West Coast Eye Institute is true to our commitment to education by being an active member in the educational community. Our providers and clinic work hard to make sure we add value to young ophthalmologists, general medicine residents, and medical students. Additionally, we welcome the opportunity for new idea of how we can continue to be active in the community; so if you have an educational project that we can help with please contact us.
Our Provider
Sunny Walia, MD MBA
Fellowship Director
Our Fellow
Anna Artymowicz, MD
About Our Fellow
Dr. Anna Artymowicz was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in Stockholm, Sweden and Toronto, Canada. Dr. Artymowicz earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto, Canada, where she majored in neuroscience, conducted stem cell research and provided for her community as a peer crisis counselor. Moving back to the USA to pursue her medical training, she received her medical degree from the University of Rochester in NY and completed an internal medicine internship at the University of Texas, Austin. Finding her passion in Ophthalmology, Dr. Artymowicz pursued her ophthalmology residency training at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY, where she cared for people across six different hospitals in Brooklyn and Staten Island, NYC. She is currently completing a fellowship year at the West Coast Eye Institute to further her special interests in LASIK, minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries, cataract surgery and eyelid surgery.
Dr. Artymowicz is fluent in English, Spanish, Polish, and Swedish. She has worked with several non-profit medical care organizations internationally, including in Panama and Ghana. Her interests outside of the office include travel, painting, DIY crafts, hiking, skiing, live music, and spending time with friends and family.
Education
Dell Seton Medical Center of the University of Texas
Austin, Texas
Internal Medicine Intern Year
The State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
Ophthalmology Residency
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, MD
Rochester, NY
University of Toronto, BA
Toronto, Canada
Anterior Segment Fellowship
On behalf of West Coast Eye Institute, thank you for taking the time to explore our fellowship training program with a focus on anterior segment pathology, refractive surgery, and clinical/pharmaceutical research.
Fellowship
We are proud to offer the comprehensive and robust fellowship that is rooted in our ophthalmic tradition of over 40 years of clinical care. With over four decades of patient care, West Coast Eye Institute has built a practice that is focused on providing this highest quality of patient care and advancing medical innovation through clinical research. Additionally, West Coast Eye Institute extends our hands globally through our Care Programs with mission trips to Guatemala and Nicaragua. At the West Coast Eye Institute, we have performed over 10,000 LASIK cases, and countless MIGS and cataract surgery.
Our one-year clinical fellowship (SF Match ID #5694) is based in Southern California with regional travel opportunity. We train one full-time clinical fellow annually.
Structure
The fellowship opportunity at West Coast Eye Institute is a one-year clinical fellowship with one seat. Fellows gain the majority of their clinical and surgical experience in Bakersfield, CA but will have the opportunity for global travel (based on availability and travel restriction).
Fellows will have a blend of clinical and research time. The fellowship is designed to allow the fellow to help designed and run their fellowship clinic as well as pair with one of our providers in their clinic. The fellow will work closely with our providers in their clinic, the operating room, and our refractive suite, where the fellow with have 1-2 days per week on average.
Surgical Experience
Each year at the West Coast Eye Institute we perform over 1100 cataracts, 300 premium IOLs, 250 refractive surgeries (LASIK, PRK, ICL), 170 MIGS (iStent, Kahook Dual Blade, XenGel, Omni). Our fellow will expect to handle as primary surgeon on average 200-300 cataract surgeries, and 25-30 refractive cases, 20+ MIGS.
Our modern surgical suite is second to none. Equipped with ALCON Head-Up display (Ingenuity) and the latest ALCON platform of LASIK (EX500/CONTOURA). Fellows will be able to attract diverse patients given through reduce pricing models.
Academics
Clinical research and publication are encouraged and supported as part of the fellowship experience. Additionally, West Coast Eye Institute hold a monthly case presentation that open to the public that fellow will present. Lastly, the fellowship will host a in-house surgical board we all providers will discuss difficult cases and new surgical innovations.
Research
West Coast Eye Institute has partnered with CBCC Global for clinical and academically. CBCC Global is one of California’s largest clinical research firms with locations throughout Europe, Asia, and the US. With an team of over 300+ employees and headquarters in both Bakersfield, CA and Hyderabad, India, CBCC global has helped over 45 different drugs met the FDA screening and certification process and go to market. Furthermore, CBCC Global has principle agent in the growth of Sun Pharm, the largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in the world.
PLEASE NOTE: You must have a California State Medical License before beginning your Fellowship. You must have pass all 3 parts of the USMLE for the California License and have spent 1 year in the United States under direct physician supervision.
Contact:
Mrs. Julia Castillo, ABOE
Fellowship Program Coordinator
661-393-2331
Residency
Partnered with Clinica Sierra Vista’s Internal Medicine program, West Coast Eye Institute host internal medicine and family medicine residents. During the one-month rotation, residents will gain exposure to fundamental ophthalmic knowledge and better understanding the necessary skills needed to triage ocular questions and pathology. Paired with a provider, residents will be both in clinic and in our operating room.
Clinic Address: 215 China Grade Loop
Clinic Phone Number: 661-393-2331
Clinic Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Operating Room
Millennium Surgery Center
Address: 3850 San Dimas Street
Phone Number: 661-663-3700
For more information or questions, please contact:
Julia Castillo, COO
jcastilloBFL@gmail.com
Residents are expected to arrive to clinic at 7:45am and typically will finish the day at 2:30pm. Clinic attire is professional with a clean ironed white coat. Lunch is often provided; a calendar will be given at the start of the rotation. Additionally, a didactic calendar will be provided at the start of your rotation.
Prior to starting your rotation, please refresh on the basic eye anatomy and watch 2 cataract surgery videos on YouTube.
Medical School
Partnered with Touro University’s medical school, West Coast Eye Institute host medical students for a clinical rotation and a research rotation. During the one-month rotation, residents will gain exposure to fundamental ophthalmic knowledge and better understanding the necessary skills needed to triage ocular questions and pathology. Paired with a provider, residents will be both in clinic and in our operating room.
Clinic Address: 215 China Grade Loop
Clinic Phone Number: 661-393-2331
Clinic Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Operating Room
Millennium Surgery Center
Address: 3850 San Dimas Street
Phone Number: 661-663-3700
For more information or questions, please contact:
Julia Castillo, COO
jcastilloBFL@gmail.com
Residents are expected to arrive to clinic at 7:45am and typically will finish the day at 2:30pm. Clinic attire is professional with a clean ironed white coat. Lunch is often provided; a calendar will be given at the start of the rotation. Additionally, a didactic calendar will be provided at the start of your rotation.
Prior to starting your rotation, please refresh on the basic eye anatomy and watch 2 cataract surgery videos on YouTube.
Research
West Coast Eye Institute is proud to the first eye clinic in the central valley to partner with California’s largest COR. Through this joint effort, we can offer our patients the most innovative and comprehensive options within ophthalmology. We are actively enrolling in one glaucoma clinical trial, ask our staff for more information.
