Instructors by Training Location
At HelpMeSee, our instructors ensure our trainees have a proficient grasp of manual small incision cataract surgery techniques. Our instructor-led training prepares our trainees for real-world surgical scenarios using state-of-the-art ophthalmic simulation-based training to provide a realistic, hands-on learning environment. The core of our training initiative is the Eye Surgery Simulator, a cutting-edge tool that provides a realistic surgical environment. Under the expert guidance of our instructors, trainees can practice and perfect their surgical skills in a simulation-based, risk-free setting. This interactive learning experience is instrumental in preparing them for real-world surgical scenarios, significantly enhancing the success rate of cataract surgeries.
Our dedicated instructors play a pivotal role in elevating the standard of eye care. They are not just instructors, but mentors who foster a culture of excellence, nurturing the next generation of ophthalmic professionals. With the help of our instructors, we are making strides in improving eye health and eradicating cataract blindness, one training session at a time.
Learning Development Training Center
Mumbai, India
Dr. Ashish Bacchav, MBBS, DNB (Ophthalmology), FAEH (Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery)
Director, Product Management
Dr. Bacchav joined HelpMeSee in 2017 as Lead Instructor and Subject Matter Expert. He is a Fellow of Cornea & Microsurgery at Aravind Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli, India, and a senior consultant with eye hospitals in Thane, India.
Dr. Bacchav’s experience includes more than 10,000 surgeries in MSICS, phacoemulsification, LASIK, cornea and refractive surgery. Dr. Bacchav plays a critical role in leading and training the team of instructors who teach MSICS. As a Subject Matter Expert, he leads the MSICS surgery simulation development for training purposes.
Dr. Chetan Ahiwalay, MS
Chief Instructor
Dr. Ahiwalay joined HelpMeSee as an Instructor and Subject Matter Expert. He performed fellowships at two of India’s top eye hospitals, a fellowship in phacoemulsification at Sankara Nethralaya and another in medical retina at Aravind Eye Hospital.
In his role at HelpMeSee, Dr. Ahiwalay leads the MSICS Simulation-based Training Course (MSTC) delivery at the Learning Development/Training Center in Mumbai. He also trains the HelpMeSee team of instructors. He advises on the development of the MSICS surgery simulation from a training perspective. In addition to his work with HelpMeSee, Dr. Ahiwalay practices cataract and anterior segment surgery extensively and has vast experience in MSICS practice and training.
Dr. Akshay Gopinathan Nair, MBBS, DNB (Ophthalmology), FLVPEI (Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery & Ocular Oncology)
Director of Business Development, India
Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Nair joined HelpMeSee in 2017, working today as a Simulation Subject Matter Expert. He has a Master of Science degree from Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital in Chennai, India.
After his graduation, Dr. Nair underwent fellowship training programs in ophthalmic plastic surgery, ocular oncology and facial aesthetics at the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India and New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai Hospital in the United States.
Dr. Nair currently serves as faculty at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and the Advanced Eye Hospital & Institute in Mumbai, India.
Dr. Nair has a strong academic background with more than 60 peer-reviewed, indexed publications and ten textbook chapters. With expertise in ophthalmic microsurgery, Dr. Nair contributed immensely to the HelpMeSee Eye Surgery Simulator’s development.
Polyclinique Ilafy
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Dr. Jean Marie Andre-Valentini
Chief Instructor
Director of Business Development for Africa and Europe
Dr. Jean Marie Andre-Valentini is HelpMeSee Chief Instructor and Director of Business Development for Africa and Europe. He joined HelpMeSee as a Medical Officer in 2013. He is an anterior segment surgeon with over 40 years of experience.
Dr. Andre-Valentini completed his medical education and received his Master of Surgery from Marseille Medical School in France. For decades, he worked on behalf of Marseille Medical School in Francophone, West Africa. In collaboration with the West African Health Organization, he educated local medical professionals on using MSICS.
Dr. Andre-Valentini is a member of the Malagasy Society of Ophthalmology, the French Society of Ophthalmology and the European Society of Ophthalmology.
Mexican Institute of Ophthalmology (I.M.O.)
