After dedicating 30 years to her career as a board-certified ophthalmologist and a fellowship trained ophthalmic plastic surgeon, Dr. Deborah Sherman has one key piece of advice for new providers: “Never think you know it all, and never stop learning.”
Dr. Sherman completed her fellowship in Oculofacial Plastic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in 1991, under the direction of Drs. Richard K. Dortzbach, Brad Lemke, Russell Gonnering and David Lyon.
Reflecting on her training, she remarked, “Then and now, the University of Wisconsin is and was a premier place to train as a Fellow in Oculofacial Plastic Surgery.”
Dr. Sherman credits Dr. Dortzbach with imparting five essential rules she continues to follow:
- Arrive on Lombardi time — 15 minutes early.
- No small talk for the fellow for the first six months. Instead, focus on listening and learning best practices.
- Review scans with the radiologist personally to enhance learning.
- Never leave home without a medical camera.
- Conduct before and after photo reviews at the end of every clinic day to assess outcomes and discuss improvements.
Immediately after completing her fellowship training, Dr. Sherman established a private clinical practice in Nashville, Tennessee, where she remains to this date. She also serves as a clinical faculty member at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute and as an Allergan Medical Institute Trainer, teaching proper techniques for cosmetic injectables worldwide.
“I was honored to serve as a lead trainer for the launch of the Botox cosmetic in China in 2011,” said Dr. Sherman, “and also for the launch Belkyra, a fat busting injection, in Australia, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Ireland and Denmark.”
Despite her impressive professional achievements, Dr. Sherman considers her role as a mother to her sons Jonathan and Jackson as her greatest accomplishment.