier learning experience for future surgical retina leaders.” 

The dynamic training program aims to create well-rounded fellows by bridging gaps in education and experience with hands-on trainings for key procedures in a surgical laboratory setting. The program is split into a variety of segments during which participants rotate through a schedule of lessons ranging from fluidics and sutureless IOLs, to the ergonomics of operating room setup and independent surgery. Each fellow is offered the chance to actively learn the latest techniques in face-to-face trainings with an elite faculty of retina specialists.

“I am honored to have taken part in planning the inaugural Alcon Retina Fellows Institute course,” said Dr. Yannek Leiderman, Course Director, Alcon Retina Fellows Institute. “Having the opportunity to teach and mentor fellows in this first-in-class program was a unique and inspiring experience. I’m honored to be able to play a role in training the next generation of exceptionally talented retinal surgeons.” 

The Alcon Retina Fellows Institute is an annual event in which attendees have the opportunity to visit the Alcon Experience Center in Fort Worth, a state-of-the-art facilities providing eye care professionals with comprehensive eye health education, hands-on experiential learning opportunities and cutting-edge virtual reality technology for an immersive training experience. Additional Alcon Experience Centers can be found in the Spain (Barcelona), Japan (Tokyo and Osaka), Australia (Sydney), Colombia (Bogotá), and soon to be in Brazil (São Paulo) and China (Beijing).