In August 2024, The National Medical Association Ophthalmology section (NMA-OS) and AUPO jointly launched INTREPID: INvesting, TRaining, Equipping and Promoting Individuals for Distinction in Ophthalmology. The INTREPID program is a year-long, seminar-based program that provides faculty members a tailored professional development opportunity to learn foundational knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve career goals and grow as leaders in academic medicine and ophthalmology research.
The competitive nomination process opens in January with participants selected in February. The program starts with a two-day interactive in-person session held during the NMA Ophthalmology annual meeting in the summer. Following the summer session, the program continues throughout the year with virtual sessions, and additional in-person meetings at the AAO and AUPO Annual Meetings. A key feature that distinguishes this program is the integration of a career coach as well as a coach in cultural resilience in academia.
We are pleased to announce our current 2026-2027 INTREPID Cohort:
- Karen Allison, MD, MBA, University of Rochester
- Michael Harrell, Jr., MD, UT Health San Antonio
- Peter Macintosh, MD, University of Illinois Chicago
- Daniel Maidana, MD, PhD, University of Illinois Chicago
- Caroline Vloka, MD, University of Colorado Anschutz
- Basil Williams, MD, University of Miami
In-Person Meetings & Events
- July 24–26, 2026 – National Medical Association Annual Meeting – INTREPID Cohort #3 Kickoff Sessions (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- October 11, 2026 – American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA)
- January 27–29, 2027 – Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology Annual Meeting (Indian Wells, CA)
Webinar Series (Virtual)
Wednesdays, 75 minutes, 8:30–9:45 PM ET
- Sept 2, 2026 – Cultural Resilience and Navigational Skills Coaching (Angela Byars-Winston, PhD)
- Dec 2, 2026 – Pathways to Promotion for Faculty (Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD, and Bennie Jeng, MD)
- Feb 17, 2027 – Mentor Network Mapping (Rukhsana Mirza, MD, and Misha Syed, MD, MEHP)
- March 3, 2027 – INTREPID Cohort Check-in Session
- April 7, 2027 – Research in Academia, Making Yourself Valuable in Academia and Grant Writing (Sayoko Moroi, MD, PhD, and Akrit Sodhi, MD, PhD)
- May 19, 2027 – Promoting Balance in Academia: Strategies to Address Imposter Syndrome, Minority Tax, and Avoiding Burnout (Eve Higginbotham, SM, MD, and Lynn Gordon, MD, PhD (Tentative))
- June 2, 2027 – Grant Writing Series (Akrit Sodhi, MD, PhD)
Additional Program Component
- Individual Coaching – Three one-on-one coaching sessions with Professional Career Counselor and Coach (Rena Harper, MBA - Lorre Consulting and Advisory)
Eligibility: Participants must be ophthalmologists or vision scientists with an appointment at an Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO) member academic ophthalmology training department. The participant should be an instructor, assistant, or associate professor. This includes faculty members on any professional track such as tenure, clinician/educator, or clinical tracks.
Commitment: Accepted participants should be able to commit to full attendance of all sessions.
Class Size: The estimated annual class size for the program is 6 participants.
The INTREPID Planning Committee will review completed applications submitted in January. Selected participants will be notified in late February. Participants not selected one year may reapply the following year.
The INTREPID program will subsidize travel, accommodations, and registration up to $2000 for each in-person session for selected participants.
Applicants must submit statement of interest, curriculum vitae and complete the online application form.
