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Message from the Chair: Swan Song

TAMARA R. FOUNTAIN, MD, OMIC Board of Directors
Do you know the origin of the term “swan song,” defined by Webster as a farewell appearance or final act or pronouncement? According to Greek mythology, swans, while revered for their graceful beauty, were not considered capable song birds until, peculiarly, they were near death. It was only then that they were said to produce their most hauntingly beautiful arias. I am not near death (far as I know), am not retiring from practice (that, I know) nor do I sing (well), but I am approaching the culmination of my OMIC service and this is my final message to you as Chair of the Board.

As of December 31, I will have served the maximum 15-year term on OMIC’s Board and committees. I was part of an experiment (not since repeated, I will add) when, as a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Young Ophthalmologist Committee, I was tapped to fill a vacant OMIC committee spot back in 2000. I was barely out of fellowship, knew little about malpractice insurance—except that I had to have it to see patients—but saw the opportunity in this stretch assignment and accepted the invitation without reservation.

It is no small irony that this final Chair Message comes in a Digest dedicated to the young ophthalmologist—those in residency, fellowship, or their first five years in practice. This generation of doctors may look different (less white, more female), learn differently, and have different career expectations, but their liability exposure remains the same as when mid-career and senior ophthalmologists started out. A sobering 95% of us will be named in a lawsuit over an average 35-year career. It is never too soon to promote risk management strategies to those who are just beginning their practice. OMIC is committed to supporting young ophthalmologists as it is they who will carry the torch of ophthalmic advocacy, education, and patient care into this new millennium.

I am passing the Chair baton to my colleague, mentor, and friend, George A. Williams, MD. George has forgotten more than I will ever know about the world of ophthalmology. He will bring considerable expertise in finance, regulatory affairs, and single malt Scotch to continue the tradition of strong leadership and management that has become the hallmark of the OMIC brand.

It has been particularly emotional for me to approach my final days on this Board, an association of people that has become like another family to me. No one succeeds in chairing such an exemplary body without a whole lot of support. To Board members past and present who saw something in me I didn’t see myself, to our consultants who took me under their wing in what I like to call my own OMIC “home-schooling,” to the dedicated staff at the mothership in San Francisco who always answered my late-night emails, my last minute requests and were my own squad of cheerleaders, and to our beloved CEO Tim Padovese, the executive captain of the OMIC ship, you’ve all shaped me in profound ways both personal and professional. Thank you for this improbable and glorious ride.