In this Euretina Women in Retina series, women in ophthalmology share their career challenges and evolution over time, discussing work-life balance and the importance of mentorship. They highlight the shift towards female leadership in a previously male-dominated field, and how organizations like Euretina are fostering diversity and support for women in medicine.

Learn more about the EURETINA Women in Retina Programme here. 

Video Transcript

Why is it important for women in Ophthalmology to have female role models and mentors?

Aleksandra Rachitskaya: It’s such a pleasure for me to participate in the Euretina Women in Retina initiative. I think as I think about my career, I have to acknowledge a lot of female mentors who have inspired me and have been so pivotal for my career. And I would say that it’s very important for women to have women role models and women mentors, and it might be not necessarily somebody who directly works with you and encourages you but somebody who is leading the way and is representing women in research and clinical work in surgeries and on the podium. So I think that has changed and we see more and more women, leading the way and also serve in leadership roles.

How can professionals maintain a healthy work-life balance throughout their careers?

Aleksandra Rachitskaya: I think when it comes to maintaining the balance, one of the best advices that I’ve ever gotten is that there’s different seasons in life, and you have to, both men and women, I think we all have to understand what is the most important thing for you at the moment. And I think being happy at work and being happy in other aspects of your life kind of goes together and allows us to really perform to the best of our abilities and to give the best care for our patients and be the best colleague and a mentor to our trainees.

What actions can organisations like Euretina take to foster a more diverse, inclusive and supportive environment for its community?

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