Patricia Bath
Patricia Bath
Patricia Era Bath was an American ophthalmologist, inventor, and academic whose work transformed the treatment of blindness and preventable vision loss. She is best known for inventing the Laserphaco Probe, a device that improved the precision and effectiveness of cataract surgery. In 1988, Bath became the first Black female physician to receive a medical patent in the United States, marking a mil
"“Philosophically, I like to think that my greatest accomplishment has to be those moments when I’ve helped someone regain eyesight, when I remove the patient’s patch and he starts with the big E and goes all the way down to the 20/20 line.”"
"Hater-ation, segregation, racism, that’s the noise — you have to ignore that and keep your eyes focused on the"
"Being poor shouldn’t hold you back either – when I talk to disadvantaged school kids about poverty, I tell them that the label of “poor” is a tactical assault of naming and shaming."
"When I began my residency training at New York University, I had no idea that I was the first and only African-Americans ophthalmology resident. I did not know, or even care! But I did know that my superior grades, scores and credentials had earned me a coveted spot in a highly competitive residency, and that was awesome. I was happy and excited that I was about to capture my dream and become a great ophthalmologist by training in one of the most prestigious programs in the USA."
"I hope that through my past legacy and future advocacy, that the current and future generations of young scientists will not experience the hurtful wounds of discrimination of any kind."
"Taking the high road may be arduous and long, but it will lead to justice and triumph."
"My parents believed that with enough education, I could own the world,""
"“When I was offered an office not equivalent to that of my male colleagues, I could’ve started marching. But I felt it was more important to focus on the prize.”"
"“Service to the underserved was a natural evolution of my life from my Harlem roots,”"
"The biggest challenge I overcame in my career was wanting to do research, but not having the funding or a lab to do it in. When I encountered discrimination, I stayed focused on my goal and worked to outsmart the racism I faced – with ingenuity, rather than wasting my time and energy complaining about it."
"I’ve achieved so much in my career, and it’s important to me that I pass on the torch and help to inspire others to get involved in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) – whatever their backgrounds or circumstances."
