Matthew Oliva, MD, residency class of 2003, gave the first Honored Alumni Lecture at the 50th Resident Alumni Day on June 15 at UW Medicine South Lake Union.
Dr. Oliva has worked in a multi-specialty practice in Medford, Ore., since 2008 and is the board chair of Cure Blindness. He spends 6 to 8 weeks a year in the African countries of Somaliland, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, working to eradicate avoidable blindness in under-resourced areas by helping people retain and regain their sight.
Cure Blindness grew out of the Himalayan Cataract Project, which began in Nepal, and had the highest number of preventable blindness in the world.
Dr. Oliva has performed thousands of cataract surgeries in Nepal and now in Africa and trained doctors there to provide necessary eye care.
“Hopefully I can inspire young doctors to get involved; there is such a need around the world. In ophthalmology, we have a skill we can teach, and we can give the gift of sight.”
