Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 16 July 2011 T he ASCRS Foundation part- nered with ASCRS and the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (JSCRS) to host a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fundraiser during the 2011 ASCRS•ASOA Annual Symposium & Congress in San Diego, raising over $40,000 to help victims of the recent disaster. Following the Annual Meeting, the Foundation forwarded all funds to JSCRS for distribution to appropri- ate health-related relief efforts in Japan. ASCRS and the ASCRS Foun- dation wish to thank the many indi- viduals and industry partners whose generosity made the relief effort pos- sible. through hard work, personal com- mitment, and integrity even without seeking traditional leadership posi- tions. But if your ambition is to go for one of those typically male-dom- inated spots, then you'd better arm yourself with plenty of awareness of the hurdles, don't get discouraged, and be resilient, persistent, and tough. And keep your sense of humor! Dr. Chang: What have been your se- crets for successfully juggling career and family? Dr. Braga-Mele: Setting priorities, and having a supportive and under- standing husband, and a supportive and understanding family, especially my kids. My kids come first. I am there for every school event and every sporting event. I balance my work hours and do everything that can wait after the kids go to sleep. Also, I have learned to say no over the years. It is OK not to do every- thing. Most of all, my husband and my family are my rock. I could not do everything I do without them and their support. The hardest thing for me to overcome is the guilt asso- ciated with being away from my family. Dr. Haller: First of all, sometimes I'm successful at this and sometimes I'm not! There are usually a lot of balls in the air and from time to time one of them drops. When that happens, having a sense of humor, a positive outlook, and a wonderfully support- ive husband, kids, and colleagues has made all the difference. I have been tremendously lucky in this re- gard. I also try to pick up "best prac- tice" tips in my personal life from others, just as I do in my profes- sional life. One tip would be to aim high and try your best, but don't beat yourself up too badly if you fall short—just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and head back into the fray. Dr. Chang: How can we foster and develop more women leaders in ophthalmology? Dr. Braga-Mele: Foster an equal op- portunity working environment for both men and women with flexible meeting times. Have more women "sit at the table" and celebrate their successes. Have more female support and mentorship programs with mentors that are both successful fe- males and males. Some of my great- est mentors and supporters have been men within ophthalmology who have helped me celebrate my successes, supported my endeavors, and encouraged me forward. With- out them I would not be where I am today. I think to foster more of this we need to help create that environ- ment. I am sure the future will hold more women leaders. It is only a matter of time. Dr. Davis: There certainly are plenty of talented and capable women lead- ers out there in ophthalmology. So- cieties such as ASCRS and AAO should make a conscientious effort to actively reach out and recruit women for leadership positions. Mentoring is a very critical aspect in developing new leaders. It is impor- tant that those currently in leader- ship positions (both men and women) actively engage in encour- aging, teaching, and supporting the next generation, and strive to do so equally for men and women. I be- lieve that I have benefited greatly from the mentoring I have received from family, friends, and colleagues (my father, Richard Lindstrom, M.D., David Hardten, M.D., Thomas Samuelson, M.D., Howard Fine, M.D.—to name a few). Dr. Haller: This is a key question, not only in ophthalmology, but in the world. I worry that we may be losing some ground. I recently heard a story about a conversation Judith Rodin, former president of Penn, had at a dinner with a number of women outside San Francisco. One of the young women asked for her advice; she'd been on the "fast track" but had just had a child and wanted to step back, be at home, and maybe do volunteer work. Was that OK? Ms. Rodin said, "Quite honestly, I've worked my whole life for you to have that choice, but now that you have it, I don't want you to take it!" There are many leadership positions out there, and not all are the traditional ones. With persist- ence, resilience, role models, sup- port, and determination, we can make it possible for women to oc- cupy them. But conversations like this one are key. Just as in other areas where scholarship, education, and awareness of the issues make it possible for us to attack them, women need to be better informed and more explicitly counseled and encouraged. Thanks for helping to do this, David. EW Contact information Braga-Mele: rbragamele@rogers.com Davis: eadavis@mneye.com Haller: JHaller@willseye.org Update: ASCRS Community contributes to Japanese relief effort May 12, 2011 Mr. Donald W. Bell Director ASCRS Foundation Dear Mr. Bell: On behalf of JSCRS, we would like to extend our sincere appre- ciation to ASCRS and its membership for the fundraising efforts at the ASCRS Annual Symposium and Congress. Your contribu- tion of $40,000 will be combined with the JSCRS funds raised and distributed to support the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts for health-related purposes. We are deeply touched by the generosity and kindness of our colleagues from around the world. Sincerely yours, Hiroko Bissen-Miyajima, M.D., Ph.D. President Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery I DONATED J A P A N R E L I E F F U N D ADVANCING THE WORLD'S VISION Foundation Gender continued from page 14

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