“The ability to serve patients both professionally and socially, to me, is a higher calling,” says Dr. Sumit (Sam) Garg, who recently celebrated his first year with the Beyond Blindness Ophthalmic Advisory Board.
As medical director of UC Irvine’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Dr. Garg has dedicated his career to restoring people’s vision and performing cutting-edge surgery to create the best possible outcomes for his patients The award-winning doctor is also involved with shaping the next generation of innovators as a professor to ophthalmology fellows and residents at UC Irvine.
Despite his many professional commitments, he prioritizes giving back to his community. An Orange County native, Dr. Garg was thrilled to use his advanced skill set to change the lives of local children and families who might not otherwise have the opportunity.
“Beyond Blindness serves patients that have hardships earlier in life,” he says. “While I don’t typically treat children in my own practice, I’ve always had an affinity for kids.”
His first year on the board was filled with purpose, bringing his attention to detail and forthright style of communication to ensure the group remained focused on the goal at hand. Dr. Garg believes that bringing the right people on board is key to future success.
“Our job is to get the best skilled volunteers implanted into the organization so that the people served by Beyond Blindness get the very best experience possible,” he says. “I’m thrilled with how enthusiastic all the other board members are. Not only about sharing their own expertise, but in getting their corporate teams involved. And that’s the whole point of the advisory board — to get the eyecare world to support the important mission of Beyond Blindness.”
Dr. Garg has a bachelor’s degree from University of Southern California, a master’s from Boston University’s Department of Graduate Sciences, and his M.D. from New York Medical College. He’s an avid golfer who loves spending his free time working on his game, and Beyond Blindness is looking forward to welcoming him back at the annual Dr. Frank Villalobos Fall Golf Classic this fall.