花季传媒

Kimberly Bass 鈥�83 was a successful ophthalmologic聽surgeon with a solid practice in St. Paul but, she says, 鈥淚 still yearned for something more.鈥�

She considered a few alternatives, talked them over with her family and, six years ago, quit her practice, opting to expand her volunteer activities and use her considerable skills to treat the vision problems of people in third-world countries.

鈥淚 liked the concept of volunteering,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd travel is a big part of our family. So giving back to somebody who doesn鈥檛 have anything and being able to travel and trying to be self-sufficient have all become very gratifying.鈥�

Bass started volunteering in 2007 for two organizations 鈥� SEE International and Medical Ministry International 鈥� that sponsor medical missions. She has operated on 300 to 500 patients during 11 expeditions to five countries: St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Honduras; Bolivia; Peru; and Colombia. She plans to return to Colombia in January.

鈥淎 lot of patients simply need glasses. It鈥檚 amazing how a pair of glasses can change somebody鈥檚 life,鈥� she says. She also sees 鈥渁 lot of聽glaucoma, a lot of diabetic eye disease. Predominantly what I鈥檓 focused on 鈥� pun intended 鈥� is cataracts and cataract surgery.鈥�

Bass says she misses her private practice 鈥渂ut it doesn鈥檛 compare to what I鈥檓 doing now. 鈥� It is exciting and rewarding to be involved with restoring a person鈥檚 eyesight聽and changing their lives and their family鈥檚 forever.鈥�

Bass came to 花季传媒 with a plan to become a pediatrician. 鈥淗aving the liberal arts exposure was great,鈥� she says. 鈥淭aking some poetry classes and a mythology class, along with my pre-med requirements and psychology requirements too, was very satisfying.鈥� She encourages young people to pursue their passions, whether they relate to their career plans or not, because 鈥渋t will make you a more interesting and involved person. If you鈥檙e self-satisfied, it just comes out with whatever job you do.鈥� 聽

When an accelerated program at Northwestern Medical School placed her on pediatric oncology and infectious disease floors at a Chicago children鈥檚 hospital, 鈥淚 cried every day. I聽thought,聽I can鈥檛 do this for the rest of my life.鈥� She dreaded her next rotation 鈥� surgery 鈥� but ended up loving it and, having always been fascinated with the eye, she ended up pursuing ophthalmology.

鈥淓verybody should try something they鈥檙e not comfortable with 鈥� and when I say 鈥榯ry,鈥� I mean volunteer, exposing yourself and giving to others,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hether that鈥檚 at the local level, for instance, the food shelf, homeless shelters or something on a much larger scale, as I鈥檓 doing, which is traveling internationally, doing surgery, it is so beneficial; it is so rewarding. 鈥� If everybody tried to do something like this, I think we鈥檇 have a better world.鈥