When Dr. Sristhi Sahay boarded her first flight ever out of India on October 4, she carried equal measures of fear and excitement. The third-year ophthalmology resident at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in Delhi, India, was selected for a coveted five-week research and clinical observership with the University of Wisconsin Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) in Madison, WI. It was a leap into the unknown, but one that would soon become an important chapter in her career.
The rotation was part of DOVS’s Global Ophthalmology Initiatives (GOI) Research and Clinical Observership Program, which launched in 2017, with Dr. Sahay being the seventh participant. For her, the opportunity represented both recognition of her hard work and an opportunity to experience the world of ophthalmic training in a different setting.
“I am grateful to Dr. Shroff’s and the University of Wisconsin for providing this amazing opportunity,” she said.
Dr. Sahay’s path toward ophthalmology was shaped early in life. As a child, she was haunted by the idea of blindness—wondering what the world would be like without sight. Growing up in a family of ophthalmologists, with her father running a clinic in her hometown, the language of eye care became second nature. Yet pediatrics has always pulled at her heart.
“When I treat an adult, I may improve 20 years of their life,” she explained. “But when I treat a child, I impact their entire lifetime. That means I’m giving a productive, healthy individual back to the nation and the world.” Pediatric ophthalmology, she believes, could be the perfect way to unite her two passions.
During her rotation at DOVS, Dr. Sahay was mentored by Dr. Melanie Schmitt, a pediatric ophthalmologist. “Dr. Schmitt was incredibly kind and generous, particularly with her time,” Dr. Sahay said. “She was very approachable. I never had to think twice before asking her a question.”
In addition, Dr. Sahay was able to spend time with Drs. Suzanne van Landingham, Yasmin Bradfield, Kimberly Stepien, Cat Burkat, and Sanbrita Mondal. “I felt welcomed from the first moment,” she said. “I never felt like a visitor. And, everyone taught me something—the optometrists, orthoptists, technicians, even the occupational therapist in the low vision clinic. I’ve learned from everyone.”
The rotation also opened doors to new and meaningful research opportunities. With Dr. Stepien, Dr. Sahay explored inherited retinal diseases and genetics—an area rarely emphasized in ophthalmology residency training in India. In collaboration with Dr. Schmitt, Dr. Sahay investigated a developmental disorder associated with cataracts, uncovering a link not previously recognized. Along the way, she gained hands-on exposure to diagnostic tools such as electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials.
Beyond technical training, Dr. Sahay observed striking cultural differences in patient care models between the United States and India. In India, ophthalmologists may see up to 100 patients a day, leaving little time for extended discussion. In contrast, she recognized how U.S. physicians see fewer patients and actively involve them in the decision-making process. “Back home, I will try to interact as much as possible with my patents,” she said, “to ensure patients don’t leave with unanswered questions.”
At the same time, she noted the environmental cost of U.S. healthcare, where a single surgery can generate more waste than an entire day in India’s operating rooms. Sustainability, she believes, must remain part of the global healthcare conversation.
Her time in Madison was not all work. She carved her first pumpkin for Halloween, attended church, explored Milwaukee, and enjoyed the beautiful autumn colors. She also traveled to Orlando, FL as part of the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual conference. “It has been wholesome—getting to know the people, the culture, and the climate, alongside the clinical exposure and friendships I’ve made—inside and outside of the hospital. It was a lifetime experience.”
