Isa Mohammed, M.D. joined Wilmer as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in November 2023. A cornea and refractive surgery specialist, Mohammed sees patients at Wilmer’s Green Spring Station and East Baltimore locations.

What attracted you to the field of ophthalmology?

I love helping people see better. It's just incredibly satisfying. It's a field where you get immediate gratification. Patients have the surgery, and the next day they can see. And in doing so patients get back their livelihood and their functionality and their quality of life.

How did you become interested in your specialty?

When I was a medical student, I saw a full thickness cornea transplant and I thought it was an incredibly elegant surgery. I also had refractive surgery when I was a medical student, and I saw firsthand how impactful it was, so it was something that immediately caught my attention. I thought to myself this was something that I could do for a living. It never gets old because the impact you've had on patients is very refreshing.

What drew you to Wilmer?

A few things. One, I love teaching, and it's great to work with residents and fellows, who keep me fresh on my toes and make sure that we're pushing forth the latest techniques in the field. You're also working with people who are world renowned, and it's nice to be able to have colleagues to consult with when you have challenging cases. Finally, and probably the most important thing, is the support that a massive institute such as Wilmer provides. You have all the resources and support to practice ophthalmology to its fullest extent.

What are you working on right now and how will it contribute to the advancement of ophthalmology?

Currently, I'm training residents and fellows in refractive surgery, as well as corneal and cataract surgery, so that they can be the next leaders of the field and so that wherever they go, they can deliver refractive surgery to the highest standard. It’s incredibly fulfilling, it's fun, it forces you to be a better clinician, because you're constantly challenged, it forces you to be on top of everything because you're constantly questioned. And it also forces you to be very competent surgically because you need to be the one that can get anyone out of any problem.

Where do you see opportunities for advancement or innovation in your specialty?

Fortunately, ophthalmology — and specifically, cornea and refractive surgery — is a very dynamic field. With that, there's technology that's constantly changing, and we're fortunate to have the resources here at Wilmer to have the cutting line technology when it comes to refractive surgery. That affords us lots of growth. It allows us to perform refractive surgery on patients who may otherwise not be the best candidates, and it allows us to deliver excellent outcomes to the standard patient who may benefit from refractive surgery by offering the full spectrum and not just one option.