I have always marched to beat of my own drum and I never wanted to be in full-time academic medicine where I would give up autonomy. For the past 22 years, I have done a hybrid of both private practice (with a clinic in Los Angeles and a surgery center in Beverly Hills) as well as academics where I taught surgery to the UCLA ophthalmology (Jules Stein Eye Institute) residents. I was able to climb the ranks rapidly: assistant professor at age 31, associate professor at 37, and full professor at 44. And for more than a dozen years, I was even the Chief of Ophthalmology at Olive View UCLA Medical Center, a large academic teaching hospital in Los Angeles.
Now that I am at the mid-point of my career, it is time to switch gears and retire from direct resident teaching. While the younger people may see this as a “mic drop” moment, I see it as a passing of the baton to the next generation. I have made my mark and achieved everything that I wanted. Now I will be devoting more time to my private practice and surgery center which is busier than ever. I will still be teaching surgery but now primarily to a worldwide audience via these daily CataractCoach videos and from my in-person lectures and presentations.
This video is the final case of residency from a recent UCLA ophthalmology graduate and she does a really nice job with the case. I am certain that this young doctor will continue to hone her skills and blossom into an accomplished surgeon. Lots to learn from this case.
Dear Prof Devgan,
No words can convey the impact that cataract coach had had on generations of residents and trainees across the world. A massive thank you from me (VR associate professor in Dublin Ireland ) and a massive thank you from all the trainees. Thank you for sharing the resident videos over the years and I look forward to continually accessing your great site. Good luck in the next phase 👍👍