Uveitis Specialist Workforce Projected to Decline 35% by 2055

Even with more programs and seats, the uveitis fellowship fill rate remains 64%, trailing the 80% benchmark for all ophthalmology fellowships. To ensure timely access to uveitis subspecialty care in the coming years, more trainees are desperately needed. Some solutions proposed by the study authors include hybrid fellowships and greater mentorship resources. Photo: Rami Aboumourad, OD. Click image to enlarge. A leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the US, uveitis has an annual prevalence of 386.4 cases per 100,000 people and accounts for 10% to 15% of blindness, research shows. The condition demands complex, long-term, multidisciplinary care best delivered by fellowship-trained specialists—yet, this subspecialty faces a growing shortage in ophthalmology. A recent study published in American Journal of Ophthalmology used retrospective trend data to characterize the current workforce and project the US uveitis specialist supply through 2055. Its findings revealed that by then, the number of uveitis specialists is expected to decline by as much as 35%, driven primarily by waning interest in pursuing the subspecialty among residents.Using the American Uveitis Society roster, the researchers identified 224 US-based uveitis specialists and described years in practice and geographic distribution. They built two Monte Carlo simulation models (run over 100 iterations) incorporating dual training, age-specific mortality, retirement rates and fellowship match data: a fixed-entry model with low, status-quo and optimistic scenarios assuming constant annual entrants, and a stochastic model allowing annual growth and variability. The data showed that the current uveitis workforce has a median 12 years in practice and is concentrated in metropolitan states; 11 states have no AUS-listed specialist and 32 have fewer than one per million residents, with five states at high attrition risk. By 2055, fixed-entry projections yield a decline of 35% (low scenario), an increase of 20% (status-quo scenario) or an increase of 96% (optimistic scenario) specialists. The stochastic model projected 304 uveitis specialists (136 to 508) by 2040 and 512 (82 to 1040) by 2055.“Our projections indicate that without intervention, the workforce shortage will worsen,” the researchers wrote in their paper. They explained, “Even maintaining the current status-quo of 12 fellowship graduates annually would only modestly increase the workforce to 268 specialists (+20%) by 2055, which would barely keep pace with the expected population growth by this year.” The only avenue that would increase access to a uveitis specialist by 2055 is if there are 20 annual uveitis fellowship entrants, which the authors say “would lead to nearly doubling the workforce to 418 specialists.” Even then, they point out that “since we do not know the ideal ratio of uveitis specialists to patients, it remains uncertain whether even the optimistic scenario would adequately meet the demands of the population.”Collectively, these results argue for urgent, strategic workforce planning to protect timely and equitable access to uveitis specialists. While fellowship programs and slots have grown, the 64% annual fill rate for uveitis fellowship positions remains far below the 80% rate across all ophthalmology fellowships. Some potential solutions proposed by the researchers include hybrid fellowships—which allow dual training in surgical retina, cornea, and related subspecialties—reimbursement advocacy and mentorship initiatives. Additionally, they wrote, “Emerging tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning, which have a unique potential in ophthalmology, may contribute to reducing the administrative burden and possibly increase efficiency in a uveitis clinic.” In conclusion, the authors wrote, “Given the challenges to the uveitis workforce and modest interest relative to training opportunities, these findings can help inform workforce planning to ensure timely access to care in the coming years.”Click here for the journal source. Shah A, Berkowitz ST, Tsui E, et al. Forecasting the workforce of uveitis specialists. Am J Ophthalmol. March 2026. [Epub ahead of print].  This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.