Querétaro, Mexico
Dr. Karla Pamela González Daher
Instructor
Deputy Director of the Anterior Segment Department, Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología (IMO)
Dr. González is an Anterior Segment Surgeon at the Mexicano de Oftalmología (IMO) in Querétaro, Mexico, where she teaches phacoemulsification and Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery to residents. Dr. González qualified as an HelpMeSee Ocular Incisions and Dissections Course Instructor in 2019. Working with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Van Lansingh, Dr. González installed the HelpMeSee Eye Surgery Simulator to IMO, the first in Latin America.
As part of the HelpMeSee Partnership Training program, Dr. González will teach Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery using the Eye Surgery Simulator and the MSICS Cataract Surgery eBook.
In addition to her surgical appointment, Dr. González is President of the Research Ethics Committee and Head of Teaching at Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología/La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She is also a Collaborator for the International Council of Ophthalmology.
Dr. González graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Querétaro, where she completed her Instituto residency with Mexicano de Oftalmología I.A.P. and subspecialty study in ocular anterior segment microsurgery. She has a Master’s Degree in Bioethics from the Center for Advanced Social Research.
Dr. Teresa Diaz Flores
Lead Instructor
Associate Director of the Anterior Segment Department, Mexicano de Oftalmología (IMO)
Dr. Díaz is certified by HelpMeSee to teach Sclerolcorneal Tunnel Construction Course (STCC) at the Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología (IMO)/Autonomous University of Mexico, where she also completed a fellowship in Anterior Segment Surgery in March of 2020 and an ophthalmology residency 2018.
Dr. Diaz’s graduate thesis compared the visual results of phacoemulsification cataract surgery with Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). She received her board certification from the Mexican Council of Ophthalmology in 2018.
SIMLab
Jersey City, NJ USA
Dr. Nasar Mohammed
Instructor
Dr. Nasar Mohammed is an instructor at the HelpMeSee SIMLab in Jersey City, NJ since 2022. His role is to train ophthalmic surgeons using the simulation -based microsurgery training program.
After obtaining his Master of Surgery from the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal in India, he proceeded to the United Kingdom to pursue a fellowship in Anterior Segment at the Royal Free Hospital, University of London. On his return to India, he did a short-term fellowship at the Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.
Over the last 30 years, he has performed thousands of Ophthalmic procedures including Cataract, Lasik, and Refractive surgeries as the chief surgeon at the Roshan Eye Center, Bangalore. He served as a teaching faculty at the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College. Later, he trained and mentored Ophthalmic residents at his alma mater, Manipal Hospital in Bangalore.
Dr. Mohammed is the Life Member of the All-India Ophthalmological Society and a former International Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Minal ShaBaldota DO (INDIA), FLEI (PHACO)
Chief Instructor, Americas
Dr. Minal ShahBaldota, an ophthalmic surgeon, is a Subject Matter Expert with HelpMeSee New York. Drawing on her extensive surgical experience spanning over 25 years, Dr. ShahBaldota is an integral member of the HelpMeSee team focused on the development of the Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) simulator.
She performed thousands of cataract surgery: phacoemulsification, extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE), and MSICS), glaucoma, and LASIK surgeries in India.
Prior to her current role, she founded, owned, managed, and performed surgeries at Eyes First Clinic and Surgery Center in Mumbai, India.
Dr. ShahBaldota finished her specialization in Ophthalmology at Baroda Medical College. She also completed a Fellowship in Phacoemulsification at Laxmi Eye Institute. Additionally, she concluded a short-term Fellowship in Glaucoma at Aravind Eye Hospital, as well as Advanced Training in Refractive Surgery (LASIK) at New Vision Laser Center.
She is a life member of the All-India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) and the Bombay Ophthalmology Association (BOA).
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HelpMeSee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the United States.
The HelpMeSee mission is to eradicate preventable cataract blindness globally. We achieve this through an innovative, scalable simulation-based cataract surgical training program. Our program covers Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS), Phacoemulsification Simulation-based Training Course (PSTC), Suturing Simulation-based Training Course (SSTC), Complications Management Course (CMC), Phacoemulsification to MSICS Differences Course (PMDC), and MSICS to Phacoemulsification Differences Course (MPDC). These offerings empower eye care professionals to refine their skills, master vital procedures, and excel in ophthalmology. We are dedicated to restoring vision for those with severe visual impairment and cataract-induced blindness worldwide.
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