HOVC is an entirely medical student-led initiative to increase exposure to the field of ophthalmology among medical students nationwide. The curriculum consists of a monthly series of invited speakers who present a virtual talk about their pathway into the field, their subspecialty of choice, and their academic or professional interests to a live audience of medical students gathered from across the United States and abroad.
The curriculum was created to address the paucity of exposure to ophthalmology in pre-clinical medical education and to make opportunities for exploration available to all students, regardless of their home institution. In the two years since its inception, HOVC has held 14 talks and reached a cumulative audience of over 1,200 medical students. We would be honored to have you in attendance at our next session!
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2023-2024 Curriculum
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Dr. Divya Srikumaran is a cornea and cataract specialist, former residency program director, and current vice chair of education at the Wilmer Eye Institute. In this talk, Dr. Srikumaran first describes her pathway to ophthalmology and her chosen specialty. She then provides an educational overview of the anterior segment and the frequent types of surgery performed. Dr. Srikumaran finishes with an in-depth description of the process of applying to ophthalmology residencies, along with advice for future applicants.
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Dr. Lucy H. Young is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and the Director of the Lancaster Course in Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye. and Ear/Harvard Medical School. In her talk, Dr. Young takes us through her personal and academic journey towards a career in retinal surgery and research. She covers many of the fascinating diseases and pathologies treated by retinal specialists and provides a series of cases to illustrate the details of her day-to-day practice.
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Dr. César Briceño is an oculoplastic surgeon and an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Penn Medicine’s Sheie Eye Institute. In this session, Dr. Briceño provides an introduction to the field of oculoplastic surgery, discussing key anatomy and common presentations for potential surgical intervention such as ectropion, entropion, ptosis, and basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid.
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Dr. Amanda D. Henderson is an Associate Professor in Ophthalmology and Neurology and the Chief of the Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In her talk, Dr. Henderson discusses her journey into neuro-ophthalmology and demonstrates the wonderful variety of the field with a ‘week-in-the-life’ view into her current practice. She weaves together teaching on pathology, treatment, and cutting-edge research for an outstanding view of this unique subspecialty.
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Dr. Thomas V. Johnson is a clinician scientist, glaucoma specialist, and professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. In his talk, he gives a detailed introduction to the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of glaucoma. He shares his perspectives on new directions in glaucoma research and provides advice for medical students interested in exploring ophthalmology.
Citations from Dr. Johnson’s presentation are available here.
2022-2023 Curriculum
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As residency program director for the Wilmer Eye Institute, Dr. Woreta reprises her outstanding talk from the 2021-2022 season of HOVC and highlights her career in medical education, gives us a whirlwind overview of diverse and exciting surgical cases, and shares valuable advice on the process of applying into ophthalmology residencies.
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Dr. Thomas V. Johnson is a clinician scientist, glaucoma specialist, and professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. In his talk, he recounts his journey into medicine, gives an overview of the glaucoma subspecialty, and provides us an in-depth look into his fascinating research and career as a physician scientist. Lastly, he shares the journey of starting a community vision screening program as a medical student and provides advice about finding opportunities for community outreach.
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Dr. Chris R. Alabiad is the residency program director and an oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. In his presentation, Dr. Alabiad provides a phenomenal review of all things oculoplastics, complete with clinical images and surgical cases. He discusses his own decision to pursue oculoplastics and shares his perspectives on the future of the field.
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Dr. Julia A. Haller is the Ophthalmologist-in-Chief of Wills Eye Hospital and professor and chair of ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals. In her session, Dr. Haller takes us on a tour of retina, innovation in surgery and therapeutics, and her research efforts, most recently in health care disparities.
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Dr. Julius Oatts is an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and the associate program director of the ophthalmology residency. In this talk, Dr. Oatts shares the many perspectives he brings to his field of pediatric ophthalmology, from his earliest steps into the specialty to his current role in residency leadership and medical student mentorship. He delves into the fascinating variety of pediatric ophthalmology with a series of day-in-the-life cases and gives us an important overview of his career’s intersections with global health and social justice.
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An additional unrecorded session was given by Dr. Aakriti Garg Shukla (Columbia).
2021-2022 Curriculum
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As residency program director for the Wilmer Eye Institute, Dr. Woreta speaks about the field of ophthalmology as a whole, overviews her path into the field and the cornea subspecialty, and shares some exciting videos and images of fascinating surgical cases. She also discusses her experience in medical education and provides insights into the residency application process.
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Dr. David Friedman, professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and director of the glaucoma service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, describes the journey of choosing a career in glaucoma and his interests in global health. He discusses the many possible career paths of an ophthalmologist and his own role as an academic physician engaging with the problem of blindness worldwide.
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Dr. James Handa, chief of the retina division at the Wilmer Eye Institute, provides his perspective on choosing a career in ophthalmology and the retina subspecialty. He describes the pathway of becoming a physician-scientist, the importance of finding balance in a career, and a few of the many exciting advances and uncharted horizons of retinal research.
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Additional unrecorded sessions were given by Dr. Michael Chiang (NEI) and by Dr. Tamara Fountain (Rush, private practice).
Student Leadership
Nathan Pan-Doh
Class of 2024
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Christina Ambrosino
Class of 2024
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nic Heckenlaible
Class of 2024
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Khala Webb
Class of 2025
Baltimore, Maryland
Alison Gibbons
Class of 2025
Baltimore, Maryland
