Hassan Waqar, OMS-III

Hassan Waqar is presently a fourth-year medical student at NYIT-College of Osteopathic Medicine with a strong background in ophthalmology and optometry. At his school he established the student chapter of American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and became its first president. Through his organization he raises interest and awareness about ophthalmology, as a specialty, among medical students by providing them early clinical exposure and research opportunities in the field. He himself is involved in different faculty-run research projects in ophthalmology.

Prior to starting medical school, he served as an ophthalmic technician supervisor for about five years at Aran Eye Associates, one of the largest ophthalmology practices in southeast Florida. There he had an opportunity to work closely with ophthalmologists of different specialties including cornea, cataract and refractive surgery, glaucoma, oculoplastics and vitreous-retinal surgery; as well as with optometrists who served as primary eye care physicians for the specialists. Besides teaching and training ophthalmic technicians; he helped physicians with his preliminary eye exams, refractions and wide range of ophthalmic diagnostics to diagnose and treat their patients. He also assisted the surgeons in the operating room.

Hassan was formerly trained as an allopathic medical doctor, with a specialty in ophthalmology, from overseas. However, he strongly believes that osteopathic principals enable to widen a physician’s perspective to diagnose and treat ophthalmic conditions; and that Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) can enhance the outcomes of conventional medicine. He hopes to apply these concepts to his practice in ophthalmology in the future.