As a result of completing with you my Fellowship Program in Pediatric Ophthalmology, I will be well on my way toward becoming the one and only Emirati trained as a pediatric ophthalmologist in my country, the United Arab Emirates. I look forward, in particular, to the pursuit of cutting-edge excellence in the area of refractive errors in children and being part of state-of-the-art attempts to do everything that we can to prevent amblyopia. I want to be part of a team that is actively seeking to lower the age at which we find and treat children; since by the time they are seven years old, there is often little that we can do other than prescribe glasses. I am enthralled with studying how before seven years old; however, certain conditions can be treated with much more success. Amblyopia, refractive errors, glaucoma, and even cataracts are especially common in the UAE - even among children - and there is a great need in my country for someone specialized in these areas.
My long-term goal is to design and build my own visual rehabilitation center for children and to assume a leading role in their eye care in the UAE. The reason why pediatric glaucoma and cataracts are prevalent among children in the UAE is because of consanguinity; thus, the people of my region need an excellent laboratory for research and advancement in this area. I hope to be recognized as a leading expert in this area shortly.
My primary objective during your pediatric ophthalmology fellowship is to become highly accomplished at performing and managing pediatric surgeries, including those with complications. I look forward to becoming adept at glaucoma surgery, in particular, along with learning everything that I can about techniques associated with Strabismus surgeries.
I have been certified in Ophthalmology since June of 2015 and completed a Retina and Laser as well as Phacoemulsification Training course at Dr. XXXX's Eye Hospital in India in June of 2014, where I attended at length to more than 50 patients, half of which were retinal laser patients. That same year, I passed the Clinical Science Ophthalmology Examination of the International Council of Ophthalmology. In 2013, I completed a Microsurgical Ophthalmology skill course in London after passing the Basic Science & Optic and Refraction Examination in Ophthalmology for the International Council of Ophthalmology in April 2012. Before these efforts, much of my time had been devoted to two years earning a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration, another asset that I hope to bring to your distinguished fellowship program.
By the time that I graduated from the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain in Medicine, I had already realized that I wanted to devote myself primarily to pediatric medicine because of my love for children and the joy that I find in caring for their health, especially their eyes. As an Intern in the area of Ophthalmology, I realized that I had found my calling and the choice of Pediatric Ophthalmology became cemented in my mind and heart. I see children to be the most challenging age group to deal with but also the most exciting, learning how to communicate with them in particular. After my internship, I worked for one year in general pediatrics to gain additional experience. I became adept at numerous pediatric procedures such as LP, cannulation, ventricular tap, and blood exchange transfusion. After that, I joined the Ophthalmology residency program at SKMC Abu Dhabi, and I completed a four your residency in Ophthalmology. I was very fortunate to have had a chance to work with several distinguished pediatric ophthalmologists from both Canada and the USA and gain a lot of medical and surgical experience at SKMC in Abu Dhabi. I am currently assigned to a pediatric ophthalmology team attending to a premature baby, and I find myself increasingly engaged with research. I have three clinics per week, and I am also assessing a strabismus patient with orthoptics at present. In fact, I have gained a lot of experience in strabismus assessment and cyclorefraction and I feel most confident in treating amblyopia and prescribing eyeglasses.
Thank you for your consideration of my application to your distinguished program in Pediatric Ophthalmology.
