Otana Jakpor, M.D., M.Sc., Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, completed a global ophthalmology fellowship in 2024-25 from the U-M Kellogg Eye Center Jerome Jacobson Global Program, after completing a pediatric ophthalmology fellowship in 2023-24. “I was inspired by a longtime interest in global health that began as an undergraduate,” says Dr. Jakpor. “I didn’t realize until much later that fellowship training in global ophthalmology was even an option because it’s a pretty rare opportunity.” The fellowship is a unique, year-long training program for those interested in global health within ophthalmology. "It's a formal way for people who care about global health to gain knowledge and experience in academic global ophthalmology,” she says. The program is customized to meet the career goals of fellows, including service; clinical and epidemiological research; operations research; and clinical and research capacity building. "The fellowship is structured with four months in the United States, where fellows see patients, teach residents, and join professional development activities. The rest of the year is spent in international rotations in countries like India, Kenya, Costa Rica, Nepal, and Ghana,” says Dr. Jakpor. “It emphasizes long-term sustainable, collaborative relationships with our partner institutions.” During her time in India, Dr. Jakpor visited the Aravind Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli and Madurai. “The focus was on health care delivery, along with a course in manual small incision cataract surgery,” she says. “I also visited the Kisii Eye Hospital Innovation Eye Centre in Kenya to both learn skills like manual small incision cataract surgery and teach in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.” Dr. Jakpor says that a key strength of the fellowship is the broad and varied experience gained over the course of the year. “I had the chance to tailor my experiences to my interests, such as pediatric ophthalmology. Each rotation had different goals, from learning new surgical techniques to building partnerships. I set specific objectives for each rotation,” she says. Dr. Jakpor notes that, among the many lessons she learned during her travels, flexibility is key. “There are always unexpected challenges, whether with logistics or communication,” she says. “No matter how well you’ve planning things out, there are always things to learn. It’s just part of the process.”