Rising Stars in Retina: Hasenin Al-khersan, MD

Retina Today: When did you first know that you wanted to become a retina specialist?

When I was about 7 years old, my uncle lost his vision due to an occipital tumor. Seeing how his life completely changed was jarring, and the experience left me feeling powerless. That feeling stuck with me and motivated me to pursue vision research in college, which happened to be in retinal cell physiology. I was fascinated by the infinite complexity arising from such delicate tissue. To pair my interest in ocular physiology with the ability to make a direct clinical effect on patient care was a dream. From that moment on, I was hooked and never looked back.

RT: Who do you look to as mentors in the field?

I am privileged to be surrounded by an amazing cast of mentors at Bascom Palmer. Audina Berrocal, MD, in particular, has been an incredible mentor. She sets an example of what it means to be a compassionate physician, an inquisitive clinician, and an authentic and genuine person. Dr. Berrocal has been someone I’ve turned to throughout my residency and fellowship, and I feel lucky to be able to call her a mentor and friend.

RT: What has been one of the most memorable experiences of your fellowship thus far?

We are fortunate at Bascom Palmer to operate completely independently during our second year of fellowship, which is our Chief Resident year. I’ll forever remember the first case that I performed alone, a scleral buckle in a young patient with a macula-on detachment.

It was the culmination of more than a decade of studying and training, and it felt incredibly gratifying to be able to put into practice all that I had learned for the benefit of the patient.

RT: What are you hoping to accomplish once you are in practice?

Patient care remains at the core of the practice I hope to grow. Seeing and caring for patients brings me great fulfillment. Additionally, ophthalmology (really, the world) is at the precipice of an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. I hope to partake in the incorporation of new AI-driven technologies within retina. These AI tools, if crafted responsibly, may be able to help us amplify our clinical effect in ways we may not yet even imagine.

RT: What advice can you offer to residents who are considering retina?

Always remember the why behind your journey in medicine and ophthalmology. We are incredibly privileged to be entrusted with the care of patients, many of whom come to us at perhaps their most vulnerable. During training, even when things get busy, don’t forget to see the patient in front of you. It may be easy to say but sometimes hard to do in an era of crushing bureaucracy and high patient volumes. Despite that, we have the responsibility to make a profound difference in our patients’ lives.