Rachel Lieberman, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Rachel A. Lieberman, MD FACS, is an active duty Air Force ophthalmologist currently serving as the Chief of the Vision Center of Excellence for the Defense Health Agency. She was previously the Ophthalmology Residency Program Director for the National Capital Consortium at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, MD.  She graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology and an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology.  She then earned her medical degree from New York Medical College, followed by a transitional year internship and ophthalmology residency at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium.  After graduation, she was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, NV, where she served as Surgical Specialties Flight Commander, overseeing the urology, otolaryngology, audiology, and ophthalmology departments.  She practices as a comprehensive ophthalmologist with an emphasis in glaucoma.  Research interests include medical education, glaucoma, and surgical simulation. She has received research grants for her work and has previously run an FDA-approved clinical trial on an investigational use of the capsular tension ring device for reducing rotation in toric intraocular lenses.

Dr. Lieberman has also previously served as President of the Society of Military Ophthalmologists (SMO) and has completed two terms as the SMO councilor to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).  She was a founding member and selected to chair the AAO’s Webinar Committee, which was integral during the pandemic transition to virtual learning.  Dr. Lieberman is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.  Her academic appointments include Assistant Professor of Surgery at USUHS, as well as previous appointments at other institutions.  In addition, Dr. Lieberman has been the recipient of numerous teaching, patient satisfaction awards, and achievement awards.   In her free time, Dr. Lieberman enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two daughters.