Ophthalmology conferences are often remembered not just for scientific sessions or new technologies, but for the personal encounters that quietly shape careers in ophthalmology. For many physicians, these meetings serve as milestones—marking transitions from trainee to practitioner, introductions to mentors, and moments where professional and personal lives intersect. In these interviews with the Eye Care Network, 3 physicians reflect on how chance meetings, shared experiences, and enduring mentorships at past meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) have left lasting impressions and influenced the paths they continue to follow.
Early encounters that define a career
Sahar Bedrood, MD, PhD, reflects on attending AAO meetings from the earliest stages of training through her transition to practice. For her, Academy has been a constant presence since residency, with memories rooted in “early on residency fellowship, early attending.” She describes how formative it was to see leaders in the field up close—“seeing these people, these icons in ophthalmology, seeing them in the hallway”—and realizing they were accessible. What once felt like “this amazing, grand event” became a place not only to “see the best, hear from the best,” but also to connect personally. One defining moment came when she encountered her future fellowship mentor informally and introduced herself, saying, “Interested in your fellowship.” Those spontaneous interactions, she notes, are “the stories that stay.”
A first presentation and a lasting memory
Inder Paul Singh, MD, shares a personal memory tied to his first professional presentation. His favorite story centers on presenting at a booth for the first time and seeing his father walk by and say, “I love you, son. Congratulations.” His father, also an ophthalmologist, passed away in 2019, making that moment especially meaningful. Singh emphasizes how important it was to have his father present at that early milestone, describing him as “not only a father, but he was a mentor and a good friend.”
Mentorship and the legacy of George Waring III, MD
AnnMarie Hipsley, DPT, PhD, recounts meeting her mentor, the late George Waring III, MD, at an AAO meeting early in her career. Their first interaction began informally, when she greeted him with, “You’re the monkey guy,” to which he replied, “Who are you?” Despite her self-described status as “a nobody,” the encounter quickly evolved into mentorship. After hearing her ideas, he said, “I believe in lifetime vision. That’s my story,” before introducing her to others, endorsing her work, and guiding her research. She describes him as both mentor and friend. Today, she continues that legacy through collaboration with George O. Waring IV, MD, on a normative data study of dynamic range of focus from ages 18 to 65, which she views as a tribute to Waring’s “lifetime visionary dream.”
