Eyeworld

FALL 2026 | EYEWORLD | 31 Descemet membrane stripping. While this gen- eral philosophy remains consistent, I adapt the pace and level of independence based on each trainee's experience and confidence." Similarly to refining surgical skills and keeping up with training, Dr. Syed sees the need for physicians to continually improve how they teach. Wet labs remain invaluable, she said, not only for learning new surgical techniques but also for developing better teaching methods in a low-risk environment. Reviewing surgi- cal videos, discussing complications openly, participating in educational meetings, and learning from colleagues all help refine surgical instruction and mentorship as well. "I also find that teaching itself is one of the best ways to improve because every trainee asks different questions that encourage you to think critically about your own approach," she said. Dr. Syed noted that one of the most im- portant lessons she has learned is that confi- dence should be built deliberately rather than assumed. "Trainees often remember the men- tors who believed in them and gradually gave them greater responsibility while still providing guidance when needed," she said. "Technical excellence is essential, but creating an environ- ment where trainees feel comfortable asking questions, discussing complications, and learn- ing from mistakes is what ultimately produces confident, thoughtful surgeons." It's important to understand that we each learn in our own ways, Dr. Verkade said. "I encounter this every single time we switch rota- tions for our trainees. What makes a really solid mentor/mentee relationship is understanding where your mentee is coming from." Specifically noting the OR experience, Dr. Verkade said she often takes the first few cases to try to observe and see how the trainee might approach things. "I think most of us who like to teach want to jump in right away and start ex- plaining, but taking these first few moments to understand how the trainee functions helps you as a mentor," she said. "I oftentimes find that what might have worked with the last trainee I had in service may not work for a new trainee I'm working with based on how those cases go. It's helped me to take a moment to observe and shape my feedback based on how my mentee might learn best." One key that Dr. Verkade mentioned was that she tries to remind herself that it's he teaches and works with other surgeons. "I think we become this nice mosaic of all of our previous mentors," he said. "We take the good parts that we can from what we learn from them and try to … pay it forward." When Dr. Pasricha is working with residents and fellows, he tries to think about what he would have wanted if he was in their shoes. He added that teaching is important in all types of practices, and you can learn from those across all practice types, including private practice, academic settings, and larger practices. For a trainee seeking out a mentor, Dr. Pasricha said it's important to find the person who you fit best with and who is most interest- ed in your education. The reality is some people might not be able to or might not have time to help. Dr. Pasricha finds that at most good aca- demic centers, the majority of people are there because they want to train. Dr. Pasricha tries to keep his teaching style as consistent as possible but noted that you do have to tailor it to the trainee as well. One important message, he said, is that it takes practice to be good, but things like enthusiasm, kindness, and helpfulness are important fac- tors that trainees must bring to the experience themselves. One strategy that Dr. Pasricha finds partic- ularly helpful for trainees is to encourage them to record their surgical cases. Recording is step one, then they need to review them. Those are the students in which you really see their skills accelerate. He equated this to reviewing football game footage. Even in scenarios where you thought you performed well, there are still opportunities to learn, and you might not fully understand something until you watch it on the replay. Dr. Syed described her teaching style as structured and stepwise, noting that she likes to break complex procedures into smaller components so trainees can master one skill before progressing to the next. "In my experi- ence, this builds confidence more effectively than expecting a trainee to complete the entire procedure without mastering individual steps. For example, during penetrating keratoplasty, a trainee might first focus on placing a few of the ergonomically 'easy' sutures before performing the entire case," she said "Similarly, with DMEK, I prefer introducing tapping techniques first, then add in tissue insertion, and finally add in continued on page 32 Contact Pasricha: Neel.Pasricha@ucsf.edu Syed: zebaasyed@gmail.com Verkade: ajverkad@med.umich.edu Relevant disclosures Pasricha: 2A Biosciences, AbbVie, Alcon, Amgen, ArriVent BioPharma, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Denali, Diatiro, Glaukos, GlaxoSmithKline, Globe Biomed- ical, Hexagon Bio, Iksuda Thera- peutics, LigaChem Biosciences, Sanofi, Vanda Pharmaceuticals Syed: None Verkade: None

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