Rahul Iyengar, MD

Ophthalmologist

Specialties: Retina

Rahul Iyengar, MD graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan in 2014 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He remained in Ann Arbor to complete his medical school at the University of Michigan as a merit scholarship recipient, graduating in 2019 with multiple academic awards and induction into the Alpha Omega Alphga (AOA) national medical honor society.

Following his medical internship at Aurora St. Luke in Milwaukee, WI, Dr. Iyengar completed his residency training at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, one of the top ophthalmology training programs in the country. He then completed a 2-year fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery with the USC Roski Eye Institute and Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group. He was presented with the Senior Resident Teaching Award upon residency graduation and was then chosen to serve as the Chief Fellow for the USC ophthalmology department.

Publications

Iyengar R, Aaberg M, Yu G et al. Quantitative ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography nonperfusion and

neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy and association with treatments and progression. Pending review (2024).

Iyengar R, Krautmann M, Kotha S et al. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Regional Program for Identifying and Treating

Children with Correctable Refractive Error in Indonesia. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. (2023) Oct 5:1-8. PMID: 37798900

Iyengar R, Deardoff M, Schmidt R, Nagiel A. Retinal Manifestations in Autosomal Recessive MPDZ Maculopathy.

Ophthalmic Genetics. (2023) 1-5. DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2022.2161580.

Pike S, Iyengar R, Peng CC et al. Malignant teratoid intraocular ciliary body medulloepithelioma in a 5-year-old male with

corresponding somatic copy number alteration profile of aqueous humor cell-free DNA. Ophthalmic Genetics. (2022).

DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2022.2138457.

Guo S, Iyengar R, Chudnofsky C et al. Misdiagnosis of postorbital foreign body as glaucoma drainage device. (2022). The

Journal of Emergency Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.04.024. In Press.

Yu G, Aaberg MT, Patel TP, Iyengar R et al. Quantification of Retinal Nonperfusion and Neovascularization With

Ultrawidefield Fluorescein Angiography in Patients With Diabetes and Associated Characteristics of Advanced Disease.

JAMA Ophthalmology. (2020) 138(6): 680-688. DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1257.

Iyengar R, Winkels JL, Smith CM et al. The Effect of Financial Incentives on Patient Decisions to Undergo Low-value Head

Computed Tomography Scans. Academic Emergency Medicine. (2019) 26(10): 1117–1124.

Iyengar R, Mossner J, Sekhri S et al. A New Composite Measure for Assessing Surgical Performance. Michigan Journal of

Medicine. (2019) 4: 1.

Porath JD, Meka AP, Morrow C, Iyengar R et al. Patient Preferences for Diagnostic Testing in the Emergency

Department: A Cross-sectional Study. Acad Emerg Med. (2018) 25(6): 627–633.

Inadomi M, Iyengar R, Fischer I, et al. Effect of patient-reported smoking status on short-term bariatric surgery

outcomes. Surgical Endoscopy (2018) 32: 720.

Novice T, Parikh A, Iyengar R. Transforming Medical Education: Academia Meets Innovation. Michigan Journal of

Medicine (2017) 2:1.

AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2024-25: USC+RVA Chief Fellow – selected by faculty to be chief fellow for 2024-25 academic year
2023: Resident Teaching Award – awarded to graduating senior for dedication to teaching throughout residency
2021: ARVO Travel Grant Recipient – travel award to ARVO national conference for research presentation
2019: Academic Recognition Award –top 5 graduating students annually at UM Medical School (class of 170)
2019: Academic Ophthalmology Scholarship – $10,000 award supporting promising students entering Ophthalmology
2015-2019: The Roberts Family Merit Scholarship – 4-year academic tuition scholarship to attend UM Medical School
2019: Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society – superior academic performance (top 15%) at UM Medical School
2018-19: Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in Clinical Skills and the Art of Medicine – top 10% of performing students
in medical clerkships and Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
2018: Editor-in-Chief’s Pick of the Month – first-authorship cover article in Academic Emergency Medicine journal
2018: Global REACH Grant Recipient – research/travel grant to investigate nanophthalmos in Sao Paulo, Brazil
2018: Outstanding Performance on Comprehensive Clinical Assessment – top 20% of performers on clinical skills exam
2016: Summer Biomedical Research Program Stipend – award to investigate patient preferences for diagnostic testing
2014: Received multiple presenter awards at business pitch competitions for healthcare IT startup company: UM
Business Challenge, Accelerate Michigan, & Great Lakes Entrepeneurship Quest
2014: Summa Cum Laude – highest academic distinction in the University of Michigan College of Engineering
2010-2014: University of Michigan Dean’s List – for GPA > 3.5 in all 8 undergraduate semesters
2010-2013: University of Michigan James B. Angell Scholar – awarded for exemplary academic performance
2011: William J. Branstrom’s Prize – awarded to top 5% of class at the University of Michigan

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