Providing a world-class education for the future leaders of Ophthalmology is one of our department’s top priorities, and our mentoring program is a critical part of this mission. Many of you may know that we offer an array of clinical, research, and teaching opportunities to nurture and challenge trainees at every level. But our commitment to education extends beyond the formal training years. This is why my colleagues and I implemented a mentoring program that provides our faculty with life-long opportunities for career advancement and professional development.

Mentors help catalyze the intellectual, professional, and interpersonal development of our faculty, which benefits our institution as a whole. By sharing their unique experiences, mentors help guide faculty through many career “firsts” – a new faculty position, a successful grant application, or a difficult clinical case – and also help them achieve work-life balance as their careers grow.

To match faculty members with mentors, Anne Levy, PhD, of the Ophthalmic Education Office, schedules meetings for each HMS Ophthalmology faculty member. The goal of these meetings is to explain the promotions process, describe our mentoring initiatives, identify current mentors, and report back to the mentoring oversight board. This board then reviews the list of available mentors and assigns one on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, David Hunter, MD, PhD, HMS Ophthalmology Vice Chair for Promotions and Reappointments, and Patricia D’Amore, PhD, MBA, HMS Ophthalmology Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research are working to create more connections with Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital to make better use of their extensive mentoring resources. Not only does this shared mentoring program provide more opportunity for individual faculty and trainees, but it also strengthens our entire department.

I greatly appreciate all of you who generously donate your time and energy to guide trainees and junior colleagues. Especially, I want to thank three of my own mentors –my colleague, Evangelos Gragoudas, MD; Ephraim Friedman, MD, (who passed away in 2011); and the late Simmons Lessell, MD. They inspired me to always reach higher, and for that, I am forever grateful. Though Dr. Lessell passed away in early May, it brings me comfort to know that by continuing our important work in clinical care, research, and education, we are honoring him and his life’s work.

Joan W. Miller, MD, FARVO
Chief and Chair