Eyeworld

Cornea Society News – published quarterly by the Cornea Society 8 AAO Mid-Year Forum: Young physicians' impressions T he Cornea Society gave two young physicians the opportu- nity to attend the AAO Mid-Year Forum in April in Washington, D.C. as participants in the Advocacy Ambassador Program. Below are their impressions of the program and a recap of their experiences. Rohini Rao, MD My background in advocacy for medi- cine and problems facing healthcare at large was limited to a summer experi- ence at the American Medical Students Association during college. So, needless to say, I was very excited about visiting Capitol Hill and talking with my state representatives about the issues that face ophthalmology. My experience was incredibly eye-opening. During the first evening debrief of the weekend, I began to understand some of the issues, and I was able to get behind the importance of increased access to and lower pricing of compounded medications, pricing of prescription drugs, as well as funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and vision research. The morn- ing before our visit to Capitol Hill was when I learned how to present. I was in a group of five residents, two fellows, an oculoplastic surgeon in private practice, and a pediatric ophthalmologist at an academic center. With our distinct back- grounds and career aspirations, it was incredible to join together to promote the issues that face our field. When meeting with our senators and representatives or their staff, we shared stories about our patients—the ones who need intravitreal antibiotics in the middle of the night for endophthal- mitis, the ones who are sent in from 3 hours away by their community oph- thalmologists to receive fortified topical antibiotics for severe corneal ulcers, the ones who cannot afford prednisolone after routine cataract surgery, or the ones we treat at the VA who benefit from developments in eye safety research. Sharing our experiences bonded us and made our message stronger. I was particularly impressed by the discussions we had with our state repre- sentatives. Each staffer, though young, was well informed about the relevant healthcare issues and was eager to learn about the issues facing ophthalmology. I left each meeting feeling like I imparted a meaningful message. I was so excited to learn that Congress voted to boost NIH funding. I have no doubt that our hard work during Advocacy Day played a role in this. Advocacy Day also opened my eyes to all the issues that loom on the horizon for the healthcare system. This experience has encouraged me to keep my eyes open and continue to look for ways to advocate for our patients and for our specialty. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this meaningful experience. Daniel Terveen, MD I arrived in Washington, D.C. several hours before the start of the Mid-Year Forum, hoping to spend some time exploring our nation's capital. I made my way down to the National Mall and wandered through the monuments immortalizing the incredible individuals who sacrificed so much for the rights and freedoms of our country. As the sun started to set, I walked through the Mountain of Despair framing the statue of Martin Luther King Jr., and stood Dr. Rao and her colleagues visit Capitol Hill during the AAO Mid-Year Forum. continued on page 10

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