Dr. Shelby R. Wilkes, MD, MBA

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Get to know Ophthalmologist Dr. Shelby R. Wilkes, who serves patients in Georgia.

Dr. Wilkes is a vitreoretinal surgeon who specializes in treating diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous including diabetic retinopathy. He is currently in practice with Atlanta Eye Consultants, with offices in Atlanta and College Park, Georgia. 

Atlanta Eye Consultants is a full service medical eye group featuring some of the best-trained, board-certified ophthalmologists in multiple subspecialty areas. Its services include the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, corneal transplants for keratoconus, ocular infections, and more.

As for his academic appointment, Dr. Wilkes is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery and Ophthalmology with the Morehouse School of Medicine and the Emory University School of Medicine. He also serves as a Deacon at Zion Hills Baptist Church, and is on the Advisory Board at Capitol City Bank, and at Coles College of Business, where he coaches an executive MBA student. Furthermore, he was recently selected for a three-year term on The Alumni Council (its governing body) of The Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association, which has over 140,000 members. 

Prior to relocating to Atlanta to establish Atlanta Eye Consultants, he served on the staff of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Academically, Dr. Wilkes graduated summa cum laude in three years from Alcorn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1971. He received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1975 and performed his internship-residency year in surgery at the University of  Rochester School of Medicine  in Rochester, New York in 1976. He then went on to complete his residency in ophthalmology at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in 1979, and his fellowship in surgery and diseases of the retina and vitreous at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1981. He also received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Coles College of Business in 1998.

Subsequent to his education, the doctor attained board certification in ophthalmology through the American Board of Ophthalmology, an independent, non-profit organization responsible for certifying ophthalmologists in the United States of America.

Actively engaging in clinical research for retinal and vitreous disease, Dr. Wilkes is a member of the exclusive American Society of Retina Specialists.

To date, he has published numerous articles in scientific ophthalmology journals and he was the principal investigator of the first statewide diabetic retinopathy screening study performed in the United States, in Georgia. He has also given numerous presentations locally, nationally, and internationally on retinal diseases including surgery, including Paris, France & Montreal, Canada. 

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery, which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. Ophthalmologists are experts in the diseases, functions, and anatomy of the eye. Ophthalmologists are also surgeons. They repair traumatic injuries to the eye and may perform cataract, glaucoma, and corneal surgery. 

An authority in his field, Dr. Wilkes has been inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society in Business. He has been listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.

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