Training for tomorrow

Ann Caroline Fisher, MD, knows firsthand how a person’s identity can shape the way they navigate the world of medicine and academia — and that is exactly why she is working to improve the experience for future generations of ophthalmologists.

Fisher, who is three-quarters Peruvian and one-quarter Chinese, excelled through medical school, residency, and her role as an ophthalmologist but felt she didn’t quite fit any particular mold. In the clinic and with peers, she often encountered preconceived ideas about how she should act or look based on her cultural background, and generally, they did not match her reality.

Then she arrived at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford and found an opportunity to help foster a clinical and educational environment where ophthalmologists from all backgrounds would feel they belong.

“We call it diversity and inclusivity, but it’s really a celebration of individuality and what makes us each unique,” said Fisher, clinical professor of ophthalmology and the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Byers Eye Institute.

Fisher isn’t alone in her quest to foster diversity and inclusion in medicine, the impact of which is felt in every part of what the Byers Eye Institute does in its mission to eradicate blindness.  

National medical associations and medical researchers have for decades illustrated the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce across medicine. Studies repeatedly show that diversity among doctors and clinical care teams creates better outcomes and higher rates of trust among patients, particularly — but not limited to — people of color.

When it comes to scientific breakthroughs, a team of diverse researchers can raise new perspectives and questions that improve the quality of the work, multiple studies show.

The data are so compelling that in March of 2024, a group of 10 leading national medical associations announced their support for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in health care.

“Excellence in patient care cannot exist until we have a physician workforce capable of caring for our patients and their needs holistically, and until the profession of medicine is accessible to all qualified individuals,” reads the statement released via the Association of American Medical Colleges website.

Increasing accessibility to medicine for qualified people needs to start early, said Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD, Blumenkranz Smead professor and chair of the Byers Eye Institute.  

“There is no better time to start fostering a valuable mix of diversity in ophthalmology than during the early years of medical school and residency, so we’ve made that part of our educational mission,” he said.

PILLAR Program: Developing Inclusive Leaders

One of the most innovative ways the Byers Eye Institute is forging a path as an educational leader in ophthalmology is through the Program In Lasting Leadership and Academic Representation (PILLAR).

The three-day mentorship retreat held each September brings together ophthalmology residents from around the country who have backgrounds or identities that are underrepresented in medicine today. The donor and department-funded PILLAR program is hosted annually at Stanford by the Byers Eye Institute, the National Medical Association, and Rabb Venable.

Since 2022, faculty and industry experts from premiere ophthalmology institutions around the country have convened for PILLAR. They lecture, lead small group discussions, and host question-and-answer sessions that guide the trainees through navigating the unique challenges they may face during residency, exploring academic career paths, preparing for job negotiations, and creating work-life balance.

“Tapping into your community of peers and those who came before you can help you build the career you dream of,” said Skenda Jean Charles, MD, who attended PILLAR in 2023 as a second-year ophthalmology resident at the University of California San Diego.

REACH Program: Bridging Gaps in Ophthalmology

The Byers Eye Institute also participates in Stanford University’s Racial Equity to Advance
a Community of Health (REACH) program, another effort to introduce promising researchers and medical students to opportunities in ophthalmology.

The REACH program’s mission is to empower diverse students to attend medical school, advance health equity, create new collaborations with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and increase diversity of talent in the academic research pipeline.

At the Byers Eye Institute, REACH is working. Post-baccalaureate trainees interested in ophthalmic research can hone their skills in one of the many laboratories overseen by faculty members who are experts in their field.

“Ophthalmology was not a field I considered working in initially, but since starting at the Byers Eye Institute two years ago, my horizons have been expanded,” said Timothy Johnson II, a clinical research coordinator who arrived at the Byers Eye Institute through the REACH program and quickly became an invaluable part of the department’s clinical research team.

“REACH aided me with the core programming and mindset necessary to be successful at such a high-caliber research institution,” Johnson added.

SCORE Program: Elevating Diverse Research

Another avenue to inspire and attract promising medical trainees is the Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency Experience (SCORE) Program. The four-week program brings fourth-year medical students from diverse backgrounds to Stanford, where they train with clinical faculty and resident mentors in their chosen specialty area.

The Byers Eye Institute hosts four soon-to-be ophthalmology residents through the SCORE Program annually. They conduct research with faculty and work in both Stanford Hospital and Clinics and in partner clinics to get a sense of the opportunities ahead of them.

Those future residents leave with a new network of mentors and supporters they can lean on long after they leave, Fisher said.

“Getting that early look at what ophthalmology has to offer, and to see the support for their individual goals and identities can help empower the next generation of experts in the field,” Fisher said. “Our goal is to see people who are comfortable, happy, and successful as their authentic selves.”