Mina was a brilliant retina specialist, an inspiration to all who knew her, and one of the nicest people I ever met. I will miss my friend. My sincere sympathies to Eddie and their family.

Mina, I miss you. I was so saddened to hear of the tragedy.  You were so often smiling, so often helpful, but also the person with deep and genuine emotions. There was so much good in you it makes us question all the aspects of life that are put on its head when someone like you leaves us so early. Simply no explanation can suffice. I extend my most sincere thoughts to your family and forever you will be in my mind with a smile. 

Mina was a dedicated retina specialist and a kind and caring person with a great sense of humor. She provided clinical guidance throughout my postdoctoral time in Rochester and was key to my recent research project. Mina, your ARIA family across the planet misses you dearly. We will always remember your big smiles.

I will always remember Mina as among the very best clinicians and human beings. She was everything one could hope for. Losing Mina is devastating in so many ways. 

I’ve been honored to be graced with Mina’s company intermittently for many years. Deeply saddened that, that will occur no more. Mina was one of the most beautiful people I know. She radiated peacefulness, tranquility and positivity. Mina is indelibly etched into my memories of the beautiful things life has to offer. My heartfelt condolences to Eddie and family.

We are all so saddened. I once wrote a letter of reference and remember running out of superlatives...brilliant, insightful, tireless, kind and thoughtful. I valued your expertise and honesty. We will miss your attentive listening, smiles, and friendship. We are all better because of you.

For many years I’ve known Mina in my position as a Flaum Advisory Board Member, patient and friend. She was a brilliant doctor devoted to her patients and always warm and engaging at social events. On a personal, one-on-one with her, she made you feel you were the most important person in the room. My wife, Linda, and I are deeply saddened by her loss and extend our most heart-felt sympathy to Eddie and the family.

Mina's legacy for me is very complicated. She was the very thoughtful researcher we all knew and prized as the clinical part of the ARIA group, adding clinical insights to the findings of this group, that positioned us a major contributor to the benefits that AO imaging could provide to clinical research. There was also the personal side, Mina provided feedback to the many relatives and friends I have who asked me about ophthalmology questions, thinking that I probably knew the answer, being in an Ophthalmology department. I got a sense from this about how well she was able to communicate with patients, scared and less informed about the details of the challenges they faced. I also found it amazing that she was such an intense athlete, not exactly the Lindsey Vonn or Mickaela Schiffrin, in terms of winning on the world stage, but an intense competitor, who had a separate area of personal focus. I still remember the FEI retreat we had downtown when there was intense snowfall, and we discovered that Mina had run there and would run home after the meeting. This is also about Eddie, who brought an exuberant competitive spirit to his off professional life.

In the clinic, Dr. Chung was thorough, exact, and absolute. No corners could be cut and no detail left out; her patients and students are all the better because of it. I can’t fathom the number of people she has touched, not just directly, but indirectly through those she has taught. Outside of the clinic, Mina was inclusive, fun, exciting, and her sense of humor was classy and fantastic. She made me feel like April Fools’ Day was a holiday. The void that has been left can not be filled.

Truly phenomenal female mentor as my Chief Resident for two years at Big County. I just loved her- a true leader. Always working - usually all night, every night. Spoke beautiful Spanish, consummate patient advocate. Cannot say enough about her as a phsyician, surgeon, friend, inspiration.

Mina, I can’t believe that you are gone. Ever since you were my Chief Resident at Doheny, I always felt a special connection, probably because you were such a good listener, quietly empathetic, and often ended with a big smile and hearty laugh. My co-residents and I found so many “Mina-isms” over the years. From “Is this going to turn out the way when you took call for a week in a row?” to “You did a great job, but the consequence of XX decision…” Later, we would seem to find each other at the meetings, sit in the back, and try to guess the next slide for new talks. At work, you seemed like a perfectionist, always reaching for a higher standard, but, personally, I think it was more of an appreciation for the best.

There seemed to be no detail too small that could not be done with excellence. I remember making pancakes at Ron Smith’s lake house using your exacting recipe and enjoying the fluffiest pancakes ever. Another time, we drove from one farmer’s stand to the next to get the best peaches, heirloom tomatoes, etc., and came back empty-handed of corn because none matched your exacting standards. Then, there was the espresso machine that you researched and used to make incredible cups of coffee. In each instance, you told me the what and why of your decisions and I felt smarter for it.

I am going to miss you for all of experiences we had, life lessons learned, and experiences we would have had. You gave so much to all of us, helping so many lives, pushing the boundaries of your research, and sticking to your principles. You really were the Best of the Best. 

