Dr. Rapoza is an internationally recognized authority in refractive surgery, cataract surgery, and the medical and surgical treatment of the cornea and ocular surface. As an investigator, he has conducted studies on radial and astigmatic keratotomy, photorefractive keratectomy, LASIK, corneal transplantation, and cataract surgery. He has also participated in numerous clinical trials for ophthalmic pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of corneal transplant rejection, ocular inflammation in cataract surgery, dry eye, and ocular infections. He has worked extensively, teaching and providing medical care in Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and South America. Dr. Rapoza has appeared on several television programs including “Connie Chung’s Eye to Eye”, CNN, and Public Broadcasting.
Dr. Rapoza graduated with distinction from Northwestern University, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He received his medical degree with honors from the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Rapoza completed his internship in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics and completed his residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to his fellowship, Dr. Rapoza worked in Tanzania as part of the team performing a pivotal study on the causes of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa, uncovering important clues to the transmission of the blinding disorder trachoma.
Dr. Rapoza was awarded a Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship to pursue his sub- specialty training in Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was named the Director of Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery and pursued a full-time academic career for six years.
Dr. Rapoza moved to Boston to become a partner in Cornea Consultants. He was a founding partner of the Laser Eye Center of Boston. Dr. Rapoza was an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, part-time at the Harvard Medical School and a mentor for the Tufts University New England Eye Institute’s cornea fellowship. An experienced refractive, corneal, and cataract surgeon, Dr. Rapoza has trained scores of fellows and hundreds of other physicians in refractive, corneal, and cataract surgery. He has authored numerous medical papers and book chapters. He has lectured worldwide and served as a consultant to the Ministry of Health of several nations. Dr. Rapoza is the recipient of an Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his scientific contributions and leadership in educational activities. He served on the Preferred Practice Pattern® panel for Cornea and External Disease, setting practice guidelines for his areas of sub- specialization.
Dr. Rapoza has been listed annually as a top ophthalmologist in the region by Boston Magazine, “Best Doctors in America”, and in “Trusted LASIK Surgeons™”, an elite group comprising the top 1% of LASIK, refractive & cataract surgeons in the United States. He is a graduate of the Citizen’s Academy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In his spare time, he most enjoys spending time with his family, especially outdoors in nature.
