Our Residents

Christine Ryu, MD 

Ophthalmology resident, 2020-2024

Hometown: Denton, Texas

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? All subspecialties are represented, including oculoplastics, uveitis, and ocular oncology. UNMC residents graduate with top surgical numbers.

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? Because we’re a smaller program, we’re closer to each other. This includes our attendings, who are approachable and friendly.

Career aspirations? Oculoplastics

What was your first job? Waitress

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? Living in France

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? Art restoration and conservation

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? Annual Fourth of July cookout with co-residents

Fun fact about yourself? I can lick my elbow

Education: Undergraduate, Dartmouth College; medical school, Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California

Professional memberships: AAO, ASRS, NAEPS 

Rena Xu, MD, PhD

Ophthalmology resident, 2020-2024

Hometown: Jiangsu, China

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? High surgical volume and best attending

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? Lots of surgeries

Career aspirations? Cornea/refractive fellow

What was your first job? Ophthalmologist in China when I was 23 years old

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? Hawaii

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? Open an upscale Chinese restaurant

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? Riding bikes with kids, walking Bella

Fun fact about yourself? Like to read romantic stories when I have free time

Education: Medical school, Nanjing Medical University, China; PhD, Indiana University, U.S.

Professional memberships: AA

Marc Ohlhausen, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2021-2025

Hometown: Liberty, Missouri

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? I was attracted to the excellent surgical numbers, a record of strong fellowship matches, and the program culture (both attendings and residents) during my interview.

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? Our amazing resident lounge – complete with snacks, coffee, ping pong, and video games.

Career aspirations? I’m planning on completing a fellowship in retina. 

What was your first job? “Club attendant” (basically a janitor) at a local pool.

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? Furthest away I’ve been is probably Ljubljana, Slovenia. I proposed to my wife at nearby Lake Bled.

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? Probably an archeologist. Or a ski instructor.

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? My son loves the zoo, so we end up going multiple times a year. Otherwise, I like trying all the different food options around town.

Fun fact about yourself? I have a virtual reality racing simulator that I put together in my basement.

Education: Undergraduate, Washington University in St. Louis, BA (biology and anthropology); medical school, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Professional memberships: AAO, NMA, ASRS, NAEPS

Publications

Helen Song, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2021-2025

Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska 

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? My co-residents, our surgical training, and of course our super sweet tricked out resident lounge

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? I traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, to spend a month at Tilganga Eye Hospital in medical school, otherwise visiting my parents who live in Jeju, South Korea

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? I'd buy up and manage as many Tous Les Jours franchises as I can

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? I like playing chess at the Cottonwood Hotel bar, bumbling through a round of golf at any one of the city's courses, or bouldering at the local climbing gym

Education: undergraduate, University of California, Santa Barbara; medical school, University of Nebraska Medical Center 

Publications

Derek Lahm, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2022-2026

Hometown: Columbus, NE

Why did you choose UNMC for residency?  The surgical volume at UNMC is second to none. There is a strong focus on trainingcomprehensive ophthalmologists who are competent immediately upon graduation. 

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? Either the Xbox One or full-sized ping pong table in the resident lounge (only half kidding).

Career aspirations? (fellowship? Desired location?) I’ll likely pursue a fellowship in a subspecialty of ophthalmology which will compliment a true comprehensive practice. I’ve always been a proponent of rural medicine and plan to practice as a rural comprehensive ophthalmologist.

What was your first job? I started umpiring baseball when I was 14.

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation?  The furthest I’ve been from Omaha was Watzmann in the Berchtesgaden Alps. My most memorable vacation was when I was 12 years old. My family took a 10-day road trip to St. Louis; Cedar Point, Ohio; Boston; Acadia National Park in Maine; Niagara Falls; and then back to Columbus. I saw the ocean for the first time, rode the fastest roller coaster in the world, and got to watch baseball games at Busch Stadium and Fenway Park. 

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? High school physics teacher and basketball/track coach

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? Golf with my wife and daughter

Fun fact about yourself? I am a member of the East Central Nebraska Mountain Rescue Squad and have the shirt to prove it.

Education: Undergraduate, Wayne State College; Medical School, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Professional memberships: American Academy of Ophthalmology

Imani Williams, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2022-2026

Hometown: Brockton, Massachusetts

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? I worked in the Eye Pathology Lab at Harvard/Mass Eye and Ear between my third and fourth year of medical school under the guidance of Dr. Anna Stagner, a graduate of the ophthalmology residency program here at UNMC. She told me that she received well-rounded, excellent surgical and clinical training at UNMC. At some ophthalmology residency programs, graduates do not feel comfortable practicing comprehensive ophthalmology after residency and feel that they must complete a fellowship. At UNMC that’s not the case. Graduates here match well in their chosen subspecialty fellowships, but are also prepared to practice comprehensively after graduation. 

