Class of 2029: Sebastian Lopez, eye doctor in the making

Sebastian Lopez is on a mission to save people’s eyes.   

When he was a child, Lopez developed a temporary eye illness that doctors initially had trouble diagnosing. He had to return to the hospital three times. 

“Instead of being freaked out about it, I fell in love with everything the doctors were doing,” Lopez recalls. “I started asking all the doctors and medical students questions. I’ve been interested in ophthalmology ever since.”

In high school, Lopez pursued a number of service activities, often associated with his goal of becoming an eye doctor. He led a community project in which he collected gently used glasses. He would donate the frames to the Miami Buena Vista Biltmore Lions Club, which would then provide the frames for free to people in the community who were struggling to get new glasses.

Lopez also interned at the eye clinic of the Miami Veteran’s Affairs Healthcare System. He shadowed a doctor during about 30 different surgeries and numerous patient visits. He realized that many patients, especially the elderly, had trouble understanding some of the medical jargon or remembering all the information communicated to them during visits.

“I knew many of them would have to relay the information they were hearing to their families,” Lopez says. “I realized it would be helpful if I created some kind of fact sheet that was written to help patients apply the information to their everyday lives.”

His supervising doctor enthusiastically embraced the idea, and Lopez got to work. He wrote 11 fact sheets about basic surgery and eye health information, all of which used clear and concise language to explain concepts. VA staff reviewed the sheets and then began using them regularly with patients.

Today, patients are still receiving the fact sheets Lopez created.  

For his work with the glasses donations and the fact sheets, Lopez received a Silver Knight Honorable Mention. But he didn’t stop there.

Thanks to his internship at the VA, Lopez was also invited to co-author a scientific paper that was published in Vision, a peer-reviewed journal. Lopez was charged with writing various sections within the paper, which looked at the factors that increase people’s chances of developing macular degeneration (the deterioration of the central part of the retina) as they grow older.

“I never expected that one of my achievements in high school would be to co-author an article for a journal,” Lopez says. “The opportunity presented itself while I was volunteering, and I did it. It was great.”

Lopez was just as involved in school as he was in service activities. He graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. He took nine AP classes and was the president of the IB Honors Society.

A man of faith, Lopez has also been deeply involved in Encuentros Juveniles, a Catholic youth group of the Archdiocese of Miami for several years. 

Becoming a Panther

When it came time to choose a university, Lopez set his sights on FIU.

The university's accelerated B.S.-M.D. program was a big draw. The seven-year program allows FIU Honors College students to earn a bachelor’s in biology while seamlessly beginning at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine during their fourth year as undergraduates. As long as students continue to meet several academic requirements and successfully complete the interview process, they are guaranteed spots within FIU’s medical program and will graduate with an M.D. at the end of the seven years.

After an extensive interview process, Lopez was selected for the program. He is one of only three students in the university to be chosen as part of this year's cohort. 

Besides the program, FIU holds a special place in his heart. Becoming a Panther is a point of pride in his family — Lopez’s father is an alumnus and his brother is a current student.

“I’m very excited to join this amazing campus, all the energy, all the life it brings," Lopez says. "It has a lot of meaning in my family to attend the same institution as my dad and brother.”

When asked about his goals, he says he wants to give back. 

“What motivates me is being able to help people,” he says. “To contribute to the community. That’s another reason I chose FIU. This program will allow me to serve the community I grew up in.”

The future looks bright.