We’re all aware of some of the big-name ophthalmology institutions currently operating around the world – Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Wills Eye Hospital in the US, Moorfields Eye Hospital in the UK, Kyoto University Hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology in Japan, and The Singapore National Eye Centre.
There are also plenty of up-and-coming institutions and departments currently making waves in the ophthalmic industry. We highlighted a number of these locations in our Global Impact Features of 2023 and 2024, which featured a host of institutions in countries such as Mexico, Ethiopia, and Syria, all working on innovative ophthalmology-based projects centered around their communities.
But given the sheer variety of these localized projects and ambitions, it can be hard to zero in on what exactly all of these successful institutions have in common – apart from their focus on quality eye care, of course.
Speaking recently with Keith Carter, Head of the University of Iowa Health Care’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (another prestigious institution, whose ophthalmology department is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary), he hinted at one of the keys to institutional success.
When asked about accomplishments he was most proud of, Carter was quick to shift the focus away from his own achievements. In his view, Carter’s position has been an intermediary one, a middleman tasked with recruiting the most talented candidates he can find. “A person in my position is charged with recruiting talented people,” Carter said, “and then providing the appropriate resources so that they can develop their vision that in turn moves the profession forward.”
As a prime example of this, Carter pointed to neuroscientist and ophthalmologist, Michael Abràmoff. A long-term faculty member at Iowa, Abràmoff is well known for his pioneering work in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular for developing IDx-DR, the first autonomous AI system approved by the FDA to detect diabetic retinopathy.
Abràmoff is a great example of a talented individual who helps to spotlight an establishment that has supported him throughout his research and career. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, something that feeds back into both the institution (more funding and global notice) and the individual (higher career prospects, increased research opportunities etc.).
And perhaps this is something that other institutions not quite as successful as the likes of Iowa should take note of: Invest in the right people and create a prosperous dynamic that can continue to charge ophthalmology forward into the future, and you will no doubt reap the benefits in the long term.
