YMDC Live at AAO

The Capstone Event

Friday, October 9, 2026 | 5:00–8:45 PM CT
New Orleans, LA | Exact location to be announced!

Friday, October 9, 2026
5:00–8:45 PM CT
New Orleans, LA
Exact location to be announced!

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Join your peers for one of the year’s biggest events for young & aspiring ophthalmologists: the YMDC Event at AAO! Designed for emerging leaders in ophthalmology (medical students, residents, fellows, and newly practicing ophthalmologists), the YMDC Event at AAO offers small-group mentoring sessions with thought leaders, followed by next-level networking opportunities, all while enjoying bites and beverages in NOLA. Spaces are limited and will fill up quickly—register today!

AGENDA

5:00–5:45 PM Registration & Networking with Exhibitors
5:45–6:05 PM Welcome From YoungMD Connect
6:05–6:15 PM Industry Panel with Visionary Partners
6:20–7:05 PM Mentoring Sessions
7:15–8:45 PM Networking Reception

MENTOR FACULTY

Mentor faculty to be announced soon!

  • Zubair Ansari, MD

    Zubair Ansari, MD

    Cataract and anterior segment surgeon at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida
  • Sila Bal, MD, MPH

    Sila Bal, MD, MPH

    Cataract, cornea, and global ophthalmologist at Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Medical Group, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Sahar Bedrood, MD, PhD

    Sahar Bedrood, MD, PhD

    Glaucoma and cataract specialist at Advanced Vision Care in Los Angeles, California
  • Barton Blackorby, MD

    Barton Blackorby, MD

    Vitreoretinal surgeon at Madigan Army Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri
  • Vaidehi Dedania, MD

    Vaidehi Dedania, MD

    Adult and pediatric vitreoretinal surgeon at NYU Langone Health, New York
  • Vikram Durairaj, MD

    Vikram Durairaj, MD

    Oculoplastics surgeon at TOC Eye and Face in Austin, Texas, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas
  • Alison Early, MD

    Alison Early, MD

    Cataract and refractive surgeon and founder of Signature Cataract & Laser Consultants in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Sharon Fekrat, MD

    Sharon Fekrat, MD

    Vitreoretinal surgeon and Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina
  • Arjan Hura, MD

    Arjan Hura, MD

    Cataract, refractive, and anterior segment surgeon at Maloney-Shamie-Hura Vision Institute in Los Angeles, California
  • Grant Justin, MD

    Grant Justin, MD

    Vitreoretinal surgeon and research director at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland
  • Shivani Kamat, MD

    Shivani Kamat, MD

    Glaucoma and anterior segment disease specialist at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas
  • Cathy McCabe, MD

    Cathy McCabe, MD

    Refractive cataract surgeon at the Eye Associates in Sarasota, Florida, and Chief Medical Editor of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today
  • Julius Oatts, MD, MHS

    Julius Oatts, MD, MHS

    Pediatric ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
  • Mary Qiu, MD

    Mary Qiu, MD

    Glaucoma specialist at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Eric Rosenberg, DO

    Eric Rosenberg, DO

    LASIK and cataract surgeon at SightMD in Plainview and Babylon, New York
  • Jesse Sengillo, MD

    Jesse Sengillo, MD

    Retina surgeon and Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer in Miami, Florida
  • Brian Shafer, MD

    Brian Shafer, MD

    Anterior segment specialist at Shafer Vision Institute; adjunct assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; and clinical assistant professor (adjunct) and head of cornea at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Geoff Tabin, MD

    Geoff Tabin, MD

    Cofounder and Chairman of the Himalayan Cataract Project, and Professor of Ophthalmology and Global Medicine at Stanford University in Stanford, California
  • Vance Thompson, MD, FACS

    Vance Thompson, MD, FACS

    Cataract and refractive surgeon at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  • William B. Trattler, MD

    William B. Trattler, MD

    Refractive, cornea, and cataract surgeon at the Center For Excellence In Eye Care in Miami, Florida
  • Dagny Zhu, MD

    Dagny Zhu, MD

    Cornea, cataract & refractive surgeon at Zhu Vision in Orange, California
SEE MORE +
 

Registration