Sight For Sore Eyes

Send us a text In this episode, we address the critical issue of building a diverse ophthalmology workforce in these trying times. I’m joined by faculty current and previous members of the UCSF Department of Ophthalmology, who have long been deeply committed to making ophthalmology more inclusive - their insights stemming from real-world experience in a state that banned race-conscious admissions decades ago. In this episode, we’ll unpack their thoughtful JAMA Ophthalmology commentary, The Challenge in Building Diverse Ophthalmology Residency Programs, and more. As you listen, I hope you're not just informed by our conversation —I hope you’re inspired to promote these concepts in your own sphere of influence. Dr. Saras Ramantathan Dr. Neeti Parikh Dr. Julius Oatts Dr. Jacque Duncan The Challenge in Building Diverse Ophthalmology Residency Programs

Send us a text In this, the final episode of our series on Native Americans and Ophthalmology, we turn our focus to the future, examining the critical need for greater Native American representation in medicine and eye care and the ongoing efforts being made to bridge this gap and we’ll hear from a young trainee who aspires to make a lasting impact through her journey in medicine This final installment of our series presents the hopes and aspirations for the future of Native American eye care in the US. The Association of American Indian Physicians Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and Cherokee Nation American Indians into Medicine Program

Send us a text In this second installment of our series on Native Americans and Ophthalmology, we hear from an individual who has done more than just improve access to eye care—he’s shown what’s possible in the fight against diabetic vision loss for Native American communities in Oklahoma. His groundbreaking work has not only changed lives but has also set the standard for how care can be delivered to underserved populations. We’ll also discuss how he’s now working to expand eye care access to an even broader population and how his experiences with the Native American communities in Oklahoma continue to shape the work he’s doing today. This story is about commitment, impact, and what it truly means to care for people the best way we know how. Dr. Stephen R. Fransen & Lumata Health Dean McGee Eye Institute Partnerships Page

Send us a text Welcome, this is the trailer for my series on Native Americans and Ophthalmology. This is a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, yet it holds a lot of significance in the world of eye care, medicine, and healthcare equity. I’ve been wanting to explore it for a long time, and I’m thrilled to finally bring you what I believe are substantive, thought-provoking conversations on a subject that deserves more attention than it currently receives. I’ve learned a lot in the process of creating this series, and my hope is that you will, too. New England Journal of Medicine - Indigenous Americans — The Journal’s Historical “Indian Problem”

Send us a text In this first episode of our series on Native Americans and Ophthalmology, we begin by exploring an important question: What is the current state of eye health and eye care access for Native American communities in the U.S.? To answer this, we’ll hear from Native American eye care providers as they share their personal journeys into the field as well as researchers who have dedicated their careers to understanding the issues around health disparities, access, and finding solutions to improve care for Native communities. Dr. Lindsey Marvel Dr. Elizabeth Fairless Dr. Paula Ann Newman-Casey The Indian Health Service The Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System

Send us a text In the last episode, we began a conversation with with Dr. Benjeil Edghill about his journey to ophthalmology and how he established a thriving practice in his hometown of NYC. In this episode we talk about his practice, his experiences being a black ophthalmologist, what motivates him, and what it will take to move us forward as a specialty to increase diversity in our ranks.

Send us a text Dr. Benjeil Edghill is a Brooklyn native, a glaucoma specialist, and an advocate for minoritized groups. He’s not only a skilled surgeon practicing in New York City but also a leader in advocating for better care for minority communities and supporting the next generation of URiM physicians through his work with and leadership in the NMA ophthalmology section. His story is an example of what can happen at the intersection of ability, opportunity, mentorship, allyship, and representation, all of which propelled him into a successful career as an ophthalmologist and a national leader for diversity and patient advocacy in our specialty. Dr. Benjeil Edghill

Send us a text In the last episode series, we heard from the directors of two pathway programs that are recruiting, supporting, and promoting young minority students in their efforts to pursue careers in the field of ophthalmology; the NMA Ophthalmology Section's Rabb Venable Excellence In Research Pathways to Success Program, and the AAO/AUPO's Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program. In this episode, we’ll hear from the proverbial fruits of their labor; three, newly minted physicians who participated in these programs, Drs. Tiffani Spaulding, Diego Dominguez, and Alissa Belzie. We’ll hear about the impact these programs have have had on them, and how their experiences have shaped the trajectory of their careers and influenced their plans for the future. These three young physicians embody the goals of each pathway program and why the need to increase diversity in ophthalmology is so important.

