Eyeworld

30 | EYEWORLD | FALL 2026 ASCRS NEWS the academic and private practice settings. I'm in an academic setting, but I find it sometimes difficult to guide our graduating residents and fellows on varying aspects of private practice because we don't have the ability to demon- strate that type of clinic flow or how private practices function." Dr. Verkade thinks trainees would benefit from having the chance to experience both set- tings while in training so that they can make a more educated decision when approaching their careers. She noted that she has many friends who are either in private practice or academic settings and said, "We constantly learn from each other with discussions about patient care, reimbursement, and workflows, and I think cer- tainly mentees would benefit from these types of discussions as well." Neel Pasricha, MD, thinks teaching and mentoring are paramount in training and the overall ophthalmology learning experience. "It's so important to have ongoing teaching and mentoring. It's not a phase, it's an ongoing process that never ends," he said. Dr. Pasricha described his own training experience and the ongoing mentorship he's had in ophthalmolo- gy—not just in surgical training, but in clini- cal care and research as well—noting that he was fortunate from the time he was a medi- cal student. He described his medical school experience at Duke University and working with Anthony Kuo, MD, who ran his own lab. "That showed me that you don't need a PhD to be heavily involved in the science side, to have a fully functioning lab, to be involved in research and making new, innovative discov- eries," Dr. Pasricha said. He added that he had amazing mentors at the University of California, San Francisco, where he currently works. He particularly noted Julie Schallhorn, MD, who he shares an OR day with, and the camaraderie of working parallel with each other in the OR. He also mentioned mentors when he was in fellowship, including Guillermo Amescua, MD, at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. "Seeing how he treats every patient as a gift and he feels so for- tunate to be able to take care of them, that was the number one thing that stuck with me. He really viewed it as a privilege. We have to step back sometimes [and] realize how fortunate we are to do what we do." Dr. Pasricha has found that his experience with his own mentors has carried over into how In private practice, teaching often occurs in a more clinical setting and requires integrating education efficiently into patient care," she said. "Regardless of the environment, the key is cre- ating opportunities for trainees to progressively gain independence while maintaining patient safety." In terms of learning how to become better teachers and mentors, Dr. Syed said that many physicians learn by observing excellent men- tors during residency and fellowship. However, she doesn't think that formal instruction in teaching is emphasized enough during training. "Becoming an effective educator requires being intentional, seeking feedback from trainees, observing experienced educators, reflecting on what works well, and continually refining your approach," she said. "Educational workshops, faculty development programs, and mentorship from experienced teachers can help physicians become more effective educators." One key challenge when learning how to become an effective teacher and mentor is that trainees learn in different ways. "Some learn best by watching several cases before participat- ing, while others benefit from early hands-on experience with close guidance," Dr. Syed said. "My approach is to first understand where the learner is in their development and adjust the amount of instruction and autonomy according- ly. I also try to give specific, actionable feedback after each case so trainees know exactly what they did well and what they should focus on improving." The ultimate goal is to help each trainee build both competence and confidence at their own pace. Angela Verkade, MD, agreed that teaching and mentoring are critical aspects of the oph- thalmology training experience. "I think we can all relate to this because every ophthalmologist in practice had to go through residency train- ing," she said. "I know I'm not alone in saying that much of my practice has been shaped by my own mentors when I was in training." Train- ing can be overwhelming, Dr. Verkade said, so it's helpful to have a point person to help guide you through the inevitable tough times. "I do think that the teaching opportunities are going to differ depending on the profes- sional settings that you're in," she said. "I think there's a big misconception that only academic centers should be involved in teaching. I think there's so many opportunities to learn in both continued from page 28

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