• Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology
• Drexel University
  Philadelphia, PA - Bachelor’s Degree
• Hahnemann University
  Philadelphia, PA - Medical Degree
• Seniors Honors Research Program
• William Goldman Scholarship for Academic Merit
• Clinical Honors in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Surgery
• Academic Honors in Psychopathology and Physiology
• University of Hawaii
  Honolulu, HI - Internship
• New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
  New York, NY - Residency
• University of Illinois at Chicago Eye and Ear Infirmary - Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship
• The American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus - Member
• Joined Marietta in 2001
• Specialist in Cataracts, Stabismus, and Amblyopia
• Bilingual: Fluent in English and Chinese
• Has earned a Black Belt in Martial Arts
• Strives to blend Eastern and Western medicine to arrive at the best treatment plan for patients
• Interests: Photography and Home Renovation

In 1998, during his first week of professional practice after completing his medical training, Dr. Ho sat down to his desk at home and penned a personal memo. It was to be a reminder to him of why he became a doctor in the first place, and what he hoped to do with his special skills.

The youngest of three children and his parents’ only son, Dr. Ho came to the United States from China at the age of five. His parents left their families and successes behind in order to provide a better lifestyle and more promising opportunities for their children in America. However, unable to speak English, they literally had to start over in their new country.

“At an early age, I witnessed the hard work and sacrifices my parents made on behalf of their children. I’ve always been motivated to succeed at whatever I do as a gesture of honor for my parents.”

For Dr. Ho, the work required to succeed was compounded as an immigrant. Not only did he not know the language, he also looked different from his peers and held other interests. Determined not to be outdone and wanting to excel, he devoted himself to mastering English. Within a few years, it was he who taught his parents to speak the language. Marveling at her son’s intelligence and drive, one day Mrs. Ho asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. “I want to be a doctor,” he answered with confidence. He had discovered the joy of helping others.

Yet, years later when the time came to enter college, Dr. Ho chose to major in Electrical and Computer Engineering, other disciplines that fascinated him. There, he fell in love with technology, and seeking to merge his varied interests, he began to study and work in the field of biotechnology. Perhaps on a turn of fate, it was then when he had an opportunity to do research on equipment to be used in cataract surgery. At age nineteen, he witnessed a cataract surgery using the very equipment he was working with, and a passion was born.

It was in medical school when Dr. Ho learned of his knack for building rapport with children.

“I found myself easily gaining the trust of children who had previously been void of doctors and their equipment.”

Growing up with a sibling with special needs, Dr. Ho was a natural when it came to being sensitive to people who needed a little extra patience and understanding.

Even though he is a highly trained surgeon, Dr. Ho still works with children with everyday visual problems.

“New patients are always so surprised when they come into my waiting area,” he laughs, “and find toddlers and grandparents waiting to see me. I enjoy the mix of patients and the problems they bring. It keeps me on my toes.”

Dr. Charles Ho is one of a very few ophthalmologists in the Atlanta area who work with both pediatric and adult patients.

He is Marietta Eye Clinic’s Strabismus specialist, performing surgery to correct misalignment of the eyes.

Now with a family of his own, Dr. Ho enjoys cultural events about town, watching family movies, discovering new ethnic foods, and cooking healthy meals. “My son and daughter love my sushi,” he says with a grin.

And what of the memo he wrote all those years ago? It says, among other things, “I will strive to use all my knowledge and skills to help those who seek my care. I endeavor to become an instrument of God in healing sick eyes.” It hangs in his office at home, and he stays faithful to his pledge every day.