Episode 8: Ophthalmology Fellowship series – Revelle Littlewood – Neuro-ophthalmology fellowship in the UK

In this episode of EyeConnect, host Johnson Neo, a consultant ophthalmologist specialising in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery, speaks with Revelle Littlewood, a consultant ophthalmologist based in Manchester specialising in neuro-ophthalmology and adult strabismus. They discuss Revelle Littlewood’s training pathway, with a particular focus on her fellowship journey.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Insights into choosing the neuro-ophthalmology and strabismus subspecialty and the thought process for the decision to move to Manchester for fellowship after training in South Yorkshire.
• The challenges faced during fellowship, including feeling "out of depth" initially and managing independent clinics. This period is highlighted as a crucial transition from registrar to consultant, where fellows are given more independence.
• Key criteria for selecting a suitable neuro-ophthalmology fellowship, emphasising finding one that offers training in the desired subspecialties and provides networking opportunities.
• Addressing common concerns about the subspecialty, such as the ability to continue performing cataract surgery and the potential for private practice.
• The critical importance of early planning for fellowships, ideally starting in ST1 or using admin time to explore interests, and gearing your CV towards your chosen subspecialty by ST5/6 to be competitive.
• Emphasis on developing theoretical knowledge and clinic skills in strabismus, noting that the surgery itself is often less challenging than the planning. Building a good relationship with and learning from orthoptists is considered crucial for understanding strabismus assessments.