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FALL 2019 • ISSUE 6 PAGE 1 OphthalmologyLEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY NEWSLETTER MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR The Importance of Physician Wellness A couple weeks ago the faculty met for our How do you reconcile the immense effort our employees annual program and resident evaluation. This needed to be a successful physician/small choose to work in is a national graduate medical education- business owner with maintaining your ophthalmology mandated ritual that allows us to reflect on sanity? If ophthalmology is going to define for years – or even the accomplishments of the year that was, much of your waking time for the next 40 decades. Does the review coming changes to resident education, years, how can you remain enthusiastic? How day always end at set goals for the coming year and identify can we at Temple Ophthalmology help the 5:00? No, it doesn’t, things to watch. Among the data showing next generation begin this process? but it ends on time increased surgery volume and successes in While there are probably as many ways now more than it fellowship match was new information about to combat burnout as there are people, I ever has and that is physician wellness. personally find four things help me remain a testament to the When I was in private practice, I don’t excited about my career. work ethic and a desire to get better. ever recall hearing about physician wellness. First, I have a couple hobbies and Does this atmosphere matter? Well, Perhaps it wasn’t a hot issue in the mid- although I am largely an armchair golfer and everyone tends to leave earlier, the patients 2000’s, but I suspect that in the typical fisherman and a hapless hockey player, those wait less time than before and our patient small environment that defines many hobbies help. satisfaction scores are among the best at ophthalmology practices, it is either ignored Second, I am a teacher and there is nothing Temple, so something seems to be helping. completely or simply taken for granted. That like teaching to keep you on your toes and Beyond that, it’s allowing us to figure out ways fact that this is such a hot topic in academic help you feel like you are making a difference to improve the care we provide which I think medicine suggests that something is wrong in the world. makes work more interesting and fulfilling. in academics, or that we swept a lot under the It’s a positive feedback loop. Third, I try to celebrate patients’ successes rug in the past. with them. “Enjoy your new eyeballs!” I like Will this help our faculty, residents In any case, both the residents and the to say after cataract surgery, for instance. and staff, find meaning in work? I hope it faculty reported feeling wearier after work does. Tom McGuane wrote “Good anglers And fourth, I work with some of the best and needing more time to relax after work should lead useful lives, and useful lives are people I could possibly imagine. It’s this last than the national average. As readers of this marked by struggle, and difficulty, and even element that I suspect is not so obvious to our column know, the process of becoming and pain.” Caring for, and learning to care for residents who, after all, have a limited frame remaining a physician can be exhausting. fellow humans is certainly that. Heck, my of reference. These same readers also remember that infrequent fishing trips are that, too – just ask Angela Duckworth has shown that effort is I have no doubt that those of you in private my wife. But at the same time the White Coat the critical piece that enables success. practice know all about this. You know that Investor says the three secrets to happiness surrounding yourself with the right people are “someone to love, something to do and is as important to your success as your own something to look forward to.” How true. I SAVE THE DATE effort. It’s the same in my world too. Here hope our Temple culture allows us to absorb at Temple Ophthalmology, I am lucky to be the challenges of patient care and find the The 8th Annual Temple Ophthalmology the head of a team of young, enthusiastic, happiness that can sustain our career. Alumni Conference will be on Saturday bright faculty, staff and residents. Do they October 5 this year. We are honored to work hard? Darn right, they do. They care have Dr. Dimitri Azar as our speaker. Invitations coming soon! for some of the most vulnerable patients in JEFFREY D. HENDERER, MD Philadelphia with a smile and a real sense of making a difference in someone’s life. The Temple Ophthalmology Alumni Professor of Ophthalmology Reception at the AAO Annual meeting, I think we are creating a bit of a work Dr. Edward Hagop Bedrossian Sunday, October 13 at the San Francisco family. I love to hear the banter and laughter Hilton Union Square. More details to come! Chair of Ophthalmology in the break room at lunch. I love the way [email protected] PAGE 