In this episode, Dr. Ian Han joins me to discuss his tips for residents transitioning from early beginners to senior leaders in their program. Dr. Han is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery at the University of Iowa. We also discuss his expertise in retinal imaging, keys to interpretation, and the mentors who guided him to where he is today.

Dr. Uday Devgan, founder and host of the world recognized CataractCoach.com, joins to give his advice on how residents can maximize their potential as developing surgeons! Check out all his great surgical videos,  full curriculum, and amazing free Cataract Coach PDF book all at CataractCoach.com  

You got your loupes, your lenses, your super “cool” callbag but don’t worry your’re not alone! Listen in as four second-year ophthalmology residents share their tips to help you survive the craziness of ophthalmology call.

Episode Description: Dr. Jay Sridhar returns to the podcast for a special episode where we focus in on mentoring. We talk broadly about mentorship, addressing our own blind spots, and our personal development in the process of helping those around us. Be sure to check out more of Dr. Sridhar on Straight from the Cutter’s Mouth: A Retina Podcast and on twitter @RetinaPodcast

Dr. Daniel Moore returns to the podcast in today’s episode. Dr. Daniel Moore serves as the ophthalmology residency program director at the University of Kentucky where he is an associate professor and glaucoma specialist. We discuss global ophthalmology, the collegiality and kind culture fostered by the residents and faculty at UK, and takeaways from their DEI recruitment efforts. To hear more about Dr. Moore and the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology Residency Program check out

Dr. Nayasha Madhan is today’s guest! She is finishing her final year of ophthalmology residency at Ohio State University with plans to pursue glaucoma fellowship. She talks about her path to ophthalmology, her reasons for choosing glaucoma, life in Columbus, and her love for Jeni’s ice cream. To see more of her story, check her out on Twitter @DrBuckEYE19

Dr. Andrew Williams is today’s guest! He is currently a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh and practices as a glaucoma specialist and comprehensive ophthalmologist. We talk about his story in ophthalmology, the mentors and experiences he has had along the way, and life in Pittsburgh. He was also awarded a grant to use for his research with the AAO’s IRIS Registry and has studied a variety of topics with important clinical implications such as loss to follow up in glaucoma patients. To see more of his story, check him out on Twitter @Andrew920

In this episode, Chris Cho chats with recently matched applicants in the 2022 ophthalmology residency cycle. With another year of virtual interviews and uncertainty regarding the match process, we discuss what made us successful in matching into ophthalmology residency. Please reach out if you have any other questions! Panel: Gabriella Schmuter (Twitter: @GSchmuter) Med School: City University of New York School of Medicine Residency: Weill Cornell Joana Andoh (Twitter: @jandohknows) Med School: Yale University Residency: Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Chris Cho (Twitter: @chrischo_md) Med School: University of Missouri-Columbia Incoming resident at Vanderbilt Eye Institute

In this episode, Arhem chats with Dr. Geeta Lalwani, who is is the founder of Rocky Mountain Retina Associates, where she specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of retinal diseases. Prior to Rocky Mountain Retina, Dr. Lalwani was with the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology. She completed her fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, ophthalmology residency at Case Western Reserve, and received her M.D. from Drexel University. Dr. Lalwani is the contributing author of Chapter 7 of Women in Ophthalmology (https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030593346) and discusses building a clinical practice and reputation with Arhem, as well as the importance of mentorship.

Today’s guest is Dr. Shanika Esparaz! Dr. Esparaz is a private practice ophthalmologist in the Cleveland area. She practices a unique mix of comprehensive ophthalmology and medical retina. Dr. Esparaz completed medical school at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and completed her training in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal disease at Boston University. In this episode we discuss Dr. Esparaz’s path to ophthalmology, the failures and struggles she’s faced along the way, and her tips for students and residents on their career paths. We also talk social media and the the many opportunities it has afforded Dr. Esparaz since completing her training. To see more of Dr. Esparaz’s story check her out on Instagram @shani_esparazmd and Twitter @shaniesparazmd

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Tamara Fountain. Dr. Fountain is professor of ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center and maintains a private practice in oculofacial plastic surgery in Chicago’s northern suburbs. She grew up in Minneapolis where her dad was a commercial airline pilot and her mom a marketing executive. Dr. Fountain received her B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and her M.D. from Harvard Medical School. After an internship in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, she completed her residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. Fountain pursued specialty training in plastic and reconstructive surgery around the eye at University of Southern California’s Doheny Eye Institute before settling in the Chicago area to start her practice. Dr. Fountain is the 2021 president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) — at 32,000 members, the oldest and largest society of American and International Ophthalmologists in the world. Click here to watch her AAO president’s acceptance speech. Her past service to AAO includes Secretary for Member Services, at-large member of the Board of Trustees and editorial board of its EyeNet magazine. She has served on the Young Ophthalmologist; Ethics; and Health Policy Committees and was part of the inaugural class of the AAO’s flagship Leadership Development Program. Dr. Fountain was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the Academy. Dr. Fountain is Past-President of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), having served as executive secretary and chair of both the thesis and oral exam committees in the past. She has also received the Orkan Stasior Leadership Award for service to the society. Dr. Fountain served for 15 years as a committee member and director for the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) and was Chair of the Board of Directors 2014 and 2015. She is a past president of the Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (formerly Illinois Association of Ophthalmology) and has been involved in programming for both Women in Ophthalmology and the Chicago Ophthalmological Society. She served as chair of the Alumni Fund for Harvard Medical School 2016-2019.

