To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Dr. ____ M.D., Ph.D. I am an ophthalmologist with my clinic practicing in ____ City, ____, Japan, since 2013. It brings me joy to recommend my friend, colleague, and someone I have taken considerable pride in mentoring in Ophthalmology, Dr. ____, to a fellowship position in our field with a particular focus on cataracts, Glaucoma, Retina, pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and Ophthalmic Pathology.
Before giving my all to my clinic, I also served as a (2008-2011) Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine of ____ University, senior head physician of the Ophthalmology ward, and the head of our Glaucoma Team at ____ University Hospital. I had an opportunity to get to know Dr. ____ ____ quite well over seven years, from 2004 through 2011 when I was supervising doctor at XXXX University Hospital. ____ served with us first as a resident and later as a resident fellow. XXXX was incredibly talented as an assistant at my glaucoma surgeries, and he learned a great deal about our current state of advanced surgery on the eye over the time he was with us. Since then, he has continued to work alongside me as much as his circumstances allow.
Dr. ____ has lived in the US since 2013; however, every year, he has returned to Japan to help with the patients in my practice for two months during the summer, seeing outpatients and assisting me with surgeries. He is the fastest learner with the most remarkable ability I have ever worked with. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as his mentor for these past 16 years. We treated many patients as a team, but some cases are especially memorable. I remember a 26-year- older woman with glaucoma. On her first visit, her left eye was already NLP (no light perception=blind). Her glaucoma in her other eye was refractory. Yumiko wanted to spare her sight, and I thought she needed Tube-Shunt, which had not yet been approved for use in Japan. ____ went that extra mile, collecting information pertinent to the new technique and assisting me with the surgery. He was tireless, determined, and successful at getting the necessary, special approval from the Ethics Committee of our hospital. It was the first Tube-shunt surgery in the hospital, successfully controlling the patient’s interocular pressure.
Another of my most vibrant memories of a patient we cared for was a 64-year-old female with Primary extranodal NK-T cell interocular lymphoma (sporadic). When I saw her for the first time, she had been treated for acute retinal necrosis and was in danger of losing trust in her physicians because they seemed to her to be unable to help her. I will never forget how ____ bonded with this patient, working to strengthen her morale, winning back her confidence, and his tireless consultation with ____ loves a challenge, and the fact that this patient was stabilized speaks volumes about his tenacity. Dr. ____ is exceptionally skilled at cataract and Glaucoma surgery (Trabeculectomy, Trabeculectomy, etc.). I can assure you that ____ has much to offer to your program, particularly concerning cataracts and Glaucoma. It would be a privilege to provide you with further information concerning Dr. _____.
Sincerely,
Letter of Recommendation from Mentor, Ophthalmology