ASCRS News: Annual Meeting Preview
July 2021
by Liz Hillman
Editorial Co-Director
Thomas Oetting, MD, is being honored with the first ASCRS Educator Award during the Opening General Session at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. Dr. Oetting was nominated by his peers for this recognition, which was originally supposed to be bestowed at the 2020 Annual Meeting but was postponed due to the pandemic.
The ASCRS Governing Board created the ASCRS Educator Award to recognize 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.
In nominations, Dr. Oetting was described as a “master educator,” someone who has a “true gift for teaching the intricacies of cataract surgery,” and an “advocate for the residents.”
“Dr. Oetting embodies what it means to be an educator. He has devoted his whole life to teaching others about anterior segment surgery,” one nomination read. “He is one of the most humble, genuine people who truly just wants everyone around him to succeed in taking better care of people.”
Dr. Oetting said he is honored to receive this award.
“Most of my heroes in ophthalmology are active members of ASCRS. ASCRS leaders like David Chang, MD, Amar Agarwal, MD, Sam Masket, MD, and Bonnie Henderson, MD, have been my mentors and my inspiration. ASCRS was a place where I initially ‘cut my teeth’ by helping with courses, presenting videos, and meeting other like-minded people. ASCRS has been a place where I could meet the new stars of ophthalmology who have pushed me to stay current like Ike Ahmed, MD, Terry Kim, MD, John Berdahl, MD, and so many others. ASCRS has been a place where our residents can come and share their work, which allows us to extend our curriculum beyond Iowa City. This award reinforces my feeling that resident education is very important to ASCRS. I am so appreciative of this award and for the support of ASCRS over the past 20-plus years.”
Dr. Oetting said he sees every ophthalmologist as an educator in some capacity.
“We are educating our patients, our staff, our legislators, and our trainees. Some, like me, are really lucky, as we have a nicely defined role as an educator,” he said.
As an educator focused mostly on residency, Dr. Oetting said one of his goals is to try to make it more efficient and deliberate. He said the integration of internships and the ability to control some of the training time is a step in the right direction, but he thinks it still takes a long time to get trainees into practice.
“It only takes 2 years to get a fighter pilot trained out of college, yet it takes 9 years out of college to get an ophthalmologist trained, as 70% are now doing a fellowship,” he said. “I hope we can get better to respect the time of our trainees and elevate all with the most efficient training.”
One of the things he’s enjoyed most is the opportunity to connect with so many people.
“Struggling safely together through their first cases has allowed me to get close to the amazing residents who pass through Iowa City. I have been on the faculty now almost 25 years and so have more than 100 residents who I have tried to help learn cataract surgery. Watching them grow over the 4 years of residency is part of the joy but now seeing the great things they are doing in our profession years after leaving Iowa City is remarkable. I have also enjoyed the chance to teach virtually via social media and in courses at meetings. My father was a professional educator for the U.S. Air Force. I think that his passion for teaching rubbed off on me and that he gave me some insight into curriculum development and tricks for adult learning.”
Dr. Oetting attended Duke University where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and his medical doctorate. He served in the U.S. Air Force as an active duty service member and in the reserves. Dr. Oetting’s residency was at the University of Iowa, and after a brief time in private practice, he joined the faculty at the university.
Dr. Oetting previously received the Iowa Resident Teaching Award five times, the Iowa Provost and President Teaching Award, and the AAO/Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) Straatsma Award, among other awards for his commitment to ophthalmology.
About the physician
Thomas Oetting, MD
Margaret and Rudy Perez
Professor of Ophthalmology Education
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Contact
Oetting: thomas-oetting@uiowa.edu
