Eric Sollenberger, MD
(Cornea Fellow)
What are your future plans?
Going to backpack and fly fish out west for 3.5 months before moving to Knoxville, TN to start private practice in cornea and external disease.
Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty?
I chose ophthalmology because one can make an incredibly positive, meaningful, lasting difference in someone’s life with a relatively low risk and quick intervention-the job satisfaction from this is unmatched. Cornea and external disease allowed me to better provide these interventions…also the optics.
Why did you choose WashU?
Primarily the incredible faculty here. We also have a pretty perfect balance of clinic/surgery and work/life.
What is your favorite memory of your fellowship?
The look on my attending’s face after nearly sending him into anaphylaxis by feeding him Bosnian hazelnut treats, or shooting the breeze with an attending for hours after clinic and Saturday morning post-ops.
Favorite thing about living in St. Louis?
Meeting some really amazing people and making new friends.
How did you survive quarantine?
UrbanChestnut + Grace Meat & 3.
What did you learn in your fellowship that impacted you the most?
Literally everyone has ocular rosacea.
How did you deal with the stress of your fellowship?
What stress?? This is fun.
Favorite teacher or mentor and why?
Impossible to pick a favorite here. I can truly say I love working with all five of our cornea faculty members for a variety of different reasons. Although…Dr. Huang definitely kept us well-fed…that carries some weight.
What advice do you have for incoming fellows?
Enjoy the year, it goes do fast. Read about your patients and their pathology. Take the time to get to know them on a personal level. Not only will you be able to better care for them, but you’ll meet some really, really amazing people along the way.