糖心

After graduating from Franklin & Marshall, Wenxin Wei 鈥�02 found himself on the other side of the country, studying a new form of eye surgery in California. Now, he鈥檚 back in Lancaster, helping legally blind patients see again. 

Wei, who studied biology at F&M, attended medical school at Pennsylvania State University and completed his ophthalmology training in Hershey, Pa. He went on to a fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at the University of California, Irvine.

During his fellowship, Wei studied a newly developed method of cornea transplant with a quicker recovery time鈥攑atients who received the newer procedure were able to see days or weeks after the surgery, rather than six to 12 months, which was previously the norm.

When he received a job offer from Eye Associates of Lancaster after completing his fellowship, Wei was able to bring this new procedure to the area. 鈥淎t that time, none of the practices in Lancaster offered this procedure,鈥� Wei said. 鈥淧atients were being sent to Hershey, Philadelphia, or Baltimore.鈥�

Traveling for the surgery and numerous follow-up appointments could be difficult, if not impossible, for patients. Returning to Lancaster allowed him to make this procedure more accessible for those who needed it.

"We recently hired two new cornea specialists and are now helping hundreds of legally blind patients see again every year."

-Wenxin Wei '02

鈥淲hen I got an offer to come back from California鈥攚here cornea specialists were plentiful and competing with each other for patients鈥揳nd provide a service that was needed to the residents of Lancaster, it was the perfect match,鈥� Wei said.

He became a partner at Eye Associates of Lancaster and continues to help the practice grow. 鈥淲e recently hired two new cornea specialists and are now helping hundreds of legally blind patients see again every year.鈥�

Wei has also helped pre-med students at Franklin & Marshall get a clearer view of what their future might hold. Over the years, students have shadowed him at his office and surgery center, where they have been able to watch examinations and surgeries.

Wei emphasized the importance of seeing firsthand what a career in medicine involves. 鈥淚 think when you鈥檙e in college, being a physician or surgeon seems more like a distant concept than a reality. But time flies and I think it鈥檚 important for them to get a glimpse of what they鈥檙e working toward,鈥� he said.