Although we were in competing practices, I always found Mina to be a wonderful caring colleague who was always willing to share in the care of a complicated patient. She would cover our practice at times and I had no concerns that our patients would receive the  best care possible from her. Her untimely passing leaves a huge hole in our local retina community and we will endeavor to honor her life going forward with the same grace and good work that will be her legacy.

Those of us who new Mina were privileged. Her friendship was a gift.
Eddie I understand the immensity of your loss

Mina was one of the best human beings on this planet, and made the world a better place. I will forever admire her talents as a gifted and compassionate surgeon tackling the most complex of vitreoretinal surgeries with grace, and being so amazingly nice, humble, and so encouraging of young surgeons. Her smile made you feel warm inside. Thank you, Mina, for being such a cool friend, mentor, and collaborator. I will miss you tremendously, and will be thinking of you. My prayers are with your family. We have a huge void in our field now, but your legacy will continue.

Mina was and will forever be a star. She held herself to the highest imaginable standards. She was meticulous in her approach to patient care and science and worked harder than anyone I have ever encountered. She was unrelentness in her pursuit of excellence - which included how she conducted herself and treated others. Her kindness and compassion for others could light the darkest of rooms. She was not afraid to be the most stalwart of champions for all of us. And her laugh, was nothing short of magical. She will always be someone we look up to as her brightness shines down on us.

I had the pleasure of knowing Dr.Chung first by greeting her patients, the scared parents of a child who may never see, the elderly who were loosing their vision. Every time I would say you are in the best hands, and if it were me or my child Dr. Chung would be the one I would want to see. So many patients would say, she saved my sight! Later as a coordinator I got to see her very funny,adventurous side, the weekly visits from Niki. She touched the lives of so many, and we will miss her terribly. I know she is in a wonderful place right now, but it doesn't make loosing her any better. Mina Chung fly high!

Dr. Chung never expected anything of me that she didn’t also expect of herself. She was a strong teacher and a passionate physician. She appreciated the talents of myself and my colleagues and pushed us to not just do a good job- but the best job. I’m so fortunate to have been able to work with her. She will certainly be missed by us all.

Mina was the residency director when I matched at the University of Rochester. Over the past 12 years, she has been an incredibly gracious and dedicated teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. I am so grateful to have had that privilege. You were a brilliant and caring physician, and I will greatly miss your advice and warm smile. 

Mina came to us from Yale Medical School thus helping us develop that pipeline which I came to depend on. She was intrepid enough to come to the West Coast to do her residency with us at Doheny. She was always intrepid. Our residency was more than demanding; it was hard. She was harder, but also sweet and kind and giving. She always put the patient first. She was the least to be intimidated by this county residency. She was also extremely knowledgeable and a great teacher. So we offered her the "Chief residency" which was a nickname we gave to the position of assistant chief of staff at LA County Hospital, one of the hardest jobs I've ever seen. First she went off to do her fellowship with Ed Stone, and then returned to this "Chief Residency". Steve Feldon, Dave DiLoreto and her colleagues at Rochester know how lucky they were to recruit her there later. Many of the tributes you read here are from the 24 Doheny/LA County residents, her residents, who are now better doctors, and probably better people, because of Mina. She was intrepid to the last.

Mina was a gifted, brave, powerful woman who inspired other young women, men, staff and patients with her quiet, very confident demeanor.  She knew what she wanted professionally and blazed new trails be it in retinal imaging, keratoprosthesis, EMR and many other frontiers.  Mina's was a pleasure to work with. Her strong but gentle manner made difficult challenges manageable for her lucky patients, the staff and her colleagues. We will miss her dearly.  

Mina was a year ahead of me in residency at Doheny Eye Institute. She was selected to be the Chief Resident, an honor many coveted but could not attain. She was always an overachiever—-fearless, talented, righteous, and extremely competitive. If you didn’t know her, you might think she had something to prove, but she was just naturally all of those things. She garnered respect, admiration, and friendship. She was always fair, even-handed, and fun. We went skiing at Mammoth one year, and she was always the first down the hill. It’s sad of course, but also brings a smile to my face to know that’s how she went. Mina, although I haven’t seen you in many years, I miss your smile, laughter, and your camaraderie.

Oh dear Mina, where to start. You will forever run in the fabric of my life as I wouldn’t be here without your kindness and direction. You helped kindle my spark for ophthalmology and running- without which...I’m not sure where I’d be. Or who I would be. I Figured we would one day adventure with Janelle and Sherry again ... and I hoped to hear your electronic toothbrush at a camp site. I’ll still keep hoping for something similar next time we meet. Will miss you.

