Ask Jocelyn Rowe, MD ’11, what matters most in medicine, and her answer is simple: the patient in front of you. That perspective, refined during her fellowship training at the University of Wisconsin (UW), continues to guide her work in Chicago today.
After earning her medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine and completing her ophthalmology residency at Cook County Health and Hospitals System, Dr. Rowe pursued advanced fellowship training in cornea, refractive surgery, and uveitis at the UW. Under the mentorship of Drs. Sarah Nehls and Neal Barney, she found not only clinical excellence, but role models whose approach to patient care mirrored her own aspirations.
“Dr. Barney and Dr. Nehls are warm and compassionate physicians,” she reflects. “Their style of patient care aligned with how I wanted to practice ophthalmology.” That alignment became a compass for her career.
Following her fellowship, Dr. Rowe returned to Chicago for a brief period in private practice before realizing where she felt most fulfilled. “My true passion is caring for an underserved patient population,” she said.
She has since dedicated her career to a safety‑net hospital on Chicago’s southwest side, where access to specialty eye care can be limited. Although she is fellowship-trained in cornea and ocular surface disease, her role is intentionally broad: she serves primarily as a general ophthalmologist, performing corneal and ocular surface surgeries when her patients need them most.
Her days are busy and varied—but always centered on the patient in front of her.
“The interactions are by far the most rewarding part of my job,” she shares. “It feels really great to sit across from a patient in need, take the time to listen to their concerns, and provide a solution.”
Connection is more than a guiding principle for Dr. Rowe—it’s a daily practice. One of her proudest accomplishments has been learning Spanish, a skill she now uses every day in clinic. “It allows me to communicate directly with many of my patients, which is incredibly meaningful,” she says.
By speaking with patients in their preferred language, she strengthens trust and ensures they feel heard—an extension of the human-centered care she saw modeled during her fellowship.
She also recently began collaborating with the Illinois College of Optometry, teaching optometry students about cataract surgery while providing surgical care to their patients. The partnership allows her to expand access to care while mentoring the next generation of eye care providers.
“It feels good to both serve the community and enhance the learning of young eyecare providers,” she says.
She encourages current trainees to hold tightly to that sense of purpose. With the many demands placed on physicians, she reminds learners that the patient must remain at the center. “It is of utmost importance to make each patient feel heard and to address their concerns. The human touch is a very important aspect of a physician’s care.”
Outside of work, Dr. Rowe brings the same energy and dedication to her personal pursuits. She enjoys cooking and traveling, and she is an avid triathlete—having completed IRONMAN Wisconsin in 2021.
