Students unite for sight
BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0806242 (Published 01 June 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:0806242
- Hugh Ip, student editor1
- 1Student BMJ
Fact file
Name—Jennifer Staple
Position—Chief executive of Unite for Sight and third year medical student at Stanford University Medical School
Biography—Founded Unite for Sight in 2000. Graduated from Yale University in 2003
What is Unite for Sight?
It is a non-profit making organisation that empowers communities to improve eye health. We send volunteers from the United States, England, and many other countries to Ghana and India, where they work with eye clinics.
What do the volunteers do?
We have ophthalmologists who provide surgery and train local ophthalmologists. Volunteer optometrists work directly with local optometrists and ophthalmic nurses in programmes in rural villages. And we have undergraduates, medical students, and public health students. They go to rural villages and help ophthalmic nurses and optometrists with screening to measure visual acuity and prescribe glasses. They also help to identify patients who need cataract surgery and care for glaucoma. Suitable patients can be taken back to the clinic, where the local ophthalmologist provides surgery. Every year we send 250 volunteers abroad to eye …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.