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New ASCRS president stresses key values instilled by mentors
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CHICAGO – In addition to focusing on education and advocacy initiatives, the incoming president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery hopes that the ASCRS physician leadership and his other colleagues will persist in efforts to help each other, to offer charity and to maintain integrity in the face of financial incentives.
David F. Chang, MD, OSN Cataract Surgery Board Member, emphasized three long-standing values of the ophthalmology profession.
“I know of no other profession where so many of its members regularly volunteer so much of their time to teach others,” Dr. Chang said, noting efforts made by outgoing ASCRS President, Edward J. Holland, OSN Cornea/External Disease Board Member, to promote resident education.
ASCRS has also partnered with Massachusetts Eye and Ear to launch Cataract Master, the first computer-based simulation program designed to teach cognitive aspects of phacoemulsification cataract surgery.
“Using novel approaches such as this, I believe that ASCRS means to innovate and expand fundamental training support for phaco, not only for our resident members but for the thousands of new international cataract surgeons that must be trained to meet the exploding demand of our aging population worldwide,” Dr. Chang said.
Regarding charity, ASCRS is working on The Global Sight Alliance, a web portal designed to centralize education and communication in the fight against cataract blindness. Regarding professional ethics, Dr. Chang stressed that surgeons must maintain an unbiased approach when advocating femtosecond laser surgery.
“While we pioneer, evaluate, debate and deploy femtosecond laser technology, it is essential that we maintain the highest integrity and respect for both our patients and for our colleagues with differing practices and viewpoints,” Dr. Chang said.
- Disclosure: No companies or products are mentioned that would require disclosure.