Since I began writing for ophthalmology many years ago, and working specifically with retina specialists almost 10 years ago, I have been fortunate to have many educational and rewarding encounters, whether at conferences, during clinic and OR visits, or within general editorial interaction.

Last month, however, I had the most rewarding experience of my career. I was invited to travel to Kolkata, India, to join ORBIS International as a visiting journalist alongside volunteer faculty members including R.V. Paul Chan, MD; and Pravin U. Dugel, MD, both Retina Today Editorial Board members.

Retina Today has featured several humanitarian organizations in its pages in the past, including ORBIS, the Nevis Eye Care Program, The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Program in Haiti, and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute's Vision Van, but to actually be a part of one of these missions was, quite frankly, life-changing. Prior to this trip, I made a concerted effort to clear my mind of any preconceived notions of what the experience would entail, and I am glad that I did, as I simply could not have predicted what I would learn during these 8 days.

I will be writing a series of articles for Retina Today in the coming months detailing my experiences with ORBIS, both in the Susrut Eye Hospital in Kolkata and the Flying Eye Hospital (FEH). Here, I will keep it simple.

ORBIS is not just about the FEH (although, this plane is amazing with its fully outfitted classroom, laser room, and OR). The backbone of ORBIS is a group of skilled, dedicated, and talented medical and technical staff with carefully identified goals, and they achieve these through what I have come to see as (A) heart, (B) mind, and (C) determination. Over the days I spent in Kolkata, I learned quite a bit. I have seen many surgical teams that are efficient, but I have never seen a medical team accomplish what ORBIS does.

The heart of ORBIS lies in the training that this organization provides, combining hands-on surgery with classroom learning. This comprehensive training engages physicians, nurses, technicians, equipment engineers, and others within the health-care continuum on how to establish and maintain best practices far beyond “wheels-up” time, when the FEH moves on. The entire staff at ORBIS, along with volunteer doctors, nurses, and pilots, accomplishes wonderful things for those in need around the world. I look forward to sharing more information about this experience in future issues of Retina Today.