In Their Own Words: Alumni in Health & Medicine

Thomas M. Aaberg, Sr. '58

Since my Freshman 'survey' course in sociology, 1954, I have benefited from my education in the Department, subsequently  majoring in sociology and then entering Dartmouth Medical School.  My developing interest in 'small group dynamics and behavior'  helped immensely in all aspects of my life.  After finishing the last 2 medical years at Harvard School of Medicine, then interning at Minneapolis General Hospital before returning for an Ophthalmology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, I was committed to 2 years of 'Military Service' in the CORD program.  I was assigned to the Oklahoma State Health Department and tasked with implementation of a State-side County-situated glaucoma screening program which had been started by my predecessor and then initiating and implementing a state-wide pre-school amblyopia screening program which I developed through help from the University of Oklahoma School of medicine  resulting in Master's thesis and degree [MSPH] from the U. of Oklahoma.  Both programs relied heavily on my sociology training. 

After the Selective Service commitment I joined the faculty at what is now the Medical College of Wisconsin [formerly Marquette School of Medicine] and was charged by the Chairman to form and develop a Section of Retinal/Vitreous medicine.  In this position, small group behavior became a mainstay of my faculty life and many of my section collegial trainees went on to highly  respected academic careers as well as patient care endeavors.  I was then (1988) recruited as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine where the Department of 5 full time Faculty grew eventually to over 20 with 6 resident and 8 Fellowship trainees/year.  Certainly my sociology background has been the foundation of my entire career, now being Emeritus Professor and Emeritus Chair of Ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine.