OWL Fellows

The application period for our Class of 2025-26 is open - Apply Now!*

Objectives

OWL continues to seek ways to drive its impact in advancing diversity in leadership. The OWL Fellows Program will increase support and connection opportunities by pairing interested rising leaders with established leaders in the ophthalmic space.

These connections should allow parties to grow, share experiences and impact careers – and will be a way for OWL to elevate underrepresented parties in the ophthalmic space.

Note: There is no formal educational curriculum associated with the Program.

Criteria to Participate as an OWL Fellow

The OWL Fellows program will evaluate program participant numbers on a year-by-year basis.

Ideal candidates for the OWL Fellows Program are:

An active OWL member
An emerging leader in the ophthalmic space
In their early or mid-careers
Demonstrating high potential for making an impact in ophthalmology
Committed to diverse leadership
Willing to commit the time and effort to interact with their Mentor, other Fellows and OWL Leadership

Process for OWL Fellows Program

Interested candidates may apply to be considered for the program, or may be nominated by Board or Advisory Board members for consideration. The application period is open through July 25, 2025.

The Board of Directors will make the final decision to select each class of Fellows, who will then be paired with their Mentor. OWL will facilitate the introductions and set expectations, and a representative of OWL will check in with participants to ensure the program’s success. OWL will facilitate meeting locations for Fellows during annual conferences.

Each OWL Fellows Program will run for one year. OWL will announce its Fellows at annual meetings and has an alumni class of OWL Fellows.

APPLY HERE

*Applications are currently being accepted from OWL members through July 25, 2025.

Testimonials from previous OWL Fellows:

"This program certainly opened doors for me and I was able to make such valuable connections with other individuals who are just as passionate about ophthalmology as I am."

"The OWL Fellows Program was a fantastic opportunity for a young cataract, cornea and refractive surgeon such as myself to become part of this powerful organization and network with so many leaders in industry and medicine. The strong relationship that I have built with my mentor is not only limited to this one year but will extend throughout my career. Networking with the other fellows in this program has allowed me to create new connections in various arenas of Ophthalmology and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future. I encourage all to apply for this wonderful program!"

"I was very lucky and privileged to be an OWL Fellow 2021-2022. My mentor was Dr Marjan Farid. She is a titan of cornea. The OWL fellowship gave me the opportunity to connect with Dr Farid, learn from her, and begin my journey to being the best cornea surgeon I can be under her wing. We all stand on shoulders of giants and I'm so glad I can hopefully stand on Dr Farid's shoulders as well as other incredible people from OWL. The fellowship allowed me to meet many inspiring people from industry. It's such an great organization that brings together brilliant minds to advance ophthalmic care. This is the mentality I strive to have as I approach my own patients and capacity building/education in East Africa and Southeast Asia, where I hope to do most of my collaborative global ophthalmology work."

"Mentorship is a highly valuable asset. I learned to get comfortable asking hard questions. The knowledge - technical and otherwise - I gained from my mentor is a major takeaway that I hope to keep building on."

"This program allowed me to think through my career path, challenges, and vision with a CEO. Not many programs out there will allow for that kind of engagement. I also love how my mentor is someone relevant to my industry, but not someone I would have normally ever interacted with in my day-to-day activities. I feel like I was able to takeaway a mentor that I would feel comfortable going to outside of the program."

"The OWL Fellow-Mentor dynamic allowed for a genuine exchange of ideas, fostering a collaborative environment where I felt comfortable bouncing thoughts and concepts off someone with a wealth of experience. The camaraderie established through this program has enhanced my skills and confidence in my career."