PLEASE SHARE WITH US YOUR BACKGROUND.

I am Brazilian-American, born and raised in South Florida. Among my family in the United States, I am a first-generation physician; however, one can say ophthalmology runs in my blood, as I have an extensive lineage of family members in Brazil who are ophthalmologists!

I completed undergraduate and medical school at Florida State University in Tallahassee. I went on to complete my ophthalmology residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, followed by a 2-year American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery–accredited fellowship in oculofacial surgery at Emory University in Atlanta.

I took a less traditional route after fellowship by working as an independent contractor, which I loved, while simultaneously opening a boutique solo practice in Miami. My practice officially launched in April!

WHAT DREW YOU TO OPHTHALMOLOGY AND, SPECIFICALLY, TO YOUR FIELD OF INTEREST?

At a young age, a personal contact lens–related eye issue drew me to ophthalmology, and from then on, I always said, “I’m going to be an eye surgeon when I grow up.” In undergraduate university, I took a trip to Ghana with Unite for Sight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to international eye care. This experience was life-changing and solidified my dream of becoming an ophthalmologist. I took a year off between undergraduate school and medical school to work as an ophthalmic technician and focus on my MCAT. I nearly went to optometry school because I thought I would not match into ophthalmology, but luckily, I had amazing mentors who pushed me to chase my dreams.

In medical school, I continued my pursuit of ophthalmology. Coming from a state school without an ophthalmology department, I worked as hard as I could to successfully match by utilizing every resource and connection I had. In residency, I was exposed to functional, reconstructive, and cosmetic oculoplastic surgery early on, and I fell in love with the breadth of procedures. I loved operating on all parts of the face and the transformative results of these treatments.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT POSITION.

I am currently an oculofacial surgeon in Miami. As previously mentioned, after fellowship, I began my career as an independent contractor. This allowed me the flexibility to stay busy with surgery while still overseeing my own schedule. It also gave me a crash course in the business side of medicine, as I knew I wanted to someday run a practice. After nearly 2 years of independent contracting, I began my own practice while still doing contract work on the side, which was a great source of income while building a business.

For those interested in starting a solo practice, my advice is to take your time learning the ropes before venturing out. There are solo practice groups online that I found to be an extremely helpful resource. Build your network, acquire Google reviews and before-and-after photos, and learn where your referrals come from. Also, don’t underestimate the power of social media—this has been big for my practice!

Going solo does have some cons. I missed the connection to academia, which is why I joined the faculty at Florida International University in Miami, where I mentor medical students who are interested in ophthalmology. This helps me stay connected to academia and to research opportunities. I also get together quarterly with a group of local oculoplastic surgeons, and we have started our own journal club, which is not only fun but also educational!

WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS?

I would not be where I am today without my mentors, from undergraduate school to fellowship. Ranya Habash, MD, and Brent Bellotte, MD, introduced me to ophthalmology when I was a teenager and welcomed me into their private practice, where I fell in love with the field. In residency, James Chelnis, MD, FACS, introduced me to oculoplastics and changed the course of my ophthalmology career. I will forever be in debt to my fellowship program director Ted Wojno, MD, who is beyond talented and selfless, as well as Joon Kim, MD, and Adam De La Garza, MD, who shaped me into the surgeon I am today.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE OF YOUR CAREER THUS FAR?

My most memorable experience was probably fellowship, as it was extremely demanding. I was the only fellow and took call daily for 2 years. This transformative experience pushed me beyond my personal and professional comfort zones, and today I feel like I can survive and tackle anything with the skills I learned. It also gave me the courage to start my own practice sooner than expected because I was confident in my surgical skills and felt prepared for the next big challenge. Starting my solo practice has been humbling, terrifying, but completely exciting at the same time!

WHAT ARE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THAT YOU HAVE FOUND PARTICULARLY EXCITING? WHICH ADVANCES IN THE PIPELINE ARE YOU MOST ENTHUSIASTIC OR CURIOUS ABOUT?

With any surgery, I consider all minimally invasive options that can deliver functional results with good cosmesis. For this reason, I have been adopting more laser-assisted and endoscopic-style approaches. It has been exciting learning these skills post training through conferences, videos, cadaver labs, and our amazing oculoplastic/ophthalmology colleagues.

I am also very interested in regenerative medicine. I have been incorporating exosomes, platelet-rich plasma/platelet-rich fibrin, stem cells, etc., into my surgeries and nonsurgical rejuvenations, and I am excited to see my long-term results. I do believe that this is the future of medicine.

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF SOME OF YOUR RESEARCH?

Currently, I have been focusing my research on the field of regenerative aesthetics and exploring nonsurgical techniques to enhance surgical results. This field is quickly expanding but still lacks true clinical trials. My plan is to use my private practice as a hub for investigations and clinical research. I look forward to one day being able to share my personal experience.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT KEEPS YOU BUSY, FULFILLED, AND PASSIONATE?

I typically operate 2 to 3 days a week and spend the remaining days in either clinic or doing minor procedures. I try to work out at least 4 days per week with a combination of weightlifting, Pilates, and cycling. I currently spend a lot of my free time building my solo practice and advancing my skills, usually by watching videos or reading manuscripts. I am also in a unique situation where I do not live in the same state as my husband! He works in New York and travels weekly to Miami, so on weekends we are spending quality time trying out new restaurants, venturing outdoors, or hanging out with family and friends. I like to stay up to date in my field and routinely attend four to five conferences per year. I recently started working more closely with industry, and this has brought many new and exciting opportunities to my career.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE JUST NOW CHOOSING THEIR CAREER PATHS AFTER FINISHING RESIDENCY OR FELLOWSHIP?

Find your why. When you are aligned with your purpose, decisions become easier. This will make choosing the right first job, and all the decisions you are about to make as a new graduate, feel less daunting.

Next, communicate and network. Invest in the relationships with people whom you admire and who motivate you. By surrounding yourself with those who inspire you, your growth naturally occurs. I cannot express how much this has benefited me in the past—so many opportunities that have “magically” come my way have been from friends or people I have connected with who share my passions and ideations. When you are making big decisions, lean on those individuals and do not be shy about asking for advice or help.

Last, know your worth. I once interviewed for a job and found out that I was offered significantly lower pay than another colleague. I managed to negotiate the pay to almost double the initial offer. Had I not asked my network of colleagues for help, I may have blindly accepted my first offer! Don’t be shy about leaning on colleagues during the scary times and always know that you are more valuable than what you give yourself credit for.

TELL US ABOUT AN INNOVATIVE PROCEDURE YOU ARE PERFORMING OR A NEW IMAGING/DIAGNOSTIC TOOL THAT HAS IMPROVED YOUR PRACTICE.

I recently brought the M22 (Lumenis) aesthetic laser platform into my practice, and I am beyond excited to start using it. This platform features a 1,064-nm Nd:YAG vascular laser for treating periocular veins, a fractionated laser for resurfacing, broadband light for dark spots and skin tone, and more. I think this device will allow me to offer my patients next-level results with minimal downtime.