feature story / 17 To say it was challenging is an un- derstatement. Spier adds, “The fire de- partment would come every few days and they would literally line us up and hose us down. Each person had to bring a bucket for them to fill and that was your allocation of water for the day. With that water you’d brush your teeth, drink, and whatever was left over you’d use to flush the toilet.” That’s how it was for the first six weeks.Two hundred students left after the first week, leaving 100 to stick it out. Not surprisingly, Spier and his cohorts had concerns about whether they’d get a medical degree in these conditions. Slowly but surely, over the course of the next two and a half years, St. George’s became a legitimate medi- cal school. According to Spier, it’s now the largest medical school in the world and, based on test scores and residency acceptance rates, the most prestigious foreign medical school. Spier was determined to do his very best so he could transfer to an Ameri- can medical school after two years. Sure enough, he aced part one of the national boards and transferred to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now Rutgers Medical School), eventually becoming an oph- thalmologist and returning to South Orange to practice. About 12 years ago, he heard about an ophthalmologist in New Jersey, Dr. Orazio Giliberti, who was putting a team together to provide ophthalmol- ogy services for the people of Grena- da. Having experienced international ophthalmology in Nepal and China, Spier jumped at the chance to return to Grenada with his specialty as a cata- ract surgeon. Spier explains that cataracts – a cloudy lens in a person’s eye that he re- places with a plastic implant – are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although it’s a normal part of the ag- ing process, it’s worse in developing countries like Grenada due to sun ex- posure. The need is particularly great as the island’s only ophthalmologist, now elderly, has stopped performing cataract surgeries, resulting in hun- dreds of backlogged cases. The clinic is financed by St. George’s Medi- cal School and the government. The school has helped erect an eye clinic to examine patients while St. George’s General Hospital provides the operat- ing room space for performing surgery. Ophthalmologists offering varying sub- specialties visit on a rotating schedule for a week at a time. Spier travels there up to two times a year and the prepara- tions can be daunting. Fortunately, Spier recruited his scrub technician, Kristin Connolly, to join him eight or nine years ago. In the beginning she was intimidated by the idea of providing services in such a de- manding environment, but ultimately fell in love with the work. She has gone enough times now to have a system in L- R: , Kristin Connolly, Tracy-Ann Freder- icks, Tim Amodeo, and Dr. Spier. Students were hosed down and rationed water by the local fire department during the first semester when electricity and water were intermittent. 1886 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood 973-275-0400 | Fax: 973-274-0401 | winebarrelmaplewood.com 10% OFF 12 OR More Bottles of 750 ML Wine, Port, Sherry Excludes Sale Items Valid until July 31, 2018 • More than 600 beers to choose from. • Try our wall of single beers. • Make your own 6-pack. • We specialize in hard-to-find items and custom orders. Just ASK! ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR ALL YOUR PARTY NEEDS. See our Large Selection of Rosé and White Wines to Quench your Summer Thirst. We keep you smiling! 250 Millburn Avenue | Millburn 973-467-0077 Saturdays and Evenings Available On site parking | Convenient location Wendy Wisz, DMD General, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry Every effort is made to ensure the utmost comfort for each patient. Enjoy a modern professional environment and a caring staff. As a former faculty member of Fairleigh Dickinson Dental School, Dr. Wisz now devotes all her time to private practice.