Send us a text In the last episode, we began conversations with Drs. Dolly Ann Padovani Claudio, O’Rese Knight, and Lisa Kelly about the work they’re doing as the directors of the Rabb Venable excellence in research program’s Pathways to Success Program and the AUPO/AAO Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program. In this episode, we continue our conversations about these program’s efforts, including more on the DEI backlash and how to address the the social and legal climate that threatens to undermine the gains that have been made to improve diversity in the field of ophthalmology. At the end of our conversations, I ask my guests what they see as the way forward and the future plans for they have for their programs to continue the good hard work of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of ophthalmology.

Send us a text The recruitment and mentoring of URiM medical students to ophthalmology is paramount for addressing the dearth of URiM specialists in our field and the impact that it’s had on health care disparities from lack of access and representation for decades. Today we being a series of episodes addressing this subject matter again in light of the now apparently gale force winds that the backlash against DEI has become. For this series I have brought back Drs. Dolly Ann Padovani-Claudio and O’Rese Knight to give us an update on the Pathways to success program. I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Lisa Kelly, who is the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program which is a partnership between the AAO and AUPO developed to increase diversity in ophthalmology by helping URiM students become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants.These individuals are on the forefront of the efforts being made to diversify ophthalmology. I think that they paint an accurate picture of the current landscape of DEI in ophthalmology and the attitude and approach to take as we face the challenges and ideologies being mounted and employed against its implementation. Their dedication and resolve is inspiring and I believe that from our conversations you’ll get a sense of is needed to secure the best for patient care and our specialty moving forward. Dolly Ann Padovani Claudio, MD, PhD O'Rese Knight, MD Lisa Kelly, MD, MS Rabb Venable Program Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program

Send us a text Dr. Kristen Nwanyanwu is a retina specialist and an associate professor of ophthalmology at Yale University and is at the forefront of health disparity research in ophthalmology. She is also an entrepreneur and is the founder of Eyeful, an ophthalmology related business she founded, and leads as the CEO. During the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco last November, she hosted an Eyeful sponsored event called Ophthalmology Famous. I was fortunate to attend this event in person and was so impressed by the content and passion of the speakers, that this podcast episode is a re-broadcast of that event to bring it to a wider audience. What is Ophthalmology Famous? Tune in to find out! Dr. Kristen Nwaynanwu Eyeful Stuart Abelson Dr. Audina "Nina" Berrocal Bindu Mane Dr. Basil Williams

Send us a text This episode of SFSE is the last in our series of rebroadcasted episodes on the history of AA in medicine and ophthalmology for Black history month and features my conversation with ophthalmologist, Dr. Clifton Peay. Dr Peay is an ophthalmologist practicing in Richmond Virginia specializing in glaucoma, refractive, cataract, laser, and anterior segment surgery. He has served on the Board of the National Medical Association’s ophthalmology section and as the Chair of the Roman Barnes Society of Ophthalmology and has a wealth of knowledge regarding the history of AA in ophthalmology. We learn this history as he shares his story and experiences with us.

Send us a text As we continue through black history month we are continuing our rebroadcast of the series of episodes addressing the history of the AA experience in medicine and ophthalmology that was first published last year. This first episode is of my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson, a Neuro-ophthalmologist and the author of the book Breaking the Color Line in Medicine, African Americans in Ophthalmology. Breaking the Color Line in Medicine, African Americans in Ophthalmology

Send us a text As we enter black history month we’ll be revisiting the series of podcasts addressing the history of AA in ophthalmology first published last year. We begin with the history of slavery and Jim Crow segregation in this country as they form the contextual foundation for the current state of medicine with its disparities in healthcare outcomes and lack of diversity, which extend into the field of ophthalmology. Included in this episode is additional, unpublished audio from my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson in which he explains the origins of our current healthcare system which is in part rooted in discriminatory practices in medicine. While there has been some improvement over the years, much work still remains to be done.

