Dr. Wong is an Owner and a Managing Partner of the Honolulu Eye Clinic and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu.

1. Please share with us your background.

I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended Duke University on a B.N. Duke Scholarship. From there, I decided I wanted to live in New York City, so I attended Cornell Medical College for my medical degree. I then completed my ophthalmology residency at New York University’s Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, where I served as chief resident my final year. I completed a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Boston Children’s Hospital and remained on faculty there for 1 year. In 2008, I moved to Hawaii with my cornea-trained husband, and we purchased a practice, Honolulu Eye Clinic, and have been working together ever since.

2. What is the main focus of your efforts outside of clinical care?

I have two areas of focus outside of directly caring for patients. One is educating patients about eye health and eye care where they are, which today is mainly on social media. My second area of work centers on empowering women and helping them understand that there are many different paths to medicine and inspiring them to think creatively about their future careers and how to balance work and life. To that end, I cofounded the Pinnacle Conference, a multispecialty women’s medical conference, and I am the host of It’s Good To See You, a podcast for working women to redefine what having it all means. Each week, I delve into the challenges of life balance, time management, entrepreneurship, and being a boss on your terms.

3. What has your experience been collaborating with industry?

I’m fairly new to collaborating with industry, as the opportunities for pediatric ophthalmologists are typically limited. However, in the past 2 years, I have had the chance to speak in a variety of formats, including large sessions, intimate roundtables, and even virtually across the world. These opportunities have provided a great way to disseminate information and educate on the newest technologies and pharmaceuticals. They’ve all been fun, and most of all I’ve enjoyed meeting other ophthalmologists who are involved as well.

4. In your opinion, how is the role of women in ophthalmology evolving?

An unprecedented number of women have assumed leadership positions in our professional societies. Personally, I can credit one such leader, Christie Morse, MD, for being a true sponsor. A sponsor doesn’t just advise and mentor you. They advocate for you. They pull you up with them. They want you to be better than them. They’re your brand advocate. They share your accomplishments. They’re talking about you positively when you’re not in the room.

As more women reach positions of leadership, more can serve as sponsors for others. But there is still a lot of room to grow. Women represent almost half of all ophthalmology residents yet still hold a much lower percentage of academic leadership positions than men.

5. What hurdles do you feel women in health care still face? 

Even if they work full time and have a thriving career, most women function as the default parent. Several surveys on the division of domestic tasks and childcare between men and women demonstrate that women still do the lion’s share. This makes it hard to find the additional time to conduct research, publish, or advance in leadership—not impossible, but harder.

6. What advice can you offer to young female ophthalmologists who are still in training or just beginning their careers?

Design the career you want. There are many ways to thrive and succeed, and your professional path does not need to look like someone else’s. Determine what is important to you, and craft the life that allows you to uphold those core values.

7. Can you propose a unique or creative idea that may help women in ophthalmic practices?

In-house childcare! Whether in a hospital, a health maintenance organization, or private practice setting, I don’t see why nurseries cannot be more available. This was a huge part of how I was able to return to work guilt free—I knew that my children were just down the hall in my clinic. If such a thing were accessible, then more female (and male!) ophthalmologists wouldn’t feel like they have to choose between work and family. 

PUBLISHED WORKS

• Shaaban, S, MacKinnon S, Andrews C, et al. Genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for comitant esotropia and suggests a parent-of-origin effect. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018;59(10):4054-4064.

• Culjat M, Darling S, Nerurkar V, et al. Clinical and imaging findings in an infant with Zika embryopathy. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;63(6):805-811.

• Cestari DM, Hunter DG. Learning Strabismus Surgery: A Case-Based Approach. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012.

• Wong RK, VanderVeen DK. Presentation and management of congenital dacryocystocele. Pediatrics. 2008;122(5):e1108-e1112.

• Krishnamurthy R, Cunningham ET. Atypical presentation of syphilitic uveitis associated with kyrieleis plaques. Br J Ophthalmol. 2008;92:1152-1153.

• Krishnamurthy R, Vanderveen DK. Infantile cataracts. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2008;48(2):175-192.

• Rondeau MJ, Barcsay G, Silverman RH, et al. Very high frequency ultrasound biometry of the anterior and posterior chamber diameter. J Refract Surg. 2004;20(5):454-464.

• Bentel GC, Marks LB, Krishnamurthy R, Prosnitz LR. Comparison of two repositioning devices used during radiation therapy for Hodgkin’s disease. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1997;38(4):791-795.

• Bentel GC, Marks LB, Krishnamurthy R. Impact of cradle immobilization on setup reproducibility during external beam radiation therapy for lung cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1997;38(3):527-531.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

• American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO)

  • Diplomate

• American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmologists and Strabismus (AAPOS)

  • Vice-Chair, Online Media Committee

  • Member, Socioeconomic Committee and Recruitment Task Force

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

  • Gala Committee

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 

• American Medical Association (AMA)

• Hawaii Ophthalmology Society (HOS)

• Women in Ophthalmology (WIO)

HONORS & AWARDS

• Hawaii’s Best Doctors | 2011–2023

• AAO Leadership Development Program, Class XXV

• Honolulu Magazine Cover, Best Doctors Issue | 2012

• Von L. Meyer Award, Children’s Hospital Boston | 2006

• Farley Fellowship Award, Children’s Hospital Boston | 2006

• Ophthalmology Times Resident Writer’s Award, Second Place | 2005

• Young Investigators Award, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists | 2005

• Dr. Milton B. Rosenbluth Fellowship | 2002

• John Hartford AFAR National Research Fellowship | 1999

• Duke University Undergraduate Research Fellowship | 1995–1996

• B.N. Duke Leadership Scholarship | 1994–1998

• National Merit Scholarship | 1994