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Dr John Welling is a cornea, cataract and refractive surgery specialist at Medical Eye Center in Medford, Oregon. As a young man, he spent two transformative years serving as a missionary for his church in Southern Africa. Upon his return, he knew he wanted to pursue a medical path that would lead him back to Africa. Years later, as a medical student, he witnessed the miracle of sight-restoring cataract surgery for the first time and knew he had found his path.
Dr Welling completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University. After completing medical school and residency at The Ohio State University, Dr Welling completed a cornea fellowship at Emory Eye Center. He then spent an additional year in Africa and Asia as the John A. Moran Eye Center / Himalayan Cataract Project International Fellow where he underwent intensive hands-on training in the delivery of high-quality, low-cost eye care in some of the most underserved places on earth.
Dr Welling went on to serve four years as the Country Medical Coordinator for the Himalayan Cataract Project in Ghana. Dr. Welling serves as lead instructor for a cataract surgery course at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). He also sits on the ASCRS Surgical Skills Transfer Committee. Dr Welling holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the John A. Moran Eye Center, International Division, University of Utah.
For Dr Welling, working with life-long friends Adam Schanz, Jon Mangum, and Jason Wernli to co-found the Daybreak Vision Project has been a dream decades in the making. He is deeply grateful for his association with the entire Daybreak family - the leadership team, the volunteers, the donors, and the Ghanaian doctors, nurses, and staff who move this work forward on a daily basis. Serving and interacting with the people of Ghana has been one of the greatest blessings of his life.
Dr Welling loves spending time outdoors with his wife Cosette, and their 5 children. He loves backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, and photography.

John Welling, MD
Co-founder | Chief Executive Officer