Chris Cho chats with 2022 residency applicant and fellow MS4, Asanté Quintana. They discuss Asanté’s passion for policy and advocacy which developed during his time in undergrad at Cornell. They also discuss Asanté’scontributions to ophthalmology through scholarly activity with the Vanderbilt Eye Institute regarding inequities in cataract surgery. Asanté recently founded Meharry Medical College’s Ophthalmology Interest Group which is also touched on. Finally, the two chat about how music production keeps evolving Asanté’s worldview.

In this episode, Arhem chats with Dr. Bonnie An Henderson. Dr. Henderson is the contributing author of Chapter 4 of Women in Ophthamology (https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030593346). Dr. Henderson is a past President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and curently is a Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. Previously, she was the Director of the Cataract and Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Henderson is the Associate Editor for the Journal of Refractive Surgery. She has authored over 125 articles, papers, book chapters, and abstracts and has delivered over 275 invited lectures worldwide. She has published 5 textbooks in cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Henderson has received an Achievement Award, the Secretariat Award, and the Senior Achievement Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Best of” awards from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery for her research and films, and the “Teacher of the Year” award from Harvard Medical School. She was awarded the Visionary Award by the American- European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery and received the Suzanne Veronneau-Troutman Award from Women in Ophthalmology. Dr. Henderson completed her ophthalmology residency at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. She graduated from Dartmouth College and from Dartmouth Medical School with high honors.

In this episode, Chris Cho (MS4) chats with Dr. Mark Greiner from the University of Iowa. Dr. Greiner is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. He is the medical director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank, the fellowship director of the cornea, external diseases and refractive surgery fellowship, and the Robert and Joell Brightfelt Professor of cornea research They discuss: -Dr. Greiner's road to ophthalmology and cornea. -Moving from California to Iowa. -The mission of the Lion's Eye Bank. -Dr. Greiner's current and ongoing research developments . -Residency applicants: How to stand out. -The musical mind of Dr. Greiner and his jam out sessions.

In this episode of our Equity in Ophthalmology series, host Arhem Barkatullah sits down to chat with Dr. Bryn Burkholder from the Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. Burkholder is the author of chapter 1 of the book, Women in Ophthalmology. (link: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030593346)

In this premiere episode of Equity in Ophthalmology, we sit down with the Co-Editors of the newly released book, Women in Ophthalmology. Dr. Christina Weng and Dr. Audina Berrocal give us an insight into how their bond, background, and current roles today spurred the concept of this passion project to come to fruition. We hear the story of their journey in the field as women in ophthalmology, what we all can bring to the conversation, and the core message of this work from various leaders who contributed. From now until September 22, you can receive a discount by contacting christina.weng@bcm.edu The book is available for order here: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783030593346

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Steve Houston of the Florida Retina Institute about his path from engineering to ophthalmology and eventually vitreoretinal surgery. We discuss: -Telemedicine advances in the era of COVID-19 in relation to ophthalmology. -The future of telementoring through remote surgical viewing. -Entrepreneurship and innovation as a niche for budding ophthalmologists and Dr. Houston’s startup, HealTheia.

In this episode, I chat with Benjamin Young, MD, MS. As a current vitreoretinal surgery fellow at the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center, Dr. Young and I discuss: -His journey in ophthalmology and advice from his training days as a resident at Yale. -The origin of the Eyes For Ears podcast. -Advice for those going through the virtual match. -Tips for podcasting. You can follow Dr. Young on Twitter @BenjaminKYoung. You can also follow the Eyes For Ears podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Eyes4Ears for all the latest episode releases!

In this episode, Chris Cho sits down and interviews future colleague and rising MS4 Brandon McKenzie. Brandon is a medical student applying for residency in ophthalmology this fall and attends school at Howard University. Check out his chat with Chris as they discuss: (1) How Brandon got interested in ophthalmology and his experience being a scribe   (2) Putting together a webinar for aspiring ophthalmologists with Dr. Rob Melendez, Dr. Ninita Brown, and Dr. Katrina Loy (3) Brandon's interests in ophthalmology including potential subspecialties (4) How he keeps sane in medical school by exercising and playing chess

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Grayson Armstrong. Dr. Armstrong is a clinical fellow in ophthalmic telemedicine at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. During the 2019–2020 academic year, Dr. Armstrong served as the chief resident in ophthalmology and the director of the ocular trauma service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Armstrong was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in June 2019. He also  active within the Massachusetts Medical Society, serving on its Resident and Fellow Section governing council, and within the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the state’s ophthalmology specialty society, where he is a member of its board of directors. Dr. Armstrong is active in health policy across multiple fronts surrounding access to care. He has served as a fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, worked with the Massachusetts Governor’s Office to secure access to the state’s prescription drug monitoring program for resident physicians, and worked with international non-profit organizations and the Jordanian government to improve the country’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Dr. Armstrong attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 2009 with a major in music and a minor in chemistry. He attended medical school at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, graduating in 2015 with invited membership to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society, before attending Harvard University, where he received his Master of Public Health with a focus on health care policy and management. Since medical school, Dr. Armstrong has fostered a strong interest in health care technology innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to serving as an advisor for various health technology startups, he is a founder of Ocular Technologies, a company creating tele-ophthalmic diagnostic hardware and software tools. With Ocular Technologies, he has been instrumental in the design and implementation of novel telemedicine and artificial intelligence technologies in the field of ophthalmology. We discuss: -Dr. Armstrong's path to ophthalmology and what aspiring ophthalmologists can take away from his journey. -His experience as Chief Resident at MEEI and what makes a good resident -Telemedicine and the state of current applications in ophthalmology -Getting involved with health policy and advocacy as a trainee -Dr. Armstrong's love for music! You can follow Dr. Armstrong on Twitter and Instagram @GraysonWilkes.