Alice T. Epitropoulos
The Power List 2021 – Power List
Co-Founder, The Eye Center of Columbus, Partner, Ophthalmic Surgeons & Consultants of Ohio; Clinical Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Why is it important to celebrate women with this list?
We should be proud of how far women have come in medicine. Women have made significant advances in the field of ophthalmology and have gained more opportunities to serve as thought leaders, speak from the podium, and become involved in clinical research. We are also seeing more women assume leadership positions within national organizations. Female physicians and surgeons are genuinely more respected today compared to previous generations. The outlook for the future of women in ophthalmology is even more encouraging because both medical schools and ophthalmology residency programs now have higher numbers of women than men. The notable accomplishments of several female ophthalmologists have, in turn, created opportunities and served as inspiration for other women in our field. We should continue to pave the way by strengthening the role of women as leaders in our field, mentoring young ophthalmologists to lead by example and most importantly always do the right thing.
What is your proudest professional achievement?
In addition to being chosen as one of the top 100 women in Ophthalmology, a pivotal moment of my career was being a co-founder of what is now one of the largest dedicated Eye Centers in the country: an innovative affiliation of more than 90 ophthalmologists across all sub-specialties with state-of-the art facilities located in Downtown Columbus. Being able to be a part of helping a person regain their vision is certainly a unique gift of being an ophthalmologist.
Outside of work, what makes you happy?
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important in helping to counterbalance the day-to-day responsibilities of being a surgeon. I spend the majority of my free time with my family and feel privileged to be able to babysit my two grandchildren every Monday. Our favorite thing to do as a family is travel which not only provides stress release, but also provides an opportunity to create life-long memories. Exercise is important in reducing stress in my life. My favorite ways to stay in shape and recharging is doing Pilates and hiking.
