At the June 2019 Oral Examination in Rosemont, IL, two longtime American Board of Ophthalmology examiners reached the 20-examination milestone:
John Welch, MD, of Hastings, NE, has been an examiner for the ABO since 1995. Dr. Welch has mentored nine new examiners and assisted with oral examination content development. Dr. Welch, who practices at Retina Center of Nebraska, earned a medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and went on to complete his internship at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, followed by residency training at SUNY Upstate Medical Center and a retinal fellowship at Wills Eye Institute.
Richard Beller, MD, of Napa, CA, has been examining candidates for board certification since 1996. Dr. Beller received his medical degree from Stanford University Medical Center. He then completed an internship at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. After a three-year residency in ophthalmology at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, he moved to Napa, where he has practiced for more than 20 years.
The Goldfeller Award is named for the late Mr. Ben Goldfeller, a resident of San Francisco and longtime friend of the ABO, who volunteered to help with the administration of 50 Oral Examinations before his death in 2002 at the age of 86. Mr. Goldfeller became involved with the ABO when he assisted with the use of microscopes during the examination. After microscopes were discontinued as part of examination process, he found other ways to help with the delivery of the exam.