The Marshall M. Parks Medal

2012 Silver Medalist

Jerry A. Shields, MD

Respected educator, specializing in ophthalmic pathology and retinal surgery. Celebrated for his prolific contributions to the literature and to the diagnosis and treatment of ocular tumors. Recognized founder of the International Society of Ocular Oncology.

Jerry A. Shields Headshot

Biography

Jerry A. Shields, M.D. is director of the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital and Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He graduated from Murray State University and the University of Michigan Medical School in 1964 completed an internship at Denver General Hospital, and served a year as Battalion Surgeon with the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. He was a resident in ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital and completed fellowships in ophthalmic pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and retinal surgery at Wills Eye Hospital. In 1973 he established the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital. For more than 40 years, Dr. Shields has been active in the care of patients with cancers of the eyelids, conjunctiva, intraocular structures, and orbit, and has helped pioneer methods of diagnosis and management of these conditions.

He has authored or co-authored 1364 articles in scientific journals and 616 textbook chapters for a total of 1980 scientific publications. He has authored or co-authored 13 textbooks including the highly popular Atlas of Intraocular Tumors and the Atlas of Eyelid, Conjunctiva, and Orbital Tumors. He has given 1560 national and international lectures including 82 named lectures. In 2012, he was honored by the establishment of the Jerry Shields Lecture presented annually at the meetings of the Asia Pacific Society of Ophthalmology.

His greatest academic honor was in March 2013 when he received the prestigious National Physician of the year award (named top doctor in America) for Clinical Excellence by Castle Connolly Medical LTD, NY, NY. He was the 2014 recipient of the Laureate Award, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s most prestigious honor award. Dr. Shields has served on editorial boards for 14 scientific journals. He was an organizer and first president of the International Society of Ocular Oncology, president of the Macula Society and president of the Ophthalmic Club of Philadelphia,

Dr. Shields is married to Carol L. Shields M.D. who is co-director of the Oncology Service of Wills Eye Hospital. She has also made many scientific contributions and has received numerous academic honors and awards. They have 7 children ranging from 28 to 16 years of age.