For many of the ophthalmology residents graduating from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2024 marks the first in-person celebration for a major medical education milestone.
“These residents were graduating medical school at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they didn’t have a traditional commencement then,” says Monica Ertel, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and director of the department’s residency program. “We’re so honored to be able to celebrate their accomplishments and send them on to their next chapter.”
Becoming ophthalmology residents amid a rapidly evolving medical field makes for a group of adaptable physicians, Ertel continues. “This group is eager and excited to continue to grow and learn, and that will serve them well for the rest of their careers.”
Along with the six graduating residents from the Department of Ophthalmology, six fellows are also looking forward to their next venture.
Continuing the journey
All six residents matched into competitive fellowships across the country that will further their expertise in ophthalmology subspecialties, three of which are at CU.
Amy Huang, MD, will become an oculoplastic fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology. Julia Xia, MD, and Hannah Chen, MD, will also continue their ophthalmology training as fellows at CU – Xia as the inaugural uveitis fellow and Chen as a vitreoretinal fellow.
Itzam Marin, MD, and Nihaal Mehta, MD, will move onto vitreoretinal fellowships – Marin at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Mehta at the Emory School of Medicine.
Rachel Scott, MD, will further her training with a global ophthalmology fellowship at the Stanford School of Medicine.
Ophthalmology residents gathered for a graduation ceremony June 15 to celebrate completing the program. All six ophthalmology residents are set to move on to fellowships across the country.
“We are very proud of our graduating residents who are all pursuing subspecialty fellowship training in exceptional programs nationally,” says Naresh Mandava, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology.
“This class began their postgraduate careers in the heart of the COVID pandemic and demonstrated great resilience and fortitude as they distinguished themselves throughout their training,” Mandava says. “I am confident that they will find their training has been second to none, and they will continue to shine in their fellowships going forward.”
Ertel, who assumed the role of the residency program last summer, points to a stellar residency education as playing an important role in so many fellowship matches – especially amid challenging times in health care.
“Even as the world returned to mostly normal over the past couple of years, our residents still experienced unforeseen difficulties, like the RSV outbreaks and medication shortages. Seeing that has made this group motivated to have meaningful impact on the health care system,” she says. “These residents will be the changemakers in the field of ophthalmology.”
Fellows taking flight
In addition to the residents, the department also celebrates the graduation of six fellows.
Ophthalmology fellows celebrated completing their fellowship programs at the June 15 graduation ceremony. They will continue their careers in both academic and private practice settings.
Glaucoma fellow Heran Gebreyesus, MD, will become an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, while oculofacial plastic and orbital surgery fellow Caroline Vloka, MD, will remain with the CU Department of Ophthalmology and join the faculty as an assistant professor.
Pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus fellow Ryan Frisbie, MD, will move on to a glaucoma fellowship at Emory and neuro-ophthalmology fellow Zahir Sheikh, MD, will become the neuromuscular medicine fellow at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
Cornea, external diseases, and refractive surgery fellow Colton McCoy, MD, is joining the Sawyer Eye Center in Weatherford, Texas, and vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellow Saagar Patel, MD, is joining Austin Retina Associates in Austin.
“We were able to recruit some of the finest fellowship candidates nationally over the past few years,” says Mandava, who also serves as the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Chair in Retinal Diseases and executive director of the Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center. “We are grateful for their dedication to their training and the great care they provided to our patients in the process. We wish them all the very best in their next endeavors.”
