When Ari August started at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, eyeballs grossed her out. Fast forward to her fourth year—she’s now applying to ophthalmology residency after completing a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital.
Originally from Rehoboth Beach, Del., August came to Jefferson through the University of Delaware’s Medical Scholars Program. “There was never any other school in my mind,” she recalls.
August was drawn to Jefferson’s JeffMD curriculum, which integrates basic and clinical sciences, and the case-based learning format that fosters collaboration. Her attraction to medicine stems from her love of intellectual challenge.
“I get bored easily, and I like that medicine is hard,” she explains. “It’s not enough to know a lot. There’s no perfect formula for care. You must integrate concrete knowledge with each patient’s evolving story, recognize patterns and master communication skills.”
Between her third and fourth years, August took advantage of a yearlong Ophthalmic Pathology-Translational and Genetic Ophthalmology Research Fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital.
“This year was huge for me,” she reflects. “I learned about ophthalmology building from the cellular and genetic to the clinical level and grew my appreciation for both the science and art of the field.”
The fellowship proved transformative in developing her research and communication skills. Her mentors emphasized that groundbreaking research means little if it cannot be communicated effectively.
August presented at the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society 2025 meeting and received the P. Robb McDonald Award for Best Scientific Paper Presented by a Fellow at the Wills Eye Conference 2025 and Best Trainee Presentation at the Atlantic Coast Retina Club 2025.
