The Art of Seeing Differently: Surgery Through Dr. Patricia Bath’s Lens

By: Julia Vasquez-Gonzalez and Dieynabou Diallo

This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Black Academic Surgeons in celebration of Black History Month.

Throughout everyone’s individual medical training, we are often guided to find mentors, to read, and to seek purpose. Nowadays we are taught: “if they can do it, so can you”. But can we transport to a time, not so long ago, when that was just a dream? 

In the 1940s in Harlem, New York, amid war, music, and hope, Louis Armstrong’s Jazz tunes played. In one of these specific homes in Harlem, Dr. Patricia Bath’s parents reminded her to “never settle for less than your best”, and so she didn’t. 

From an early age, Dr. Bath showed an interest in science and service. Inspired by Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s medical work in the Congo and shaped by her upbringing, she pursued medicine in a system that offered few examples of people who looked like her. As an African American woman pursuing medicine, she only had one option  – to be excellent. At just 16 years old, she earned a scholarship from the National Science Foundation to develop research on cancer, nutrition, and stress. This was just the beginning of her remarkable career. She graduated with honors from Howard University College of Medicine in 1968. That same year, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Bath translated inspiration into action. She coordinated and led Howard University medical students to provide care for participants in the Poor People’s Campaign at Resurrection City. This effort was later recognized in the Journal of the National Medical Association.

Dr. Bath returned to New York to complete her internship at Harlem Hospital Center, which had recently affiliated with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. There, she identified a striking disparity: Harlem Hospital served a significantly higher proportion of blind patients compared to Columbia’s Eye Clinic, yet had no ophthalmologists on staff. Awarded a one year fellowship from Columbia University, she conducted epidemiological research on visual impairment in Harlem. This work became the foundation of what she later termed “Community Ophthalmology.” Her advocacy and perseverance led Columbia faculty to begin performing free eye surgeries at Harlem Hospital, and in 1969, Dr. Bath assisted in the hospital’s first eye surgery.

In 1973, she became the first African American to complete an ophthalmology residency at New York University. A year later, she completed a second fellowship at Columbia focusing on corneal transplantation and keratoprosthesis. By 1975, she became the first African American female faculty member at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. Despite all of her achievements, she faced discrimination. In an interview she recalled “I was offered an office in the basement next to the lab animals, which I refused. I didn’t say it was racist or it was sexist. I said it was inappropriate and succeeded in getting acceptable office space.”

By 1977 she founded and became the first president of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, and in 1983, she became chair of the Ophthalmology Residency Training Program at UCLA, the first Black woman in the country to hold such a role.

Among her many contributions, Dr. Bath’s invention of the Cataract Laserphaco Probe revolutionized cataract surgery. Her innovation offered a painless and effective solution to what previously, often resulted in irreversible blindness. She recalls that “When I talked to people about it, they said it couldn’t be done.” She never listened to those who told her she could not succeed, and her legacy lives on because this invention is used worldwide today.

As the world of surgery continues to evolve, many women still find themselves asking, “Will I fit in?” That question is understandable, but Dr. Bath’s story reminds us we were never meant to change ourselves to belong. Instead of manufacturing a new personality to succeed in a field dominated by people unlike her, Dr. Patricia Bath refined the strengths she already had and used them with intention. Women are often described with attributes such as empathy, patience, multitasking, adaptability, attention to detail, and perseverance. In the world of surgery these words translate to attention to patient care, diversity of skill, problem-solving, technical precision, and resilience. The surprising question is not whether we can do this, but rather can we recognize our values early enough to continue our journey?

Dr. Bath recalled in an interview: “Sexism, racism, and relative poverty were the obstacles which I faced as a young girl growing up in Harlem. There were no women physicians I knew of and surgery was a male-dominated profession; no high schools existed in Harlem, a predominantly black community; additionally, blacks were excluded from numerous medical schools and medical societies; and, my family did not possess the funds to send me to medical school.” 

Her legacy of excellence demonstrates that you can be technically brilliant and morally driven. To translate the attributes we already carry to transform medicine. To look at the world we live in with a vision to challenge the status quo. A vision to serve. A vision to inspire. Dr. Patricia Bath didn’t just restore sight, she established a vision for future generations.

Julia Vasquez-Gonzalez is a fourth-year medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine, originally from Palmira, Colombia. She immigrated to Miami in her youth and remains deeply connected to her roots. She completed her bachelor’s degree in health sciences at the University of Florida in 2020. Following graduation, she became a certified nursing assistant during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve her South Florida community.

She aspires to become a comprehensive and compassionate general surgeon, exemplifying the values of discipline, humility, and service her family taught her. During medical school, she has led several organizations, including serving as President of the Cardiology Interest Group, President of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and Vice President of the Morehouse School of Medicine chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons. She continues to mentor students through different organizations and tutors other medical students emphasizing the importance of understanding medicine.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, reading history books, and completing puzzles. Julia is passionate about patient advocacy, health equity, and mentorship, and she views surgery as the perfect field through which to continue advancing these values.

Dieynabou Diallo was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a fourth-year medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine and a proud first-generation Guinean American. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgia State University and completed her Master of Science in Medical Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine prior to medical school.

During medical school, Dieynabou has held several leadership roles, including Vice President of the MD Class of 2026, Co-President of the MD Council, and Co-Founder and Co-President of the Morehouse School of Medicine chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons. She is passionate about creating supportive spaces for women in surgery and fostering community within medicine.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, working out, and binge-watching her favorite TV shows. Dieynabou plans to pursue training in General Surgery, with a career grounded in serving the underserved, leadership, mentorship, and surgical excellence.