Where are you from?
Knoxville, TN
Where did you attend Medical School?
Where did you complete your residency?
University of Tennessee, Hamilton Eye Institute
Why did you choose Ophthalmology and your specialty?
Because the eyes are the best! But really, I love being in clinic, getting to know patients, and treating vision, which has a huge impact on someone’s life. Cornea appealed to me because of the variety of surgeries and procedures that you have to help patients in a very tangible way.
Why did you choose WashU?
I was looking for a fellowship program that would train me to handle complex surgeries and to be a great cornea clinician and WashU had it all — comprehensive cornea training with really great people!
Favorite memory of your residency?
I started my PGY2 year on our consult service with one of my co-residents. We were busy and had so much to learn, but I grew so much during that block and had a lot of fun, even on the long days.
What did you learn in your residency that impacted you the most?
How important it is to operate in a team mindset and not a solo mindset. My residency class was a team and had each other’s back, and, because of that, we had a great time and learned a lot — you really do get further together than you can alone!
What excites you most about starting your fellowship at WashU?
I’m really looking forward to learning different ways to approach problems from each of my attendings.
What do you look forward to about living in St. Louis?
The food– I’ve already had some incredible meals here and can’t wait to keep checking restaurants off my growing list of places to try.