50 Years | 50 States | 50 Perspectives
50 Years | 50 States | 50 Perspectives
In honor of the 50th anniversary of ASCRS, member ophthalmologists from the 50 states are sending in their perspectives on the Society, its impact on their career and its influence on the specialty as a whole.
Stay tuned each week from April 2024 through April 2025 for a new perspective.
Bradley Sifrig, MD | North Carolina
Dr. Sifrig gives ASCRS a happy anniversary shout out and describes his first interaction with the Society.
Mark Goerlitz-Jessen, MD| Montana
Dr. Goerlitz-Jessen joined ASCRS as a resident in 2017. Since then he has “enjoyed the mentorship, the teaching, and all the resources” of ASCRS.
Ashley Pickering, MD | Mississippi
Dr. Pickering talks about what she gets out of the ASCRS Annual Meeting, from making connections to learning about the latest technologies and medications that she might want to bring back to her practice.
Nadini Venkateswaran, MD | Massachusetts
Dr. Venkateswaran hasn’t missed an ASCRS Annual Meeting since her first year of residency. She shares why she loves being a member in this video.
Mark Hollingshead, MD | Idaho
Neel Desai, MD | Florida
Dr. Desai, in a video he filmed prior to the 2024 Annual Meeting in Boston, talks about ASCRS’ legacy and what he appreciates about the Society.
Neda Nikpoor, MD | Hawaii
Dr. Nikpoor shares why she thinks the ASCRS Annual Meeting is a “can’t miss” meeting.
John Hovanesian, MD | California
Dr. Hovanesian describes what he has gained from ASCRS membership and shares how the Society even influenced, in part, where he chose to live.
Caroline Watson, MD | Alabama
Dr. Watson shares how ASCRS impacted her career in many ways. “Cheers to 50 years!”
Ghassan Ghorayeb, MD | West Virginia
Dr. Ghorayeb, a vitreoretinal surgeon, shares what he appreciates about ASCRS and why he joined.
Audrey Rostov, MD | Washington
Dr. Rostov talks about the “vibe” of ASCRS, both of the Society as a whole and its Annual Meeting.
Elizabeth Yeu, MD | Virginia
Dr. Yeu, a past president of ASCRS, thanks ASCRS for what she’s learned from the Society during her years of membership.
Austin Nakatsuka, MD | Utah
Dr. Nakatsuka might be living and practicing in Utah, but he filmed his ’50 Years’ video in his home state of Hawaii. What does he love about the ASCRS Annual Meeting? Talking about ophthalmology and meeting with his friends!
Bennett Walton, MD | Texas
Dr. Walton joined ASCRS when he learned that “it wasn’t just like every other large medical society.”
Sumitra Khandelwal, MD | Texas
Dr. Khandelwal remembers her first ASCRS Annual Meeting and makes a recommendation to young eye surgeons.
James Loden, MD | Tennessee
“ASCRS has been so important to me and my practice over the years.” Find out why from Dr. Loden.
John Berdahl, MD | South Dakota
19-year member, Dr. Berdahl, shares his most memorable moment from one of the Annual Meetings and beyond.
Vance Thompson, MD | South Dakota
“Wow, where do I start?” Dr. Thompson, serving as 2024-25 ASCRS President, shares how ASCRS impacted his career and some of his most memorable moments.
Michael DeCourcey, MD | South Carolina
Dr. DeCourcey speaks about the value of ASCRS as an early career ophthalmologist. “The young eye surgeon’s program offers so much to up-and-coming ophthalmologists,” he says.
John DeStafano, MD | Pennsylvania
Dr. DeStafano answers why be a member of ASCRS. “Why not? Where would we be without ASCRS?”
Steven R. Sarkisian Jr., MD | Oklahoma
Dr. Sarkisian congratulates ASCRS on its 50th anniversary, saying he can’t imagine his life without the Society and encouraging members to research and appreciate the rich history of ASCRS.
Luke Rebenitsch, MD | Oklahoma
Dr. Rebenitsch, a member for 10 years, calls ASCRS the “one stop shop” for cataract and refractive surgery, for meeting mentors and friends, and professional education.
William Wiley, MD | Ohio
Dr. Wiley gives ASCRS a “shout out” and pumps up the reasons to attend the ASCRS Annual Meeting!
Himani Goyal, MD | New York
Dr. Goyal describes how ASCRS impacted her over the course of her career. Happy 50th anniversary ASCRS!
Eva Liang, MD | Nevada
Dr. Liang shares how she’s learned “so many new things” from every ASCRS Annual Meeting that she’s been to in the past 20+ years. Watch her 50 years | 50 states video!
Lori Provencher, MD | Nebraska
Dr. Provencher shares why she joined ASCRS and thanks the Society for its support of young surgeons around the country.
John Doane, MD | Missouri
Dr. Doane has been a member since his second year of residency. He talks about his involvement in the Society, its impact on his career, and his memorable moments.
Christine Larsen, MD | Minnesota
Dr. Larsen appreciates being “surrounded by inspiring role models” through her membership with the Society and wishes ASCRS a happy 50th anniversary.
Deb Ristvedt, DO | Minnesota
Dr. Ristvedt is a third-generation ASCRS member! She describes how ASCRS has influenced her glaucoma practice and thanks the Society for “always being on the cutting edge of new technology.”
Roman Krivochenitser, MD | Michigan
Dr. Krivochenitser said an ASCRS event was his first introduction to anterior segment surgery and influenced his decision to specialize in this area of ophthalmology.
Gary Wortz, MD | Kentucky
Dr. Wortz says that ASCRS has allowed him to connect with ophthalmologists around the world and offers great resources.
Francis Price, MD | Indiana
Dr. Price discusses why he initially joined ASCRS 50 years ago and his most memorable event with the Society.
Jonathan Rubenstein, MD | Illinois
Dr. Rubenstein has been a member for 37 years. Find out how many Annual Meetings he has attended!
Thomas Oetting, MD | Iowa
Dr. Oetting thanks ASCRS and talks about what he’s learned from the Society over his years as a member.
Caroline Wilson, MD | Iowa
Dr. Wilson shares what attracted her to ASCRS membership and wishes ASCRS a happy 50th anniversary!
Blake Williamson, MD | Louisiana
Dr. Williamson wishes ASCRS a happy anniversary and shares one of his favorite ASCRS memories.
Sayena Jabbehdari, MD | Arkansas
Dr. Jabbehdari speaks about the benefits ASCRS membership provides trainees.
Grace Shih, MD | Alaska
Dr. Shih speaks about the continuing education and connection that ASCRS membership enables.
Andrew Kao, MD | California
Dr. Kao, the 2024 ASCRS Foundation Volunteer of the Year, shares the significant impact that ASCRS has had on his career.
Michael Greenwood, MD | North Dakota
Dr. Greenwood talks about why he joined ASCRS and his favorite part about being a member.