Graduating Residents

Jennifer Adeghate, MD

Dr. Adeghate was born in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. She returned to Budapest to attend medical school at Semmelweis University, where she discovered her passion for ophthalmology. She also had a fondness for education and was a mentor to many of her juniors as a teaching assistant. After graduating summa cum laude from Semmelweis University, she worked as a clinical research fellow for two years at the Department of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. During this time, she was also a visiting research scholar at the Glaucoma Research Center at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Adeghate completed her internship in general surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College prior to beginning her residency in ophthalmology at UPMC. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Dr. Adeghate will be doing her fellowship in Surgical Retina at Columbia University in New York City.

Patrick Commiskey, MD

Patrick Commiskey was born in California to parents from Peru and Maryland. He completed his undergraduate studies in journalism and political science with an economics minor at Indiana University. After college, he helped found a non-profit community radio station in Salt Lake City, ran a brand-marketing firm, and helped to promote countless charitable and community-based organizations in Utah, Michigan, and St. Lucia. Exposure to the world and a desire to make a personally meaningful difference led him to attend medical school. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and intended to become a family medicine doctor. It was there he discovered his love for ophthalmology (and a certain one of his classmates) during late third year that led him to take a sharp turn and pursue ophthalmology (as well as the classmate). He is so grateful for these two blessings: a rewarding career and a loving wife who is an awesome pediatrician. Being at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology meant a rigorous training, exposure to broad and abundant ocular pathology, and an opportunity to continue pursuing his interests in technology, education, and community outreach. Dr. Commiskey is going to Wilmer for a cornea/refractive/external disease fellowship. He will miss Pittsburgh.

Ricardo Couso, MD

Ricardo “Richie” Couso, MD, a native of New Jersey, graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Rutgers University in 2010 with a BS in Exercise Science. He has always had a love for education, and as an undergraduate was an MCAT instructor for the Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences (ODASIS) at Rutgers. He then pursued his MD at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He cultivated his love for Ophthalmology during a Pediatric Oculoplastics rotation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His research in Oculoplastics has led to peer-reviewed publications, including a podium presentation at ASOPRS. He holds academic interests in medical student and resident education, as well as product/device development. He enjoys spending time with his wife Megan, lifting weights, playing squash, playing the guitar, and exploring Pittsburgh.

Dr. Couso will be joining the Pima Eye Institute in Tucson, Arizona and starting his career as a Comprehensive Ophthalmologist.

Graduating Residents (continued)

Zachary Koretz, MD, MPH

Dr. Zachary Koretz grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2011 with a BSc in Biochemistry. At UCSB, Dr. Koretz volunteered with Doctors Without Walls/Santa Barbara Street Medicine and assisted on mission trips to Mexico with Aeromèdicos. In 2013 he began medical school at Tulane University and concurrently completed a master’s in public health with a concentration in Epidemiology from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. During his time in New Orleans, he helped to establish the Luke’s House Eye Clinic: a free community eye clinic for underserved and undocumented patients in New Orleans. Dr. Koretz graduated first in his class and earned awards including the School of Medicine Dean’s Award for superior academic performance, and the university-wide Tulane 34 award for academic excellence, service and leadership. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society during his junior year and served as president of the medical student body. Zachary is a magician member of The Magic Castle/ Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood, CA, and in his free time he loves photography, cooking, and exploring Pittsburgh with his wife Kirsten and their 2 dogs.

Julia Shatten, MD. M. Ed

Julia Shatten, MD, M. Ed graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in the Biological Basis of Behavior where she did research in sleep science. After graduation she taught middle school science in St. Louis as a part of Teach for America where she earned her Master of Education from the University of Missouri and decided to pursue a career in medicine. She completed her post baccalaureate work at Washington University in St. Louis where she did research in using MRI to detect early signs of demyelination of the optic nerve in mice. She then spent a year doing research in Boston at the Berenson- Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel. She completed medical school at The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont as a Schweitzer Fellow and stayed at UVM for her intern year in medicine. Her interests include global health, vision screening, women’s health, aerospace medicine, neuro-ophthalmology and medical education. In her free time, she enjoys dance, yoga, rock climbing, hiking, writing and exploring Pittsburgh on her bicycle. Dr. Shatten will be skiing to work and eating lots of cheese in her yearlong fellowship in the snowy city of Madison, Wisconsin for Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery.

Caroline Vloka, MD– Chief Resident

Caroline Vloka grew up in New Jersey. Before college, she represented the United States on the National Women’s Fencing Team. She attended Harvard University where she majored in Human Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Slavic Languages and Literature. While in college, she won the NCAA Championships in women’s saber in 2010 and was named first team All American in all four years. She went on to medical school at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School after which she completed a Transitional internal year at UPMC. In her free time, she likes exploring new restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, golfing, going to the gym, and playing board games. Dr. Vloka will be going to Denver, Colorado for an ASOPRS fellowship in Oculopalstics. She is looking forward to exploring the Rocky Mountains with her new daughter Kora.