WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
My perspective on life is fundamentally informed by my background as an immigrant, born in Baghdad, Iraq. When I was 5 years of age, my family moved first to New Zealand to escape political turmoil and economic strife and then to Michigan, where we lived in a rural town for much of my childhood. While it was difficult adjusting to vastly different cultures, the help I received along the way fostered a desire to pay it forward and find a way to help others. For me, this meant a career in medicine and following in the footsteps of my father.
MY PATH TO RETINA
When I was a child, my uncle lost his vision due to a brain tumor. The effect this had on him and our family has stayed with me from an early age. Since then, I have had a deep respect for the importance of vision on quality of life. My interest in the visual sciences narrowed into a focus on retina during my undergraduate years at the University of Michigan, where I worked in a retinal physiology lab. I tended to my cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells, captivated by their complexity. Although I was deeply interested in the physiology of vision, I knew I also wanted to help patients on the front lines of clinical medicine. The opportunity to acutely preserve vision as a retina specialist remains the core motivator of my clinical pursuits.
SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY
I have had many great mentors in my training and early career. As a medical student at the University of Chicago, Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD, was the first retina specialist I shadowed, and he took me under his wing. During residency, fellowship, and chief residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, I looked to Audina M. Berrocal, MD, and Harry W. Flynn Jr, MD, for advice. Dr. Flynn taught me to understand the full context of the patient—remembering that patients are people, not pathology. Dr. Berrocal modeled for me the art of the doctor-patient relationship. As a pediatric retina specialist, she mastered the intense technicality of pediatric retina surgery while also compassionately navigating the relationships with her young patients and their families.
Lastly, in my early career at the Retina Consultants of Texas, Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, has been a selfless mentor, advocate, and friend. He has helped open doors for me to advance as a clinical trialist. I seek his advice on a near daily basis.
Dr. Al-khersan’s advice: Find your passion—it’s a cliché for a reason. Find the role that will motivate you for the next 10, 20, and 30 years. If that role doesn’t yet exist, create it.
AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER
Serving as chief resident at Bascom Palmer remains the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career. As a chief, I directed the ocular trauma service while also running a bustling retina service. Additionally, the opportunity to teach brilliant residents and fellows in the OR made the experience especially fulfilling. While the hours were long, I was lucky to serve in the role with a wonderful co-chief and lifelong friend, Thomas Lazzarini, MD.
