Every year, I eagerly anticipate attending AAO’s Global Ophthalmology Summit. What began as an initial gathering of around 200 people in Park City, Utah in 2022 has evolved into a vibrant international community—most recently held at the 4th Global Ophthalmology Summit in Chicago. The global ophthalmology summit has always been a place of inspiration, fresh ideas, and a community that I proudly call “my people.”
This year’s summit offered a buffet of global ophthalmology talks. I had the opportunity to learn from leaders around the world, learning about health disparities worldwide, different systems in place, and the latest innovations in targeting these disparities. I practiced manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICs), learned to use the Oertli machine, as well as the HelpMeSee simulator.
This year, I attended the conference with my dear friend and mentor Dr. Grace Prakalapakorn who proudly represented Duke at the Global Consortium. One of the most rewarding aspects of these meetings is connecting with individuals like Dr. Prakalapakorn, who has quietly but so profoundly made an impact on global ophthalmology through her work with ORBIS and her research collaborations with the NIH and CDC.
As a global fellow, I had the chance to attend the fellows’ summit, where I got to meet current and previous fellows from other global ophthalmology programs. We talked about what we were most excited about—making impact, going on adventures, making friends, and learning new skill. We also talked about our fears for the year—cultural barriers, being away from loved ones, identity crises, and travelers’ diarrhea. Most importantly, we had fun biking around the city, sharing late night stories, dancing, and laughing.
Experiences like these remind me why I chose global ophthalmology—to be part of a passionate, purpose-driven community that is not only changing lives around the world, but also having some fun and finding meaning in doing so.
