June 7, 2022
Episode 25: Dr. Ashiyana Nariani, MD MPH
A discussion on
“A Spiritual Journey & Actionable Path to Transformative Global Eyecare”
Living a life of service through curing needless blindness
Dr. Ashiyana Nariani, MD MPH
In this episode of Open Globe Talk, we are excited to welcome Dr. Ashiyana Nariani who is an assistant professor at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. Her specialties include complex limbal stem cell transplants, corneal transplants, and ocular surface tumors.
Dr. Nariani attended Tufts University where she studied Mathematics and Chemistry, graduating summa cum laude. Thereafter, she completed her MD and MPH from Tufts University School of Medicine. Her ophthalmology residency was conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center where Dr. Nariani served as a chief resident. Dr. Nariani then completed two fellowships: one in Cornea & Refractive Surgery at the Duke University Eye Center and another fellowship in Eye Banking from Miracles in Sight.
Inclusive of being the founder of the "2020 Ophthalmology Educational Series", she is on the AAO Cornea Network Committee, is on the Executive Committee for Refractive Surgery Alliance (RSA), and now the Global clinical consultant for the Himalayan Cataract Project! Join us in hearing her background in the US and how she decided to serve patients and practice abroad as a part of her global ophthalmology career!
Key discussion points:
Pursuit of Ophthalmology as a specialty
Cornea and Eye-banking subspecialty choice
Interest in heart transplants
Gift of sight through organ donation
Interest in international work
MPH focus on global health
Important take-aways from service ventures
Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s selfless service and value for life
Laid the groundwork for focus
The importance to not focus on recognition but rather making a difference and contributing to society
Why specifically did you move to India for clinical practice?
Home of spiritual mentor: Dr. J. P. Viswani
Working in the Indian healthcare system as an American trained physician
Cultural discrepancies: Need for knowledge of language is not as important as showing and practicing good intentions!
Working at KEM
Practicing integrity and standing a mark
Pushbacks of gaining licensure
The importance of perseverance, dedication, merit, and doing things the right way
The inaugural Global Refractive Surgery Summit
Uncorrected refractive error is #3 leading cause for blindness globally
#1 cause of moderate-severe vision impairment
Not doing enough to provide glasses/contact lenses to address the need
If that’s the case, how can we provide refractive surgery to aid in this process? Tool for curable blindness!
Paradigm shift in how this problem is currently being addressed
Systemic changes between Indian and the US: the experience
World of eye-banking
In India: there is a level of training to prepare tissue and many things from the base up compared to the US
Need for improving quality and technique
Dr. Nariani’s training in eyebanking benefits her in this field as her prior fellowship allows her to bridge this gap
Most important message: Each one of us have a role to improving organ donation: be it through social media or other means to raise awareness and provide encouragement!
Addressing the stigma
The specialization of India: Spirituality
Dr. J. P. Viswani
His impact: Everything that we do may it be an offering to others. Every being is all part of one family.
How to be an instrument to help those in need
Living a life of service, there is so much happiness and that happiness cannot be described in words, cannot be quantified by money
Teaching and mentorship at the international level
Opportunity for the teacher to learn more from the students
Teaching focus should be handled in what makes the students happy and makes them the best in the field they are meant to be in
The most important quality: Passion & dedication for what you want to do
You can surpass all goals regardless of where you start!
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