she had a sharp wit , and an even sharper backhand .”
On to medical school at UofL , he explored other specialties but by his second year was doing research in ophthalmology and was gravitating toward oculoplastic and orbital surgery . After getting involved with mentor Dr . Bill Nunery , he was sold . He then matched at UofL for residency and while he considered doing general ophthalmology and moving back to Eastern Kentucky , he and Stephania had fallen in love with the city and knew this was where they ’ d eventually call home . As chief resident in his final year , he matched in oculofacial plastic and orbital surgery at – you guessed it – UofL . In the two-year program , the first year was in Louisville and the second in Indianapolis . During fellowship , he was recruited to come back to UofL as Dr . Nunery was nearing retirement .
“ Dr . Chris Compton was in the fellowship class above me , and we were very close and we felt that we needed to continue the oculoplastic department at UofL . He was asked to come back , and I was asked to come back very shortly after . We always joked that Dr . Nunery knew it would take two surgeons to take over for him .”
In addition to his role with UofL Health , he also serves in many roles within the UofL School of Medicine . He is the Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences , a newer position that many other academic institutions don ’ t have .
“ I love teaching and helping others grow as surgeons , so I knew that was something I wanted to do . I came in and basically , they
told me the curriculum was that I would give one lecture per year to the medical students and that was the only exposure to the entire field of ophthalmology that our medical students were given . We now have a complete ophthalmology workshop during the second year of medical school , where students come to the eye clinic and participate with the residents in hands-on clinical skills training and also have didactic portions that they watch at home , as well as supplemental didactics in the simulation lab at the medical school . We ’ ve grown the ophthalmology portion of education within our school and that ’ s something I ’ m very proud of .”
He is also the Associate Program Director for the Ophthalmology Residency Program . In forming the curriculum for the residents , he said that sometimes he can be seen as the “ bad cop ” but promises his intentions are good .
“ I want them to excel . I was fortunate to be taught by my mentor the right way to operate and the right way to treat patients . It ’ s my duty and the duty of all physicians in both academic and community medicine to show the next generation the proper ways and the why behind what we do . You can ’ t cut corners because patients ’ vision and lives are at stake . We owe that to young surgeons and physicians to teach them that .”
In addition to his role as Associate Professor , he wears a number of additional hats within the UofL School of Medicine . One of his favorites is serving on the UofL Athletic Association Board , and as
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