NANOS HEROES- DR. BILLI WALLACE

VOLUNTEER CORNER - NANOS HEROES

Meet NANOS 2023 Merit Award recipient, Dr Billi Wallace. 

Billi Wallace, MD

DR. Billi Wallace

Ophthalmology or Neurology?
  - Ophthalmology

What was the best clinical pearl you learned in fellowship?
  - If you simply listen to your patient, they will tell you what is wrong with them.

What are the top 3 things you've learned over the past 5 years?
  1) There are many facets of neuro-ophthalmology: patient care, research, teaching, administration, advocacy, etc. Your time and interest in each will vary over the stages of your career.
  2) There are opportunities to practice neuro-ophthalmology aside from the traditional academic positions.
  3) Neuro-ophthalmology is just as exciting of a subspecialty as when I started training.

Tell us about your involvement with NANOS!
  - I attended my first NANOS meeting as a fellow in 2006. Ivy Dreizin invited me to lunch and instantly made me feel like I belonged in this amazing organization. I became involved by simply showing a willingness to participate in committees where I found mentors and friends who helped me grow and advance into vice-chair and chair positions. NANOS has been both personally and professionally rewarding for me! I wouldn't and couldn't practice neuro-ophthalmology without the amazing colleagues and friends I've met through NANOS!

Advice for Members Interested in Involvement with NANOS
  - Simply do it! Explore the committees available and express an interest in those that appeal to you. You will find mentors and friends who help put your interests and talents to use growing our amazing organization.

What do you know at this stage in your career that you wish you knew when you first joined NANOS?
  - Though the organization has grown exponentially over the years, it is still a relatively small organization with a really big heart for patients, students, residents, fellows, and members. There is room for everyone to be involved that has the tiniest spark of interest!