Beck, Khalifa, Mehta honored for Educator Appreciation Day
Longtime chief of the Grady Hospital ophthalmology service celebrated for mentoring next generation ophthalmologists
On May 24, the Emory School of Medicine marked Educator Appreciation Day by releasing the names of 175+ faculty whose knowledge, mentorship, and instruction have set the bar high for both collagues and students alike.
Within the Department of Ophthalmology they singled out Yousuf Khalifa, MD, a nine-year veteran of the Emory Eye Center who currently serves as the chief of service at Grady Hospital. A respected cataract surgeon, he has played an integral role in the education of 54 residents and many fellows who have rotated through the bustling urban hospital during his tenure.
The official nomination hailed him for going above and beyond in his approach to teaching:
Dr. Khalifa has significantly enhanced our clinical teaching especially in the area of cataract surgery. He has arranged regular wet labs and cataract surgery simulation courses, programmatic step-wise learning processes in the operating room, and introduced newer technologies to our Grady clinics and operating room.
Eagerly echoing the praise was Allen D. Beck, MD, the F. Phinizy Calhoun, Sr Chair of Ophthalmology and the director of the Emory Eye Center.
Dr. Khalifa is extremely dedicated to resident education, particularly related to mentoring outstanding ophthalmic surgeon. His approach is innovative, personal, and tailored to each resident's skill set. We are so fortunate to have him as our chief of service at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Khalifa greeted the news with a refreshing combination of personal humility and collegial admiration.
I am grateful to be a part of the team at Grady, and to have received this honor,
he said.
I am motivated and challenged every day by the educational mission of the Emory Eye Center, which puts a bigger emphasis on teaching than a lot of other large centers. Many of the ophthalmologists practicing in Georgia were trained here. Each of them was trained not only to take good care of eyes, but to adapt their skills and knowledge to the different life experiences, backgrounds, and struggles of the people they serve. In the process of learning about ophthalmology, these residents have learned how to be better versions of themselves. I have enjoyed being part of the process that has brought them from not knowing to being really really good surgeons.
Maitri Mehta, MD, the outgoing ophthalmology chief resident for the class of 2023, was quick to return Khalifa's praise.
Dr. Khalifa is really dedicated to giving residents as strong a clinical experience as possible. He really stands out-shines, actually - as a surgical teacher, she said. More than answers, he guides us to ask the right questions. And then he makes sure we get the right training, so that we will be prepared to handle the most complex cases. As a clinician, if there's a logistical problem - with scheduling a patient or with OR availability for instance - he will pick up the phone and make it happen.
-Kathleen E. Moore