iOpeners: Zubair Ansari, MD, shares his global health journey with Nicole Bajic, MD

In this latest episode of iOpeners, host Nicole Bajic, MD, a comprehensive ophthalmologist at Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, is joined by Zubair Ansari, MD, who shared his path into global ophthalmology and the lessons he has learned along the way. Ansari highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges of building a career focused on vision care in underserved communities. Ansari is an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida.

Ansari shared that his interest in global health began early. “My father was a cardiologist, and I remember visiting India all the time growing up, and my dad would just have a floating group of like 30 people come to the house that we were staying in, at every given day, to ask about medical problems.” Seeing how his father could use his skills to support others left a lasting impression. When he discovered ophthalmology, he realized the specialty provided similar opportunities to empower people.

During residency, he learned about fellowships in global ophthalmology and pursued one at Wills Eye Hospital under Brad Feldman, MD. “I didn't anticipate it to be a career for me, but after that year, and the growth that I made, I've been able to sort of leverage that as a career in academic ophthalmology, really focusing on how we can prevent visual impairment.” Today, nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from vision impairment, making this work both urgent and impactful, he noted.

For young ophthalmologists interested in global health, Ansari emphasized starting locally. “The easiest way to practice global ophthalmology [is] working with the homeless shelter that is associated with your medical group or working with your church group… people that are historically sort of disadvantaged.” He encouraged physicians to “start off small” and to pursue opportunities as they arise. These experiences, he noted, not only strengthen a commitment to underserved care but also bring renewed energy to day-to-day practice.

On the surgical side, Ansari spoke about manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), a cornerstone of ophthalmic care in resource-limited settings. “It can seem really daunting to do MSICS… the first thing I would recommend is, if there is a wet lab or some kind of simulation like the HelpMeSee simulator, I think those are so fundamentally important.” He urged trainees never to attempt MSICS “cold,” but instead to build skills through simulation, proctoring, and guided early cases. For residents, he recommended close attention to scleral tunnel construction, since that skill crosses subspecialties and provides the foundation for adapting MSICS techniques.

Equally important, Ansari underscored the responsibility to ensure patient safety and trust when working abroad. “It always sounds lovely to go out and to be able to perform surgery in a global capacity, but the reality… is that we're here to build trust, and we're here to build sustainable types of endeavors that last long after we're there.” He warned against creating harm by operating without a safety net, stressing the need for local partners who can provide postoperative care, including retina or glaucoma support.

Finally, he highlighted education as a multiplier of impact. Partnering with academic institutions allows visiting surgeons not only to treat patients but also to transfer skills to local trainees. “You can sort of use those skills to transfer to other residents who can then be empowered to do MSICS surgery… that's how we know we can really make a tangible impact that lasts.”

Through his journey, Ansari illustrates that global ophthalmology is not only about surgical missions, but about building systems, cultivating partnerships, and empowering others to sustain vision care long after a visiting physician departs.