Dr. Sam L. Unterricht Elected President-Elect of State Medical Society

WESTBURY, NY (04/23/2012)(readMedia)-- Saratoga Springs, NY (4/23/2012) - Sam L. Unterricht, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist who practices in Brooklyn, was elected Vice President of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) at its 206th annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in Saratoga Springs, NY, on April 21. Having already overseen finances as Treasurer of the state's principal professional organization for physicians, he will now help oversee all its public health and legislative activities.

Dr. Unterricht earned a BS degree, cum laude, in chemistry from Brooklyn College and his MD degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate). After completing internship training at Loma Linda University, Dr. Unterricht returned to Downstate, where he completed his residency training in ophthalmology, served as Chief Resident, and completed fellowships in vitreo-retinal surgery and in neuro-ophthalmology.

Board Certified in Ophthalmology, Dr. Unterricht is currently Chief of Ophthalmology, Retina and Neuro-Ophthalmology at New York Methodist Hospital and Chief of Retina Services at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. He limits his practice to vitreo-retinal surgery and neuro-ophthalmology and has developed innovations in several examination and surgical techniques.

Dr. Unterricht teaches ophthalmology at SUNY-Downstate and at the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also teaches at several hospitals and enjoys having medical students rotate through his private office. An avid photographer, Dr. Unterricht has over a million medical images in his collection and has lectured locally and internationally.

Dr. Unterricht was honored with the Master Teacher Award in Ophthalmology from his SUNY-Downstate Alumni Association and the Distinguished Service Award from the Sickle Cell-Thalassemia Patients' Network. He is frequently listed in both Best Doctors and Top Doctors.

Dr. Unterricht has been actively involved with organized medicine for much of his career. He was president of the Medical Society of the County of Kings, as well as chair of its board of trustees. He was also president of the Brooklyn Ophthalmological Society and is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Dr. Unterricht's service to MSSNY has included representing both Kings and Richmond Counties as a councilor and actively participating on MSSNY committees for health system reform, physician advocacy and federal candidate evaluation. He has been part of MSSNY's delegation to the AMA for five years.

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