Gilmer is an ophthalmologist, or “eyeMD,” a medical doctor with additional training in all aspects of eye care including optical, medical and surgical. He has also completed subspecialty training in the field of cornea.
“We are pleased to have a doctor of such high qualifications join our staff,” said Khorram.
“Over the past few months, my highest priority has been to find a talented and compassionate ophthalmologist who could continue providing the highest standards of care to our patients at Marianas Eye Institute,” Khorram said.
“I thought it might take a year or two to find the right person, so it was a surprise that it happened so quickly,” he said.
Khorram got acquainted ith Gilmer through conversations and through talking to people who knew him well,
“I kenw he would be perfect for our islands.”
Gilmer grew up in a Florida and graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology. He graduated cum laude and was inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Delta Honor Society. After college, Gilmer joined the Peace Corps and spent two years living in Kumbungu, Ghana where he was the high school science and math teacher.
Gilmer also founded the school’s science laboratory, started a poultry farm, and organized the construction of 12 new teacher houses.
“Being a Peace Corps Volunteer was an important experience in my life,” said Gilmer.
“It gave me the chance to see a great country while living and teaching in a small village setting among the Dagomba people of northern Ghana.”
When asked about the impact of his experience, Gilmer explained, “As any Peace Corps Volunteer will say, I certainly learned more than I was able to teach. It has always been rewarding for me to learn about and live in new cultures, and I am grateful now to have the opportunity to be here in the CNMI.”
After two years in Africa, Gilmer returned to the U.S. and moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked for several years with the International Institute for Training & Education, and the Department of Energy.
He said that working at the IITE in Washington gave him the chance to work with government officials from Taiwan, Korea, and India. He also had the opportunity to work in the national security realm at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is a part of the Department of Energy.
While at the NNSA, Gilmer was involved in program management of advanced research and development at the Energy Department’s three national defense laboratories here he learned a great deal about congressional and administrative roles in the management of national labs, and was exposed to very interesting research and development projects in the process.
Gilmer returned to school and earned his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
He said that “living in Washington, D.C. for many years was a unique and enjoyable experience. It is a beautiful and historic city, and I feel fortunate for having had the chance to attend Georgetown where I became interested in ophthalmology after learning the anatomy of the eye and watching eye surgeries being performed. “
After medical school, Gilmer completed his ophthalmology training at New York Medical College and served as Chief Resident during his final year.
He became interested in the cornea, the front surface of the eye, because of its unique quality of being transparent, its fundamental role in providing vision, and the precise surgical interventions to reverse corneal blindness.
He decided to pursue subspecialty training and in July 2010 and completed a Cornea and External Disease Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. The fellowship training provided him the skills to perform complex corneal surgeries such as corneal transplants. He is the first corneal specialist in the region and will be providing subspecialty services in this complex field to patients in the CNMI and Guam.
Gilmer has published scientific articles in prestigious medical journals and participated in research presented at conferences around the world. His research covers a vast array of fields, including the use of femtosecond lasers during corneal surgery, infectious disease of the eye, use of focal pulsed lasers for treatment of retinal disease, use of intraocular drugs for treatment of diabetic eye disease, high speed indocyanine green for treatment of subretinal blood vessels, and treatment of macular degeneration.
The Marianas Eye institute has been hailed as one of the best-equipped eye clinics in the Asia-Pacific region by Retinal Physician Magazine.
Located on Beach Road in Garapan across 13 Fishermen Monument, Marianas Eye Institute provides complete eye care including one-hour glasses, contacts, medical eye care, surgery and laser. Gilmer will be working with Dr. Mark Robertson to provide patient care, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare are accepted. Patients without insurance are also welcome. Appointments are available at 235-9090. Walk-ins are welcome.
