59 medical and veterinary residents, from 11 institutions nationwide participated in the annual 2-day phacoemulsification cataract extraction course at the Health Sciences Learning Center on August 14 and 15, 2026. The event was hosted jointly by the University of Wisconsin Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS), the University of Iowa, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. An additional six visiting students, one UW medical student, a pathology/Wisconsin Reading Center pre-residency fellow, and four DOVS PGY-1 residents also attended the first day of the course. Thirty-three faculty and one DOVS cornea fellow provided didactic and wet laboratory instruction. At what may be the longest consistently running program of its kind in the country, attendees learned about all aspects of cataract surgery removal in this three-year, progressive program.
Dr. Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, delivered the Greg Anderson Lecture as the visiting professor. Dr. Pettey is the Chair of the John A. Moran Eye Center and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, CEO of the University of Utah Vision Institute, and the Holder of the Randall J. Olson, MD, Presidential Endowed Chair. He presented a highly interactive and engaging session focused on developing advanced skills in complex cataract surgery. Particular emphasis was placed on manual small-incision cataract surgery (sutureless techniques), the management of zonulopathy, and strategies for addressing posterior capsular tears. Drawing on examples from both global and local practice settings, Dr. Pettey highlighted practical approaches and surgical decision-making techniques that can enhance outcomes in challenging cases.
This course would not have been possible without the generous support from multiple industry partners, including Alcon Vision, Zeiss, New World Medical, Genentech, Glaukos, Sight Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, MiscroSurgical Technology, Bausch & Lomb, MANI, and SimulEye. We are especially grateful for the support from the Carl and Mary Ann Berg Phacomulsification Course Excellence Fund. Our collaborative partnership with industry has grown over the years, and we are delighted to share that we had the largest number of industries participating this year.
Although the course just ended, the DOVS education team is already gearing up for next year’s course, which will take place on August 13-14, 2027.