Tamara R. Fountain, MD ’88
About 10,000 people.
That’s how many Harvard Medical School alumni there are. We are a small city unto ourselves, living in all 50 states and more than 50 countries. No matter when you graduated, what you practice, where you practice, or if you practice medicine at all; we all got our start at the same place on Longwood Avenue.
We may share an origin story, but our professional journeys are as diverse as we are—and therein lies our strength. HMS has always enjoyed a vibrant and engaged alumni community, and from its inception in 1891, the Alumni Association has been an active partner in the school’s mission of research, innovation, and training the next generation of physicians and scientists. This mission has always had to adapt to the steady pace of change in how medicine is taught, delivered, and paid for, and throughout its history, HMS has consistently met these challenges and remains one of, if not the top academic medical institution in the world.
In an era where many Americans have lost trust in its institutions, including medicine, we now also face a political environment where the very tenets of scientific discovery and public health are under threat. As HMS navigates unprecedented challenges to its most fundamental mission, the partnership with our diverse alumni diaspora has never been more critical.
It is against this backdrop—and with deep humility—that I accept the invitation to return to Council Service. Whether through advice, mentorship, or philanthropy, we alumni can help ensure the future promise and legacy of Harvard Medical School. I invite you to join me on this journey. None of us is as powerful as all of us, and our voices matter—all 10,000 of them.
Tamara R. Fountain, MD ’88, is an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon in a private practice on Chicago’s North Shore. She is also a professor of ophthalmology and emeritus section chief of oculoplastic surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She received a BA in human biology from Stanford University and is a 1988 graduate of Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins’s Wilmer Eye Institute before pursuing oculoplastics fellowship training at Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California.
Fountain has been active in organized medicine for over 25 years, serving as president of several organizations, including the Illinois Society of Eye Surgeons, the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and, in 2021, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)—with 32,000 international and domestic members, the largest association of eye physicians and surgeons in the world.
Fountain served 15 years on the Board of Directors of the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company, the professional liability insurer of choice for most eligible ophthalmologists in the U.S. During that time, she chaired the Audit, Strategic Planning, Marketing and Risk Management committees. She was elected chair of the board during her final years of service.
Fountain recently joined the boards of RxSight and Sight Sciences, two public med-tech companies that market devices for intraocular surgery. She remains involved in organized medicine, currently serving as a director for the American Board of Ophthalmology and secretary of global relations for the AAO.
In the almost 40 years since leaving Longwood, Fountain has remained active in the Harvard Medical community. She has returned for nearly every Reunion—often on the organizing committee, published essays in Harvard Medicinemagazine, and promoted alumni engagement in the Chicagoland area. She was appointed chair of alumni giving for the Council several years ago and is honored to be invited back in service as president.