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Our Recent Graduates

Approximately half of our graduates enter private practice immediately upon completion of the 3-year residency. Others pursue fellowship training before going into practice or entering an academic career. Regardless of a resident or fellow's choice of career path, he or she should feel fully confident of having received the best possible training in ophthalmology. As part of the Iowa Ophthalmology Family, they have worked with dedicated and experienced faculty in a contemporary and world-renowned program. We believe at the completion of training, graduates of the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences are prepared for the challenges ahead and can look forward to the fulfillment that comes from pursuing a career that fosters life-long education.

The department has over 800 alumni across the country and around the world who have become leaders in academic medicine, vision research and private practice. We retain close relations with many of our alumni and offer a network of connections for residents and fellows in training.

Residents have opportunities to meet and network with Iowa alumni throughout the year. Our Clinical Conferences throughout the year and annual Iowa Eye Association meeting held each summer bring alumni back to Iowa City for continuing education and socializing with their mentors and colleagues. We also host informal sessions where alumni meet with trainees to discuss career planning and the business side of ophthalmology. These Alumni Roundtables provide valuable perspectives on a career in ophthalmology and life after training.

2023

Matthew G. Field, MD, PhD

Cornea/Anterior Segment Fellowship, Minnesota Eye Consultants Minneapolis, MN

Zachary Q. Mortensen, MD

Eye Associates of Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO

Tirth J. Shah, MD

Georgia Eye Clinic Atlanta/Athens, GA

Margaret R. Strampe, MD

Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellowship, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Caroline Y. Yu, MD

Oculofacial Plastic Surgery Fellowship, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN

2022

Karam A. Alawa, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, Mass Eye & Ear, Boston
  • Center for Excellence in Eye Care, Miami, Florida

Justine (Liang) Cheng, MD

Vitreoretinal Fellowship, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Ore.

Salma A. Dawoud, MD

  • Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Oculoplastics Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Ryan J. Diel, MD

Meadows Eye, Las Vegas

David A. Ramirez, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

2021

Christopher R. Fortenbach, MD, PhD

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • University of Washington, Seattle, Wa.

Lauren E. Hock, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.

Tyler S. Quist, wMD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private Practice, Eye Associates of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO

Alexis K. Warren, MD

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Illinois – Chicago, Chicago
  • University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago

Caroline W. Wilson, MD

  • Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery Fellowship, Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Private Practice, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Hiawatha/Iowa City, Iowa

2020

Anthony T. Chung, MD

University of Washington, Seattle, Wa.

Ben J. Janson, MD

Fuerste Eye Clinic, Dubuque, Iowa

Matthew Benage, MD

Vancouver Clinic, Vancouver, Wash.

Austin R. Fox, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • UC Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Irvine, CA

Heather A. Stiff, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Eye Institute - Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

2019

Stephanie K. Lynch, MD

  • Medical Retina Fellowship, Emory University, Atlanta
  • Private practice, Eye Specialists of Georgia, Atlanta

Spenser J. Morton, MD

Private practice, Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Aaron M. Ricca, MD

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Retina Associates of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Brittni A. Scruggs, MD, PhD

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oreg.
  • Adult and Pediatric Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Daniel C. Terveen, MD

  • Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery Fellowship, Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Private practice, Vance Thompson Vision, Sioux Falls, S.D.

2018

Lindsay M. De Andrade, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of California, Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Thomas J. Clark, MD

  • Oculoplastics Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
  • Private practice, Eye Surgical Associates, Lincoln, Neb.

Matthew A. Miller, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Eye Associates of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Lorraine M. Provencher, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Private practice, Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati

Tyler B.S. Risma, MD

Fuerste Eye Clinic, Dubuque, Iowa

2017

Steven M. Christiansen, MD

Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati

William E. Flanary, MD

Eye Health Northwest, Portland, Ore.

Jaclyn M. Haugsdal, MD

  • Iowa Eye Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Comprehensive Ophthalmology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Lucas T. Lenci, MD

Private practice, Missouri Eye Institute, Springfield, Mo.

