This spotlight series highlights the individuals behind the white coats, their journeys, passions, and the impact they’re making in the field of medicine. Today, we highlight Eli Pratte, MD.
Graduating Resident: Eli Pratte, MD
What are your future plans?
Refractive Surgery Fellowship at the Pepose Vision Institute.
Why did you choose Ophthalmology/WashU Medicine?
I did an away rotation here and the strength of surgical and clinical training at WashU really impressed me. The collegiality of the department was excellent as well. I felt at home here.
Favorite service and why?
So hard to choose! I especially loved my time on glaucoma and cornea, but I really enjoyed all of the subspecialties.
Favorite memory of your residency?
Other than the birth of my three children (!!!), it would probably have to be getting to travel to Italy with all of my classmates to attend Sowmya’s wedding!
What did you learn in your residency that impacted you the most?
It’s an incredible privilege to care for patients both clinically and surgically. It’s also an enormous responsibility to bear the emotional weight of that privilege. Taking time to process complex clinical and surgical cases is incredibly important to allow you to provide the best care to all of your patients.
What advice would you give to the new residents?
Work hard, be kind to yourself and others, lean on your classmates and allow them to lean on you. It’s the longest and shortest 4 years of your life, so enjoy it and learn as much as you can.
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.