What led you to pursue ophthalmology as a career path?

As a child, about 7 or 8 years old, I became interested in art and enjoyed the creativity and individuality of exploring art methods, including pencil drawing and other media. In college, between my science courses, I took watercolor—a truly challenging course, but with great rewards. Later, my directions included photography of nature, particularly of rare insects, birds, flowers, and trees.

So, I am a visual person with strong pattern recognition, and ophthalmology fit the bill. I chose ophthalmology because of the vast imaging techniques and the challenges of the details of the various subspecialties.

Why did you choose ocular oncology as a specialty? Who were your mentors, and how did they influence your decision?

When I entered the field, little was known about the imaging of tumors, the genetic abnormalities of tumors, and even less about therapies. Ocular oncology was not so refined when I started. There was a lot of work to be done, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

I was a bit influenced by my then soon-to-be husband, Jerry A. Shields, MD, who was already practicing ocular oncology. Together, we achieved more than we could have done individually, and it was exciting and enjoyable along the way. We met and hosted other ocular oncology staff and fellows and built a strong team.

Ocular oncology can be a difficult subspecialty, as we are dealing with really desperate, sad, and scary situations. The onus is upon us to always be at our best performance and share thoughts on certain cases to be sure we choose the right therapy. It is helpful to have two physicians collaborate in the initial evaluation of a patient.

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What are the pros and cons of working in the same field and institute as your husband? Were there challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Some of the pros have been mentioned above, including a trustworthy alignment with the “team direction” of the corporation; honesty and loyalty to each other and the corporation; and an enthusiasm to excel. The cons include being labeled as “the wife” without the true distinction of being a doctor, as well as other downsides of unwanted competition or problems that can occur in any corporation. Jerry and I have enjoyed every bit of our partnership. Nearly every day as we drove to work, Jerry would remark that we have such a good practice, and I would respond that we are lucky to be working together.

What has been one of the most memorable moments of your career?

About 25 years ago, we were blazing a trail of understanding with intravenous chemotherapy for bilateral retinoblastoma. Initially, I did not know what to expect. As years passed, we got to understand which treatments are likely to succeed and which are likely to fail. One patient, a young 4-month-old boy with bilateral retinoblastoma from the mid-South of the United States, was treated with intravenous chemotherapy combined with consolidation of thermotherapy/cryotherapy. He did well and eventually had 20/40 vision in the better seeing eye, a goal we might not have ever achieved with older treatment measures. After a session with him, I spoke to the parents, and the father said, “Thank you, Dr. Shields, for taking the time from your children to care for my son.” To me, that was the greatest thank-you I could receive, and to this day I reflect on it.

Another striking moment occurred about 3 or 4 years ago, when I was taking a history on a young girl with possible retinoblastoma and noticed that the family came from my hometown in Western Pennsylvania. Then I noted they were from the street upon which I was born and lived in the same house that I was born in—what a coincidence! I felt that she was an angel reminding me of all that God has given me. I’m happy to say that she did well with systemic chemotherapy; her life was saved, both eyes were saved, and one eye has excellent vision.

What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out in the field of ophthalmology?

Learn your trade to the best of your ability because you will not only use it to care for patients, but you will be teaching your older and younger colleagues the newer information. Work diligently and with dedication to the corporation. Choose your practice not only by what you are reimbursed and how much free time you have, but, equally important, by who you will be working with and their organization and enthusiasm.