Ninita H. Brown, MD, PhD, is a glaucoma specialist at Thomas Eye Group, a practice with 16 offices in the Atlanta region. She also serves as a member of the Young Ophthalmologist (YO) advocacy subcommittee.
My first annual meeting—2008. At my first meeting, in Atlanta, I was a medical student in search of Eve Higginbotham. I was applying for ophthalmology residency and knew that she would be there. She was extremely delightful—though probably a little overwhelmed by my desperation—and invited me to a breakfast of Black women ophthalmologists. There, I was greeted by my past classmate Vanessa Ngakeng, and we embraced like sisters. At that meeting, I also met Leslie Jones, who was able to secure a residency interview for me, and I actually matched at Howard University Hospital.
My tips for getting the most out of AAO 2022—don’t sit through the meeting alone. Find people to sit with, sit at the front, ask questions, and network. It is also good to see my staff from the Thomas Eye Group because they are getting training in the same meeting. Many of the managers and partners like Drs. Dana Wallace, Paul Kaufman, and Robert Blasberg are in attendance. We are a large practice, and it gives us a chance to learn together in one place and get a new perspective.
Events I look forward to—there are so many! My favorites are those sponsored by the YO Committee, Women in Ophthalmology (WIO), and the National Medical Association’s Ophthalmology Section.
Sessions I recommend for young ophthalmologists—learn how to build your practice’s wealth and preserve your health. When I was a new YO, with zero business knowledge, I quickly found the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives (AAOE) program to be extremely helpful in teaching me everything from lean practice to accounting. I wasn’t quite so quick to appreciate the importance of the wellness sessions. I didn’t realize how many ophthalmologists have to deal with exhaustion and chronic pain. It’s important to learn early on how to keep your mind and body healthy.
How I pamper my inner engineer—by visiting the exhibits. I was drawn to ophthalmology because of my background in biomedical engineering. We are a group of innovators, and I love to see all the new gadgets and imaging tools.
My guilty pleasure at the annual meeting—dancing the night away. My regular dance partners at the Orbital Gala are Cathy Cohen and Chasidy Singleton. I like to bid on things, but I never win. It is also fun to go to the YO Reception, which includes a dance party organized by the Academy’s Neeshah Azam and Gail Schmidt. You’re likely to run into Janice Law and even get a glimpse of our Past President Tamara Fountain. Clearly, ophthalmologists like to have a good time!
This content is excerpted from the Subspecialty Day edition of AAO 2022 News, the newspaper distributed at the convention center.
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