A Conversation with a Humanitarian Award Winner

Dr. Ramesh Ayyala was the recipient of the 2019 AGS Humanitarian Award for his global impact in providing ophthalmic care to those in need. In this interview, he describes his humanitarian work and how he encourages a new generation of physicians to do the same. While working at Tulane University, Dr. Ayyala and his fellows worked with community leaders, local churches and the health department to provide free eye care to New Orleans for 13 years after Hurricane Katrina. In India, his home country, he worked to develop better surgical training standards during residency. However, physicians do not have to go abroad to give back to the community, explained Dr. Ayyala; there are plenty of opportunities to bring ophthalmic care to communities in the United States. Dr. Ayyala continues to prioritize humanitarian work and encourages his fellows to do the same.

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