ASCRS News
April 2022
by Liz Hillman
Editorial Co-Director
Mitchell Weikert, MD, will be honored with the ASCRS Educator Award at the Opening General Session at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. Dr. Weikert was nominated by his peers for this recognition, being described as a “selfless teacher and mentor” who has helped develop more than 130 residents, dozens of clinical and research fellows, and more than 150 medical students during his career.
“He has dedicated his life to not only improving the care of his own patients with his work but those of others across the country and world,” one nomination submission read. “I now consider Mitch one of my best friends and look forward to learning from him throughout my career and hopefully providing even a fraction of his level of mentorship and guidance to trainees that I have the privilege of working with.”
Another nomination described Dr. Weikert as “the epitome of what a clinical educator should be.”
“He is the first in the building and the last one to leave every day. Dr. Weikert has been known to spend Saturday mornings in the wet lab helping a resident or fellow improve upon their skills. He is not just a world-class educator but a world-class person. His love for his residents is evident in the emotion in his eyes when he speaks of how proud he is to be their residency program director. I can’t think of anyone more fitting for an award such as this.”
The ASCRS Educator Award recognizes an anterior segment surgeon who has shown a career-long commitment to education, leadership, and selflessness in the pursuit of expanding knowledge in the interest of improving patient outcomes.
“First, let me say how honored I am to receive this acknowledgment from ASCRS, an organization that has done so much for our profession and for me personally,” Dr. Weikert said. “Since attending my first meeting in 2002, I’ve reaped the benefits of learning from some of the greatest minds in our field and witnessing how their generous efforts have advanced our clinical understanding and surgical skills.”
Education, Dr. Weikert said, is universal to all professions but especially so in medicine. “One of the tenets of ophthalmology (and medicine, in general) is that of lifelong learning. Thankfully, our profession is constantly advancing and evolving, which is fantastic for our patients but challenging for practitioners. Staying abreast of the latest knowledge and treatment options, while simultaneously managing a busy practice, is incredibly challenging,” he said. “This coupled with the exponential rate at which these developments are occurring creates a huge educational need—not only in disseminating this information but doing so in an efficient, stimulating, and creative manner. For this reason, I think educators are fundamental to the advancement of our profession, and the dedication of ASCRS to these efforts is one of the many reasons why I’m proud to be a member of this organization.”
Dr. Weikert is a professor of ophthalmology and residency program director at Baylor College of Medicine. He attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, followed by residency also at Baylor and a fellowship at the University of Utah.
Dr. Weikert said he finds it “very satisfying” to help someone advance their knowledge and skills. “I think most people involved in education would agree that we benefit more from the process than the trainees with whom we work,” he said. “We’re lucky to be in a field that attracts the ‘best and brightest,’ and their active pursuit of knowledge constantly challenges us.”
Dr. Weikert said his mentors and role models led him to a career in ophthalmic education. “I never really envisioned an academic career when I entered medical school, but as I progressed through my training, I witnessed more and more the opportunities and satisfaction offered by academic ophthalmology,” he said.
“The collaborative and supportive nature of my mentors, such as Doug Koch, MD, and Alan Crandall, MD, helped open the door for me and countless others to get involved in professional societies and ophthalmic meetings. I’ve found peer-to-peer education to be equally rewarding. This extra dimension has allowed me to work with so many great people throughout my career. Being involved in organizations such as ASCRS allows me to work with, learn from, and hang out with them on a regular basis—what could be better than that?”
About the physician
Mitchell Weikert, MD
Professor of Ophthalmology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
Contact
Weikert: mweikert@bcm.edu