Prashant K. Parekh, MD, MBA

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati
  • Private practice, Center for Excellence in Eye Care, Miami

2016

Johanna Dijkstal Beebe, MD

  • Neuro-ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Park Nicollet Hospitals, Minneapolis

P. Christi Carter, MD

Alamo City Eye Physicians, San Antonio

Christopher Kirkpatrick, MD

Private practice, Eye Center of Northern Colorado, Fort Collins, Colo.

Philip Niles, MD, MBA

  • Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Private practice, Buffalo Niagara Retina, Williamsville, N.Y.

David Phillips, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
  • Private practice, Quincy Medical Group, Quincy, Ill.

2015

Jonathan Hager, MD

Private practice, Riverhill Ophthalmology PA, Kerrville, Texas

C. Blake Perry, MD

  • Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery Fellowship, Casey Eye Institute, Portland, Ore.
  • Private practice, Eyeplastics, La Jolla, Calif.

Bradley Sacher, MD

Private practice, Wheaton Eye Clinic, Wheaton, Ill.

Jesse Vislisel, MD

  • Cornea Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private Practice, Associated Eye Care, Stillwater, Minn.

Jeffrey Welder, MD

Private practice, Siskiyou Eye Center, Ashland, Ore.

2014

Elizabeth Gauger, MD

  • International Ophthalmology Fellowship, Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City
  • Private practice, Iowa Eye Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Pavlina Kemp, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, Boston
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Angela McAllister

Private practice, Essentia Health, Duluth, Minn.

Justin Risma, MD

Private practive, Fuerste Eye Clinic, Dubuque, Iowa

Matthew Weed, MD

  • Ophthalmic Genetics Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

2013

Meredith Baker, MD

  • Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Minnesota Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Specialists, Edina, Minn.
  • Private practice, Spokane Eye Clinic, Spokane, Wash.

Joey Brinkley, MD

  • Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • LSU Health, Shreveport, La.

John J. Chen, MD, PhD

  • Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Amanda Maltry, MD

  • Ocular Pathology Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Jordan Rixen, MD

  • Cornea and External Disease Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Eye Surgical Associates, Lincoln, Neb.

2012

Priya Gupta, MD

  • Glaucoma Fellowship, Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore
  • Private practice, West Coast Glaucoma Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Esther S. Hong, MD

Comprehensive ophthalmology, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif.

Shaival S. Shah, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
  • Private practice, Southern California Permanente Group, Yorba Linda, Calif.

Matthew S. Ward, MD

  • Cornea and External Diseases Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Provo, Utah

Christopher E. Watts, MD

Private practice, Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Iowa City, Iowa

2011

Emily S. Birkholz, MD

Private practice, Ophthalmology Associates of Mankato, Mankato, Minn.

Jason P. Brinton, MD

  • Cornea Fellowship, Durrie Vision, Overland Park, Kan.
  • Private practice, Durrie Vision, Overland Park, Kan.

Leslie T. L. Pham, MD

  • Cataract/Refractive Surgery Fellowship, Koch Eye Associates, Warwick, R.I.
  • Private practice, Koch Eye Associates, Warwick, R.I.

Brian K. Privett, MD

Private practice, Iowa Eye Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Gina M. Rogers, MD

  • Cornea Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Eye Physicians & Surgeons of Chicago, Chicago

Janet Y. M. Tsui, MD

Private practice, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara, Calif.

2010

Alex W. Cohen, MD

  • Cornea Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City
  • Private practice, Eye Physicians & Surgeons, Iowa City, Iowa

Nandini G. Gandhi, MD

  • Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, Duke Eye Center, Durham, N.C.
  • University of California-Davis, Sacramento, Calif.

A. Brock Roller, MD

  • Retina Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Texas Retina Institute, Round Rock, Texas

Lucas J. A. Wendel, MD

  • Medical Retina Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Private practice, Fox Valley Ophthalmology, St. Charles, Ill.