WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
I grew up in Rockville, Maryland, and I was always interested in computers and engineering; it was no surprise that I pursued a Biomedical Engineering degree at Duke University. While at Duke, I picked up several hobbies, including building speakers, designing audio amplifiers, and computer programming. In a small way, I credit my fine dexterity for retina surgery to these hobbies that required soldering and assembling microelectronics.
MY PATH TO RETINA
My medical schooling at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine started with a summer research block. The program emphasized that becoming a physician-scientist was a journey, and I chose to start that journey with William J. Dupps Jr, MD, PhD, MS, a cornea specialist at Cole Eye Institute, because he was researching corneal biomechanics. Thus, I initially picked the field of ophthalmology based on my undergraduate degree in engineering. During my second year, I chose to work in the field of retina with Peter K. Kaiser, MD, where we conducted retrospective research on macular degeneration. From then on, I was hooked on retina.
Dr. Xu’s advice: Read textbooks and stay current in the literature to become a sharp diagnostician. Watch your own surgical videos and be your toughest critic!
SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY
I still work closely with many of the amazing mentors who helped me throughout medical school, residency, and fellowship, of which there are too many to name. I’m lucky to continue working with my mentors at Wills Eye Hospital after staying on after fellowship. I’m indebted to all of them for teaching me how to be a good retina diagnostician and a competent surgeon and for showing me how to empathically and professionally interact with patients.
AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER
It’s very rewarding for me as a retina surgeon to plan for a surgery and have that plan go smoothly from start to finish. Challenging surgical cases such as an IOL exchange, diabetic tractional detachment, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy require advanced planning. It is incredibly rewarding to hone my surgical skills, culimating in an elegant and efficient surgery that manifests good vision for the patient. I greatly enjoy this process of challenge and growth. Likewise, being able to share this process of discovery with retina fellows has been equally rewarding.
