I have been fortunate to meet many amazing and influential ophthalmologists in my career thus far; however, it is one of my ophthalmology professors, Chi-Wah “Rudy” Yung, MD, at Indiana University, who I credit for beginning my interest in the field of ophthalmology and helping me achieve my dream. As a third-year medical student, I was still exploring which specialty to choose. While I was always secretly interested in ophthalmology, with its amazing and ever-changing technology and the ability to sit down while operating, I felt daunted by the competitiveness of getting a residency spot and by the inability to even know if I was skilled enough to use the 90.00 D lens or, even more, perform actual eye surgery!

In the end, I completed an ophthalmology rotation, mainly working with Dr. Yung. He spent extra time each day that month showing me how to use all of the equipment and helping me become involved in teaching projects in ophthalmology and research. With him, my conviction to become an eye surgeon became stronger as I witnessed the happiness of his patients after cataract surgery. I saw that there was a surgical field in medicine in which patients were actually excited for their upcoming surgery!

Throughout residency, Dr. Yung remained an essential part of my education and formation as an ophthalmologist. He was present in the resident clinic and during many surgery days. I give him credit for teaching me about surgery, the practice of ophthalmology, and the dedication to uphold his high standards in patient care and education.