Dear Mina, it is so frustrating to hear of your loss, at a distance, unable to help, without knowing the how or the why. All I know is the massive hole you leave in our hearts, lives, our family at UR and in science.

Mina I still can’t believe this has happened and that such a brilliant mind in such a wonderful person has been taken from us. My memories from our days - you coming to the U of R and me at B&L - building an exciting department with you as the shining light of the Retina Service and an integral part of our research endeavors. I remember every one of our group dinners together, our runs along the Genesee and our continued interaction and Retinal Research long after I left Rochester. Never to be forgotten -
Rest In Peace my friend!
Brian

Mina, your loss is a tragedy the profundity of which defies description. Inger and I will be struggling to come to terms with this for a very long time, but we derive some comfort from the vivid memories of your razor sharp intellect and engaging smile. Many of us in the Center for Visual Science will never forget working with you, especially in your early days at Rochester, when your detailed and expansive clinical wisdom guided our development of tools to image the retina at high resolution. I will always be grateful for your seminal contributions, without which we could never have published the 10 papers we did together. But can it really be possible that, when my wife and I are out driving down some remote country road, tens of miles from Rochester, we will never again have the pleasant and uncannily frequent surprise of encountering you on foot, charging through life with seemingly limitless horsepower? Not sure we will ever find a way to accept that, so we'll keep an eye out, just in case. 

Mina and I were in the same year and first ran into each other many times on the retina interview trail. I think that was the most enjoyable part of the experience, in fact, and I always appreciated her humility, kindness, and humor. I am so sorry to hear of her loss.

Mina and I were residents together at Doheny. I feel we formed a special bond from being on call together at LA County/USC handling the challenging trauma cases. I have admired Mina as she developed her career as a gifted surgeon, teacher, and researcher. I feel lucky to have been friends with Mina and Eddie. It is shocking to hear of her passing. We will all miss her so much.

My husband was a patient of Dr. Chung..she was so wonderful to us and helped us get through some ruff times..we Will truly miss her and her kindness, soft spoken voice and beautiful smile. Our prayers and thoughts are with her and her family.

I met Dr. Chung when I started working for the Flaum Eye Institute back in 2014. She would call the medical records office if she needed anything and was always very polite. She was an amazing doctor and I am sure everyone will miss her. RIP Dr. Chung.

Mina started at the U of Rochester as my wife, Rachel, and I were residents in the Ophthalmology’s program back around 2003. Mina came in as a bright light. Someone smiling and strong, so intelligent and skilled in a time that was needed. She made the residency program training so much better and us as a result as well. She was the perfect balance of spirit, inspiration and intellect for us during our final years of training. We know The Flaum Institute staff, her patients, and most importantly her family will forever miss this most incredibly gifted beacon of light. We mourn with you in this most tragic loss. We will hope to honor her life by continuing to care for people and patients in the way she would have wanted. Rest peacefully Mina. We will all miss you. ❤️

I am deeply saddened by this sudden, tragic loss of such an amazing woman and doctor of ophthalmology and retina specialty. She had so much more to do. This is a huge loss in the world of ophthalmology, Flaum Eye Institute, her staff, colleagues, patients, family and friends. Her legacy will live on because of all she has contributed. Mina you will be truly missed.

I had the pleasure and honor of training under Mina’s guidance as a resident at Strong hospital. It was early in my residency and she was starting there as an attending. Mina was a strong empowered woman. Very little seemed to phase her. It was clear from day one that she accepted nothing less than perfection - in herself but also in her residents and students. She was tough, but fair. She truly wanted the most out of all of us. Her continued hard work and dedication continues to push me in my profession. I appreciate all that she did for me as a resident, but I will remember her most for the downtime - she would meet us out at the movies or take us for Korean food. She had a wonderful soul and a warm heart. She was taken too soon. I will miss you Mina. You were a wonderful teacher and mentor. Keep smiling.

Dr. Mina Chung was by far one of the most intelligent, caring, and dedicated physicians I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She was far more than just a doctor to her patients and coworkers. Her compassion, tenacity, and overall joy for life touched everyone who met her. Even when I was feeling small, she had a way of making me feel big with a single sentence accompanied by a smile. She brought light into many peoples lives, both physically and metaphorically. There are no words that can describe the immense loss this world has suffered from her passing. She will be greatly missed.

Written words can’t describe my feelings right now, Mina was my mentor, she shaped me into what I am right now, just like she did with countless others. She showed me how to be competent and caring and to only offer the best of me to my patients. She was the kind of person you wanted to be around, the person you looked forward to see in meetings and certainly the one you wanted to have by your side as a physician or patient. She might not be with us anymore, but her legacy will live on.

