Recognizing the Best in the Field

At Retina Consultants of America, we are honored to be in the company of amazing physicians. This month, we want to recognize those that are contributing greatly in the field and have received the prestigious Michels Foundation Award.

In 1991, Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation was established to support second-year fellows training in vitreoretinal surgery in the United States. This foundation is dedicated to educational excellence in ophthalmology. Dr. Michels trained more than 40 vitreoretinal fellows and influenced hundreds of ophthalmologists who observed him in practice, and he wanted to inspire others in the field. He provided great insights on many aspects of vitreoretinal disorders and many patients and physicians benefitted from his diagnostic and therapeutic skills.

Dr. Michels made enormous contributions to ophthalmology and the retina field. "Dr. Michels was a giant in the field of retina, and a legend at the Wilmer Eye Institute, where I did all of my training," said Margaret Chang, MD, MS, Retinal Consultants Serving Northern California. "It was a tremendous honor to be a Michels fellow alongside incredibly talented individuals who exemplify Ron Michels' many exceptional attributes."

The Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation has been established to honor the many talents of Dr. Michels and to provide funds for additional young scholars with the hopes they will follow in his footsteps. This award is given annually to outstanding second-year vitreoretinal fellow in training.

RCA has many physicians who have received this award including:

1991 - Robert Avery, MD, California Retina Consultants
1993 - David M. Brown, MD, Retina Consultants of Houston
1998 - Sundeep Dev, MD, VitreoRetinal Surgery PA
1999 - Vincent Deramo, MD, Vitreoretinal Consultants
2000 - Joel Pearlman, MD, PhD, Retinal Consultants Serving Northern California
2003 - Alessandro Castellarin, MD, California Retina Consultants
2007 - Margaret Chang, MD, MS, Retinal Consultants Serving Northern California
2008 - Amy Schefler, MD, Retina Consultants of Houston
2010 - Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, Retina Consultants of Houston

More information about the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation can be found
here.