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? The people at UNMC are fantastic. Working as an off-service intern can be challenging, but the faculty here across departments are welcoming and prioritize teaching which make it a positive experience.

Career aspirations? I will likely pursue a fellowship, undecided which subspecialty. Hoping to return to the Northeast.

What was your first job? Working as a cashier in my family’s Jamaican cuisine restaurant.

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? My most memorable vacation was traveling around Ireland after being accepted to medical school.

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? Be a teacher or professor

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? Walk the trails at Fontanelle Forest

Fun fact about yourself? I rode a motorcycle as my primary form of transportation in college. 

Education: undergraduate, Brandeis University; MBS, Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; medical school, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Professional memberships: AMA, MMS, NMS, AAO, ASRS, ARVO, GHHS, NAEPS

Publications

Hythem Abouodah, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2023-2027

Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? I chose UNMC because of Omaha's closeness to home and Dr. Krueger's inspiring ambitions for the eye center's expansion. Since joining UNMC, I've been blessed with fantastic co-residents, brilliant mentorship, and a well-stocked shelf of resident snacks.

Career aspirations? After residency, I aim to complete a fellowship in retina and practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area. I'd also love to visit my extended family in Palestine regularly and perform sight-saving procedures for the community.

Where is the furthest you've traveled or your most memorable vacation? During my 2023 honeymoon to Turkey, I loved watching hundreds of hot air balloons decorate the sky during golden hour. Soon, I hope to take a trip to Japan with my wife, our dream vacation.

If you couldn't work in medicine, what would you do? I'd be a barista! When I worked at Starbucks, I loved the rush of making tons of quality drinks in record times. I also enjoyed the smell of fresh coffee grounds and espresso in the morning. In June of 2023, I bought myself an espresso machine and have used it every morning since!

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? I enjoy long downtown walks with my wife, video gaming, cooking steaks, and interactive storytelling.

Fun fact about yourself? "Hythem" means "son of the eagle" in Arabic.

Education: undergraduate, University of Kansas; medical school, University of Kansas School of Medicine 

Professional memberships: Alpha Omega Alpha, Gold Humanism Honors Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Publications

Linus Amarikwa, MD

Ophthalmology resident, 2023-2027

Hometown: Upland, California

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? I wanted a program where I would have exposure to rural populations. In the future, I hope to practice in a rural area and I think training here will be very beneficial. I have also heard great things about the attendings here and knew that I would receive excellent training. 

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? I love how kind everyone is here and the strong teamwork aspect. Your colleagues are supportive and attendings do a great job of teaching. My senior residents also seem very good at their jobs. I am super excited for what the future holds here in Omaha.

Career aspirations? I'm open to anything but am interested in continuing the oculoplastics research I began as a medical student. 

What was your first job? I worked as a bioprocess science engineer for a couple of years after undergraduate where I worked on designing a novel way of purifying biological medications. 

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? My Dad's family is from Nigeria which I visit every few years. I hope to one day be able to do medical missions in Nigeria during my trips.

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? I would probably work as an engineer or in finance. I really enjoy building predictive models and research.

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? I am a classic movie fan and have enjoyed visiting the independent theater in Dundee.

Fun fact about yourself? I enjoy learning languages and have been working on my medical Spanish.

Education: Undergraduate, Johns Hopkins University; medical school, University of California Riverside School of Medicine

Jeff Warner, MD

Hometown: Cullman, Alabama (where Channing Tatum was born)

Why did you choose UNMC for residency? Amazing faculty to resident ratio! A great number and diversity of patients, pathologies, and surgical cases. Few residencies in the country prepare you for a career in academia or private practice/general ophthalmology as well as UNMC does.

Favorite part of the residency program or favorite thing about UNMC? How tightly knit we are as co-residents in Ophthalmology.

Career aspirations? I could see myself being a general ophthalmologist in an extremely rural area, an attending in an academic center or anything in between. 

What was your first job? Mowing lawns in my hometown, tutoring in college/med school

Where is the furthest you’ve traveled or most memorable vacation? Furthest traveled would be Barcelona, Spain, or middle/northern Alaska. Most memorable vacations would be visiting my extended family in Indiana on holidays.

If you couldn’t work in medicine, what would you do? Be a mixture of Nassim Taleb and Jocko Willink. Or get a law degree and do legal accounting/finance.

Favorite things to do in Omaha/Nebraska? Getting food/drinks with my co-residents, hosting people at my place for celebrations like July 4th.

Fun fact about yourself? I have a squat rack in the bedroom of my apartment.