The Jones Fellowship at Lions Vision Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine is the sole low vision fellowship offered in the United States. The yearlong program gives optometrists the training needed to become experts in clinical vision rehabilitation, related clinical science and research.

Over the course of the year, the fellow gains valuable experience as a low vision clinician and a researcher. “It was a great opportunity and a growing point,” says Mihret Girum, O.D., who completed the fellowship in 2026.

A workweek as the fellow typically consists of four days in clinic and one day of research. The clinic experience begins with shadowing clinicians and the center’s occupational therapist, gradually progressing to managing up to 10 patients per day by the end of the fellowship year. The fellow also gets hands-on mentorship and guidance from the low vision team and the chance to collaborate with specialists from Wilmer’s other divisions.

Girum says this progression helped her understand the impact that Wilmer’s low vision faculty has on patients’ lives. “It was a great ramp-up process,” she says. “That part was really helpful, in terms of setting me up for the next two-thirds of the fellowship with increased patient care, being able to handle the trickier clinical cases and learning how we, as a division, can intervene in terms of helping the patient achieve their goals.”

For Colette Houssan, O.D., M.P.H., who completed the fellowship in 2025, her research days consisted of learning statistical terms and reviewing existing research articles. This gave her the confidence to conduct her own research and present it at national conferences.

There were also several trips to community organizations such as the VA Low Vision Group, Maryland’s Division of Rehabilitation Services, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, Library for the Blind, and National Federation of the Blind to learn about resources that are offered to patients with low vision. This was something Houssan gained an appreciation for over time. “It helped me build rapport in the community, and it gave me direct contacts,” she says. “It also helped me understand the concept of the referral and the resources that you need to give these patients.”

The fellow also works with the Lions Club over the course of the year, speaking about their research at a statewide banquet in the fall and their annual convention in the spring. If anyone from the organization comes to visit the clinic, the fellow will often give them a tour and talk about the clinical aspects of the division.

For Dominic Brown, O.D., who completed his fellowship in 2022, speaking opportunities became a highlight of his experience. While presenting was initially a source of “professional nervousness,” he came to enjoy the opportunity to discuss his poster with peers at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). The poster was a retrospective chart review examining how a low vision provider’s plan of care addressed patients’ goals and complaints.

“It was a highlight because it was external validation of not just the mentorship that I’ve received at Wilmer, but the work itself,” he says. “People who didn’t really know much about me were able to see a poster of my work and say, ‘This is a great topic. I’m happy somebody’s looking into this, and I’m excited to see where that moves forward.’”

Presenting at Wilmer’s Grand Rounds twice during his fellowship year also helped build his confidence in presenting his work, he added.

Girum, Houssan and Brown are now members of the low vision faculty at Wilmer, each joining as instructors of ophthalmology after completing the fellowship. All agreed the fellowship provided valuable experience that led them to where they are today.