Thirty-two Harvard Ophthalmology/Mass. Eye and Ear clinical trainees graduated on June 21. The ceremony, held at Mass. Eye and Ear, celebrated eight Harvard Ophthalmology residents, the AY 2017-2018 chief resident, and two optometry residents, as well as 21 clinical fellows from Mass. Eye and Ear, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Boston Children’s Hospital.
“Graduation is one of our department's most treasured occasions,” noted Harvard Ophthalmology Chair Joan W. Miller, MD. “Our graduates excel in our three mission areas of clinical care, research, and teaching. And I know their accomplishments to date will serve them in the future, as they use their knowledge and talents to make a real difference in the world."
Many Residents Will Pursue Subspecialty Training
“We are incredibly proud of this year's graduating residents,” said Carolyn Kloek, MD, Director of Harvard Ophthalmology Residency Training Program. “They are an impressive group of trainees, who are moving on to top-ranking fellowship training programs across the country,” she said. This year, seven out of eight graduating residents and our Chief Resident will pursue subspecialty training. Elizabeth Rossin, MD, PhD will serve as the 2018-2019 Chief Resident and Director of the Ocular Trauma Service at Mass. Eye and Ear.
Jonathan Chou, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at Stanford University
Isaiah Giese: Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at CPMC/University of California, San Francisco
Natalie Homer, MD: Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Texas Oculoplastic Consultants in Austin
Benjamin Jastrzembski, MD: Pediatric Ophthalmology fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Michael Lin, MD: Glaucoma fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital
Cindy Ung, MD: Vitreoretinal fellowship at Mass. Eye and Ear
Jay Wang: Vitreoretinal fellowship at Mass. Eye and Ear
Tomasz Stryjewski, MD, MPP: Vitreoretinal fellowship at Mass. Eye and Ear
What’s Next for Clinical Fellow Graduates?
About half of our clinical fellows (10 of 21) will embark on new careers in academic departments, while nine will be joining private practices. Their locations range from the Philippines and Canada to Alaska and New York. Two graduates will pursue additional fellowship training.
Awards Recognize Dedication to Teaching and Service
Simmons Lessell Excellence in Education Award: Frederick Jakobiec, MD, DSc, Henry Willard Williams Professor of Ophthalmology, Emeritus and Professor of Pathology, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School
Clinical Teacher of the Year: Jane Schweitzer, MD, faculty
Surgical Teacher of the Year: Dean Cestari, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Ophthalmology Fellowship Training
Fellow of the Year Award: Dr. Rossin
Resident Appreciation Award: Dirceu Pereira, Emergency Department nurse at Mass. Eye and Ear
Service Recognition
During the ceremony, Louis Pasquale, MD was recognized for his outstanding contributions to educational programs. He began his Harvard career in 1992, directing the Glaucoma Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and later co-directing (with Cyndy Grosskreutz) the Mass Eye and Ear Glaucoma Service beginning in 1998. He continued as solo Service Director following Cyndy’s departure to Novartis in 2010. During his tenure at Harvard, Dr. Pasquale has cared for patients with the most complex glaucoma, and he studied gene-environment interactions in primary open-angle glaucoma and exfoliation syndrome.
Dr. Pasquale has accepted the position of Site chair of Ophthalmology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City and Vice Chair of Translational Ophthalmology Research in the Mt. Sinai Healthcare System.