I participated as an invited speaker at the annual Brazilian Congress of Ophthalmology. The largest Congress in Brazil, this conference is attended by 3,000 ophthalmologists, staff and trainees from Latin and Should America. I also toured their eye clinic and hospital facilities to initiate a residency collaboration between our departments.
Situated in the third largest city in the world, USP is a publicly funded hospital, serving their vast indigenous community. Their Department of Ophthalmology residency program is considered the most prestigious in Brazil. Faculty at USP show a strong desire to serve their community, participating in cataract surgery outreach and pediatric vision screening for patients who otherwise would not receive care.
I was astounded by the sheer volume of eye patients who are treated within the USP hospital system. Their ophthalmology faculty and trainees perform 300,000 cataract and subspecialty procedures annually, the dedicated ophthalmology ER manages 200 patients daily, and their hospital has a busy 22-bed dedicated inpatient service. Common ophthalmic diseases that we don’t typically see in the U.S. include toxoplasmosis, fungal keratitis and uveitis, CMV retinitis, HIV and syphilitic ocular complications. The potential for our residents to have exposure to this variety of ocular pathology is exciting.
Brazilians have a reputation for their warm hospitality, which is well earned. I experienced it firsthand at every level throughout my visit, demonstrated by the resident chaperones, the meeting organizer Dr. Mirko Babic, and the USP department Chair Dr. Remo Susanna. Despite their busy clinic and surgical schedules, they succeed in making their visitors feel very welcome. I look forward to establishing a productive, new collaboration with both of our departments.