I met Dr. Chung as a resident - she was so incredibly patient and took the time to explain difficult concepts to me as a young resident just weeks after my start. She was a great mentor and very supportive throughout my residency to me and many other with great lessons and pearls. Truly a remarkable person and will be missed greatly by those who knew her and the medical community.

Dr Chung was a compassionate caring doctor to my son & our family. We appreciated her knowledge & her confidence. She will be missed greatly as we were depending on her skill to follow our son’s case. Many other families appreciated her kind care also. Our thoughts & prayers are with her family.
The Clanton family
Sam Clanton

Dr. Chung gave sight to my son when every other doctor said there was no hope left. Our hearts are broken for her family, coworkers and friends.

I was shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden loss of Dr. Chung. She was a bright and extremely talented young woman. She leaves a huge void for so many. May God Bless her family and friends at his time of sadness.

Mina Chung was a beautiful, compassionate, markedly intelligent woman. As a patient of hers for years, she was flawless, thorough, and kind. My Sister is also in Retina. Although I only saw Mina once a year, she always made sure to ask me about her progress through Residency and fellowship. She was such an advocate for women in Retina. My heart truly goes out to her family and loved ones.

A wonderful person, a dedicated mentor, and an inspiring physician. One of my best teachers. Her exemplary work ethic, her compassion for her patients, and her genuine strive to bring out the best in people will always be remembered.  Will miss you, Dr. Chung.  I offer prayers and heartfelt wishes for her family. 

Mina Chung was such a generous person who was always super supportive and kind to young fellows and attendings. She will be so so missed in our community. My thoughts are with her husband and family.

Dr. Chung was a humble, skilled and compassionate surgeon. The care and dedication she gave to her patients was inspiring. She will be missed. I wish her family comfort during this very difficult time.

I met Mina in July 2000 as my chief resident at LA County/USC Hospital. What a year and what a standard she set for us to strive for. Luckily, I was able to join her at Flaum/U of Rochester and we were partners since 2003. And what a partner. Unselfish, strong, fair, fun, extremely talented. Our relationship developed into one of brother and sister. While there is a hole in my heart I have the solace of knowing that there is so much of Mina living in me and that I will get to share that with others.

Dr. Chung along with Dr. Aquavella, are the reason my son has any sight. She was an amazing woman who worked tirelessly to help so many children and adults throughout the years. We are sending so many prayers to her family during this difficult time, she will truly be missed.

I met Mina at my first Vail Vitrectomy Meeting as a fellow attendee several years ago. We immediately bonded over our passion for skiing and work with pediatric retina patients. Ever since then, our paths continued to cross routinely - be it at Women in Retina meetings, at subsequent Vail Vitrectomy meetings, on the ski slopes or even in her operating room where she so graciously hosted me. She was the most skilled, compassionate, enthusiastic and dedicated surgeon and physician! I admired her incredible kindness and care for others especially her patients. 
May you rest in piece, my dear friend. Your brilliant spirit will live in our memories forever. My thoughts and prayers for Eddie and her family.

Mina will be missed by everyone. What a loss. One of the highlights of my visits to The Flaum Eye Institute was I always had to walk through Mina’s pod. Although I didn’t do much work in the retina space I got a cheerful hello and a big smile from her on each and every visit. She was so kind and a very talented surgeon and teacher. May her memory be a blessing to all her family and friends.

An extremely kind person who always tried to make us better as residents. I still remember pearls that she taught me in my day to day practice. I am so sorry to hear this news and my thoughts are with Mina’s family.

Mina was a brilliant, compassionate and dedicated surgeon. She was fearless and steady as she navigated the most challenging cases. The world of surgical retina is a relatively small one and her loss will be felt for years by patients and colleagues alike. May her husband, family and friends find some comfort in her enduring legacy. 

Brilliant, intelligent and lovely is how I will remember this wonderfully caring physician, surgeon and friend. So incredibly kind and a sense of humor that was so perfectly matched to her beloved husband, Eddie’s. It makes me smile when I think back on all the wonderful times Nicole and I shared with Mina and Eddie. You were a gift to all who knew you.

I've admired Mina since the day I met her - her thoughtful, intelligent and compassionate care for patients was unparalleled and inspiring. She also was an important mentor to me and I will always be grateful for her wisdom and advice as a young faculty member.  Her spirit and legacy will forever be a source of inspiration to me, as I know it will for us all.