2 ISSUE 6 • FALL 2019 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Dr. Iftikhar Chaudhry, Resident 1997 Dr. Iftikhar Chaudhry is in private practice University’s Gallery of Success. They have In 2014, Iftikhar in the Philadelphia area and works part time four children, ages 24 to 4. cofounded an as clinical adjunct faculty at Temple For nearly 20 years, Iftikhar has organization that University. Iftikhar immigrated to the United volunteered two weeks every year providing seeks to improve States with his parents at the age of 6 and ophthalmic surgical care overseas in voter registration grew up in the Philadelphia area. He countries such as the Dominican Republic, and turn-out graduated from Central High School as class Ecuador, and Pakistan. In this endeavor, he among minority valedictorian, completed his undergraduate has worked closely with fellow Temple communities in studies at Penn State, and went to medical ophthalmology alumni, namely Dr. Al Alley, Pennsylvania’s school at Jefferson. He completed his Dr. Cynthia Alley, Dr. Aaila Chaudhry, Dr. first congressional ophthalmology residency at Temple in 1997. Dany Najjar, and Dr. Jeylan Mansoury. During district, a highly contested swing district with Iftikhar then completed a fellowship in this time, Iftikhar has performed more than far reaching political ramifications. In 2015, glaucoma and anterior segment with the 4,000 surgical cases abroad, and he currently Iftikhar was increasingly worried about the Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. focuses on performing penetrating challenges his own children were experiencing Subsequently, he became interested in keratoplasty in surgical eye camps. In 2005, in school. He worked with friends to establish refractive surgery. His current practice Iftikhar and his parents founded and the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia to encompasses cataract, glaucoma, cornea, and subsequently supported a K-10 school in provide Muslim youth with a safe place to refractive surgery. Pakistan which provides education at highly interact with peers, and to explore their faith Shortly after completing training, Iftikhar subsidized rates in a remote area. The school’s and cultural identity. The organization also started his own private practice, which has enrollment is approximately 300 children. leads civic engagement efforts rooted in social steadily grown over the past 20 years. He In addition to humanitarian work justice, particularly to serve the Greater currently lives and practices within the same overseas, Iftikhar is deeply committed to Philadelphia area. five mile radius that he grew up in. The non-profit work in the Philadelphia area. He Despite multiple engagements, Iftikhar practice is now multi-subspecialty, with five has been alarmed by what he perceives to be still continues to be involved at Temple for a ophthalmologists and six optometrists. the rising level of xenophobia and few reasons: He is deeply grateful to the Iftikhar also serves as Chairman of the Islamophobia in particular. In 2011, Iftikhar department, its faculty and leadership for Chaudhry-Farooq Medical Group, which led a group of community activists who sued providing him with an excellent education. includes IC Laser Eye Care, Suburban Eye Bensalem Township over discriminatory He views his current involvement as an Associates, Knights Medical Associates, zoning practices that prevented the opportunity to continue to learn and develop Advanced Care Podiatry, Pennsylvania Foot construction of a mosque. The United States his skills as a physician and surgeon. He and Ankle Associates, The Chaudhry Law Department of Justice, under the Obama really appreciates Temple’s institutional Group and Consultants, Urogynecology and administration and Attorney General culture and ethos, reflected in the Female Medicine Associates, as well as the Loretta Lynch, subsequently joined the ophthalmology department, which Pennsylvania Surgery and Laser Center. lawsuit against the township. The case was emphasize inclusion, egalitarianism, hard Iftikhar’s wife, Aisha, is a podiatrist who widely featured in multiple news outlets, work, service and self-discovery. He is excited also has connections to Temple. She serves on including the New York Times. Ultimately, about the department’s future under Dr. the Temple University School of Podiatry’s the township settled the case, and the Henderer’s leadership as it continues to Board of Visitors and was inducted to Temple mosque’s construction is moving forward. evolve and grow. Celebrating Our Resident Graduates The Department of Ophthalmology 2019 resident graduation ceremony was held on June 19 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Essington, PA. Pictured are (left to right): Dr. Jay Matz, Dr. Jenny Jiang and Dr. Alex Juhn. Dr. Matz will be heading to the Progressive Vision Institute in the Lehigh Valley, PA.

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