What is notable when talking to Dr. Yvette Sioson is how her smile increases as she speaks of her passion for helping the people in her home country avoid blinding eye disease. That dream was what motivated her to travel more than 7,000 miles from her home in the Philippines to Madison, WI.
Dr. Sioson, a third- year ophthalmology resident trainee at Santo Tomas Hospital in the Philippines, recently spent a four-week residency research and clinical observership with faculty members of the University of Wisconsin Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
The department’s Global Ophthalmology Initiatives (GOI) Research and Clinical Observership program started in 2017, thanks to a sponsorship with the non-profit Combat Blindness International (CBI) that ran until 2022.
“I am so grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience eye care in an ideal setting,” Dr. Sioson said. “I was able to broaden my exposure to more advanced clinical skills that will help me in my future career.”
Dr. Sioson credits her father, an ophthalmologist, for sparking her interest in the field. “His clinic was near my school when I was young,” Dr. Sioson recalls. “During my breaks I would wait for him at the clinic. That was the beginning for me. I was exposed early on to how he saw patients and the different machines he used to provide care. By the time I went to medical school, I had a strong desire to practice ophthalmology as my specialty.“
During her observership, Dr Sioson was mentored by oculoplastics surgeon Cat Burkat, MD, FACS.
“Dr Burkat is a wonderful person,” Dr. Sioson said. “She has a lot of fresh ideas and is incredibly efficient when seeing patients. Aside from these professional aspects, she was very nice and accommodating to me. She always asked how I was and if I need something. She took care of me well during the entire rotation.”
In addition to oculoplastics, Dr. Sison is considering retina as a subspecialty. “I live in a small providence in the Philippines, where diabetic retinopathy is very prevalent,” she said. “And there is a scarcity of doctors in the rural areas. Because of this, I know many rural patients don’t receive the care they should. My hope is to bring service to them, hopefully allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment – and ultimately avoiding vision loss.”
In addition to observations in clinical and surgical service, Dr. Sioson conducted a research project under Dr. Burkat’s guidance. The study investigated Parry-Romberg Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes deterioration of the skin and soft tissues of the face. The project reviewed and described the epidemiological and clinical features of the disease and how cases are successfully managed.
“In the Philippines, we lack the funding necessary to conduct large research projects and clinical trials,” Dr. Sioson said. “But I learned during my observership here that we don’t need to do complicated projects to be able to positively contribute to the growth of the field.”
Dr. Sioson also noted some significant differences between patient care in the United States and the Philippines, particularly in terms of patient privacy. In the Philippines, exam rooms are large, open areas, with multiple patients sharing the same space. Also, physicians in the United States are able to spend more time with their patients than Filippino doctors are.
“The doctors here take a lot of time to explain to their patients what is going on,” Dr. Sioson said. “In the Philippines, we see a larger number of patients than the doctors do here. So, while we want to take our time, we usually have to cut it short. We aren’t able to give the best quality of care because of that.”
Dr. Sioson was also impressed with the efficiency provided by electronic records. “In our institution we still use paper,” she said. “Coming here I saw how efficient the electronic process is. I think that helps doctors give more time to their patients, allowing them to focus on the more important parts of the process, which is evaluating and managing patients.”
“I intend to try to implement these concepts back home,” Dr. Sioson continued. “Of course, it would be very difficult to do that myself. But maybe I can talk to colleagues and we can start little by little and hopefully in the next few years could somehow be closer to how things work here.”
The four weeks went quickly, but it was time well spent. Dr. Sioson said it has motivated her to research international fellowship programs in Singapore and Australia.
Dr. Sioson’s experience in Madison wasn’t all work, as she took time to explore the community. She went to the capital, the farmer’s market, restaurants, local lakes and parks, and of course sampled ice cream and cheese curds.
“I had heard your cheese was the best, and I can now say ‘yes, it is!’”
Dr. Sioson credits the UW faculty and education team with making her feel welcomed and supported.
“I am very grateful and honored to have met everyone here,” she said. “This was my first time travelling to the U.S. and my first time travelling alone – and not just for a few days but quite a long time. I was very nervous about how I would integrate with the other members of the faculty and the residents. But I was pleasantly surprised at how nice everyone was. I didn’t have to adjust that much. I felt very welcomed and supported by everyone. I felt like a part of the family during my stay.”