Nicole R. Fram

About Nicole R. Fram

Managing Partner at the Advanced Vision Care, USA, and Clinical Instructor at the Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Fortunately, I have many moments where I felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude and pride in my professional career. The first was during my residency training when I was selected as a co-chief resident at the prestigious Wills Eye Hospital. I then went on to complete a cornea/external disease and refractive fellowship at The Francis I Proctor Foundation, UCSF and was trained by an incredible faculty. Next, I joined Samuel Masket in private practice, who has been my greatest mentor. With his guidance and apprenticeship, I learned to take on the most complex anterior segment cases, lecture nationally and internationally, and contribute to the ophthalmic literature through clinical research. Most recently, I have been honored to serve as the section editor of JCRS (Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery) Consultation Section and Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Cataract Subcommittee. Lastly, we recently started a non-profit organization called The Masket Foundation to treat the underserved or underinsured, train the next generation physician and support clinical research. We believe everyone has the right to good sight and are trying to fill the gap in surgical eye care in Los Angeles County.

Outside of ophthalmology, what makes you happy?

Spending time with family and friends are my greatest joys. I am blessed to have an incredibly supportive husband and we are thoroughly enjoying raising our 8-year-old son, Zach. We spend most of our time listening to music, dancing, and waiting for Sunday Movie Night.

What can be done to make the field more diverse? 

Mentors are everything in any field. One of my greatest joys is teaching and lecturing on surgical technique. Every time women are represented on the podium, we are showing another colleague that they can do the same! We pay it forward though education and representation. Most committees I am a part of in AAO and ASCRS are committed to keeping diversity top of mind. Mentorship and honest conversations are key to this continued success.

Why is it important to celebrate women in the field this way?

During my training in medical school, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, however, there were very few women in the surgical fields at the time. I was fortunate to do an ophthalmology rotation at Wills Eye Hospital where the heads of departments were women at the top of our field. I felt all inspired by this experience. I subsequently changed my career path to ophthalmology based on these incredible women who paved the way. They had families, chaired departments, and inspired the next generation. This constant juggle should always be celebrated!