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Young ophthalmologists explore new professional, personal avenues in U.S.
Claes Dohlman, MD, PhD, has been an influential mentor to international physicians practicing in Boston.
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Ambitious young ophthalmologists often supplement their training with a fellowship at another center of excellence, often abroad, before commencing their independent practice at home. Aside from the clear professional benefits, the time in another country can be enriching in other ways. Alja Crnej and Andrea Cruzat share their personal experiences of moving from opposite ends of the globe to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, U.S.A.
Anthony Khawaja, MB BS, MA(Cantab), MPhil, FRCOphth
Chair of the SOE Young Ophthalmologists committee
A couple of years ago, after flying more than 6,000 km, we landed in Boston, one from Ljubljana, Slovenia, the other from Santiago, Chile, searching for something new. We had each worked in established clinics before, and our decisions to move from a safe environment to the unknown were a surprise to the people around us. Mentors from previous years were excellent and taught us that you have to get out into the world for a while to broaden your views and to see things from different perspectives — and that an essential part of life is to always set new goals, meet new people, learn from them and manage hurdles.
It is not easy to move from one continent to another on your own, with only two suitcases of clothes and a laptop. Looking for a new flat, opening a new bank account, getting a new telephone and Social Security number, without which you are a non-existing alien in the U.S. Even shopping in the grocery store is a challenge with packages of entirely different food and no friends near to ask.
Image: Crnej A, Cruzat A
We first met in the clinic of Claes Dohlman, MD, PhD, at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Dohlman is the godfather of the cornea: He started the first cornea service in the world and developed the most used artificial cornea, the Boston keratoprosthesis (B-KPro). A fascinating international group of doctors and researchers from Greece, Spain, Brazil, U.S., Germany, Canada, Japan and India, among others, work with him. He is turning 92 this year and drives for 35 minutes to get to work from Monday to Saturday. He still sees patients and devotes his life to science and training young ophthalmologists. Andrea once met him in the elevator at 9:30 a.m., and he said: “I overslept! I’m late!” When you meet this humble man in a corridor, he will come to you, ask your name and where you are from, and then say: “Hi, I’m Claes Dohlman.”
Dr. Dohlman changed our view of ophthalmology and life. He gave us one of the greatest gifts of our careers — the opportunity to train with him and learn from him. He is a great mentor, and we have never known anyone with the same level of dedication to patients who had no other hope. We feel truly lucky that he has been a part of our lives.
Our work at Massachusetts Eye and Ear includes basic and clinical research on the Boston KPro. We are currently working on projects such as implanting ultra-small micro-KPro in mice, used as a model to study outcomes, complications and new therapies, and searching for alternative tissues to be used as carriers of the Boston KPro, such as xenografts or artificial constructs. We also work in clinics with patients and perform clinical trials in KPro patients to study new designs of the device, complications and treatments. But our work sometimes goes beyond Boston; we are taking part in an international Boston KPro project, helping to write guidelines for KPro use and traveling with Roberto Pineda II, MD, or James Chodosh, MD, to Ethiopia and other developing countries to perform and teach the Boston KPro implantation technique. This project could have far-reaching impact for cornea-blind people in third-world countries, many of whom reside in poverty.
We are happy to currently live in Boston, which is a rather small but fun city. Sport is a big part of life there. Everyone runs, cycles, sails or at least watches the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots or Celtics. Running on the bank of the Charles River gives you stunning views of the city with a river full of sailing boats with colorful sails. The well-known Freedom Trail takes you through the city, showing you its European soul, from a beautiful park, Boston Common, to the top of Beacon Hill with the gold dome of the statehouse, and then further down toward the harbor with striking sea views and delicious lobster rolls.
We each plan to go back home one day, back to the opposite sides of the world, but we will take back with us this strong bond of friendship and experiences that will be the lasting memory of our Boston days.
- For more information:
- Alja Crnej, MD, is a research fellow and Andrea Cruzat, MD, is an instructor of ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, U.S.A. They can be reached by email at alja.crnej@gmail.com or andreacruzat@gmail.com.
- SOE Young Ophthalmologists website: http://soevision.org/yo
Disclosure: No products or companies that would require financial disclosure are mentioned in this article.