On September 11, 2021, SEE hosted our first Level 1 Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) course at Stanford University!
As one of the many universities that SEE partners with, Stanford University has a Global Ophthalmology Fellowship Program that encourages humanitarian ophthalmic work in the developing world. Currently, there at 7 institutions in the U.S. that offer Global Ophthalmology Fellowship programs like Stanford’s. Because these kinds of programs align so well with the humanitarian work we do at SEE, we have already partnered with 5 of these 7 institutions, and are working to expand these relationships even further in the future.
During this MSICS course, 12 Stanford residents were trained by esteemed faculty members Dr. Geoff Tabin, Dr. Jeff Levenson, Dr. Artis Montague, Dr. Abha Kumar, and Dr. Ann Caroline Fisher. These faculty members have an extensive background in humanitarian work, and shared their passion for providing eyecare in humanitarian settings with the participants throughout the day. SEE’s volunteer Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeffrey Levenson, expressed why it is so fulfilling to apply his MSICS skills to restore sight in communities that need it most:
“There is no purer expression of your best self than restoring sight to the blind,” he said, “It’s like a cure for burnout. You go overseas, and you come back so grateful for being an ophthalmologist, for privileges and gifts that we have here, and are ready to tackle the world all over again.”
Dr. Jeffrey Levenson, SEE’s Chief Medical Officer
While addressing the residents, some of the other faculty members offered career advice, and noted how impactful it is for young ophthalmologists to be learning MSICS early in their careers:
“I think learning now is fantastic,” said Dr. Montague, “If you do get burnt out, it will provide that opportunity to go on and experience [the fulfillment of humanitarian work].”
We’re proud to have collaborated with such a dedicated and knowledgeable faculty to educate the next generation of ophthalmologists in this essential surgical technique!
