Retina Today (RT): When did you first know that you wanted to become a retina specialist?
My decision to pursue retina was personal. When I was 7 years old, my mother—a high myope with -20 D refractive error—suffered a retinal detachment. Witnessing the toll multiple detachments took on her quality of life demonstrated the profound value of preserving vision. I chose medicine, and specifically the field of retina, to provide others with the same security and independence that successful surgical intervention restored to my family.
RT: Who do you look up to as mentors in the field?
I have been fortunate to train under exceptional mentors. Timothy Olsen, MD, laid the foundation for my career at Emory, teaching me scientific rigor.
During residency training at the Mayo Clinic, Matthew Starr, MD; John Chen, MD; Lauren Dalvin, MD; Raymond Iezzi Jr, MD; Brittni Scruggs, MD, PhD; Arthur Sit, MD; Andrew Barkmeier, MD; and Sophie Bakri, MD, instilled in me the core value that the needs of the patient always come first.
As a fellow at the University of California Los Angeles, Jayanth Sridhar, MD; Kirk Hou, MD; Pradeep Prasad, MD; Hamid Hosseini, MD, Colin McCannel, MD; Tara McCannel, MD, PhD; David Sarraf, MD; Edmund Tsui, MD; and Irena Tsui, MD, have challenged me to refine my surgical and medical technique and strive for perfection in every case.
RT: What has been one of the most memorable experiences of your fellowship thus far?
Transitioning from learner to teacher has been the highlight of my fellowship training. Staffing residents on complex cataracts and vitrectomies is incredibly rewarding—specifically, watching surgical principles “click” for them in real-time. Seeing their confidence grow throughout the year reinforces my own understanding of the field and desire to mentor future trainees.
RT: What advice can you offer to residents who are considering retina?
Push yourself to be the best comprehensive ophthalmologist you can be before narrowing your focus to retina, because the best retina specialists understand the eye as a whole system.
Above all, if you always put the needs of the patient first, you will never make the wrong decision.