Send us a text The national medical association or NMA is a professional and scientific organization and the largest and oldest national organization representing the interests of African American physicians and their patients in the United States. The NMA Ophthalmology Section has a long and storied history and to learn more about the current organization, I spoke with Drs. Fasika Woreta and Basil Williams, the immediate and future chairs of the section. They are passionate about and focused on moving the NMA OS forward in its mission despite some of the challenges and headwinds faced from the current social and political climates present in our country with respect to DEI. You don’t want to miss this insightful conversation. The National Medical Association The NMA Ophthalmology Section NMA OS Leadership NMA Annual Meeting

Send us a text In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, addressing the importance of creating spaces where diversity can thrive, the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action and how it affects AAO, and what the academy is doing to support the cognitive specialties of ophthalmology, including my field of Neuro-ophthalmology.

Send us a text Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to bring important and hopefully thought provoking conversations through the sight for site eyes podcast highlighting the world of DEI in ophthalmology. I’ve also been able to highlight the unique field of Neuro-ophthalmology through the out of the Blindspot podcast. I’m particularly excited for the conversation that will be featured in the next couple of episodes in the first of its kind cross over event for the two podcasts I produce. That’s because I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the chief executive officer of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. McLeod is an extremely accomplished leader of leaders who brings an inspiring perspective from his many years of leadership service at all levels of academia and within the American academy of Ophthalmology. We spoke about his paths to ophthalmology and leadership, and his leadership philosophy and style. We also spoke about what the CEO of the academy does and what DEI means to him and its importance to the academy and its mission. Finally I had the opportunity to ask him what the academy is doing to support my field of neuro-ophthalmology and the other cognitive specialties of ophthalmology that are at risk of becoming severely undermanned if actions are not taken to address their pipeline and retention issues. Dr. Stephen McLeod AAO Staff Leadership

Send us a text In the last episode we began a conversation with Drs. Janice Law, Jacquelyn O’Banion, and Ninita Brown about the work they are doing building bridges for HBCU medical students to gain experience in the field of ophthalmology. In this episode, we continue our conversation and learn more about how their unique backgrounds and experiences have shaped their perceptions of the Inclusion, Equity and Diversity space and how they see their programs evolving moving forward. Dr. Janice Law Dr. Ninita Brown Dr. Jacquelyn O'Banion --> Global Ophthalmology Summit 2024 Meharry Medical College Morehouse School of Medicine AAO Young Ophthalmologists

Send us a text Historically black colleges and universities or HBCUs were born out of America’s history of systemic racism and segregation with the the law of separate but equal instituted at the turn of the 20th century. These institutions have played integral roles in the development and support of black professionals including physicians. Because HBCUs have and continue to produce more URiM physicians than all majority institutions combined, they can potentially play a pivotal role in addressing the pipeline shortage of underrepresented ophthalmologists entering our field. To take a closer look at how we can build bridges for HBCUs into ophthalmology, I spoke with Drs. Janice Law, Jacquelyn O’Banion, and Ninita Brown who have been instrumental in forging relationships between Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt in Nashville TN and between Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. From our conversation we'll see how, through these relationships, HBCU medical students at Meharry and Morehouse are gaining the clinical and research experiences so vitally important to those applying for residency in ophthalmology. Dr. Janice Law Dr. Ninita Brown Dr. Jacquelyn O'Banion --> Global Ophthalmology Summit 2024 Meharry Medical College Morehouse School of Medicine AAO Young Ophthalmologists

Send us a text In the last episode, we heard a cautionary tale from Dr. Vandana Reddy about a DEI related conflict within her organization that significantly impacted her professional life. We also learned from Dr. Lynn Gordon that these situations are not uncommon and that we need to be ready to address potential DEI-related conflict in our organizations and professional lives. In the next part of our conversation in we learn about the origins of Dr. Reddy’s interest in DEI, the lessons she’s learned from her cautionary tale, and what she proposes as potential solutions to prevent similar situations moving forward. We’ll also hear Dr. Gordon’s final thoughts about how to address DEI related conflicts when they arise in our organizations and professional lives.