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 Mary-Grace Reeves, MD, MBA.
Graduating Resident: Mary-Grace Reeves, MD, MBA
What are your future plans?
Vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.
Why did you choose Ophthalmology/WashU Medicine?
I chose ophthalmology at WashU because of the breadth of pathology, clinical experience, and academic research opportunities. We care for patients with complex trauma, have strong exposure to all of the subspecialties, and extensive procedural and surgical training.
What advice would you give to the new residents?
We remember the mentors and teachers that helped us. Pay this forward. Ophthalmology is a very specialized area of medicine and as the on-call ophthalmologist, you will be the primary provider for eye emergencies in the hospital. Share your clinical knowledge with your junior residents and colleagues in a different medical field.
Favorite memory of your residency?
Working hard with my team to provide excellent patient care and save vision for patients who were presenting with acute, vision-threatening trauma. These challenging cases and seeing the patients’ positive outcomes are some of the most memorable moments.
How do you think you’ve grown since starting this residency?
In reflecting on the path from intern on the consults service to senior resident on trauma call, I can appreciate my growth in clinical knowledge, surgical skills, and desire to serve as a teacher and source of support for the junior members of our team.
Favorite thing about living in St. Louis?
Forest Park—the Zoo, golf courses, Art Museum, and running trails will forever be favorites!
Favorite service and why?
I wanted to make the most of each of my rotations and have favorite memories from all of them. I enjoyed taking care of complex retinal diseases and traumatic ocular injuries on the retina service. Also, I enjoyed scrubbing in for reconstructive surgeries on the oculoplastics service.
Favorite teacher and why?
It would be impossible to only thank one faculty member. A few favorite experiences were learning pediatric retina and ocular oncology from the retina faculty, working with the oculoplastics faculty to take care of complex orbital disease and eyelid repairs, conducting research to complement clinical experiences with the neuro-ophthalmology faculty, and building suturing skills with Dr. Lubniewski and the cornea faculty. I am grateful to the faculty I have worked with in continuity clinic and the OR for how they have contributed to my development as an ophthalmologist.
What did you learn in your residency that impacted you the most?
I learned how to provide excellent patient care, navigate and prepare for potential challenges in the operating room, and advocate for my patients.
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.