Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist by training. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Duke University Medical Center and practiced as an eye surgeon in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. His medical specialty includes cataract and glaucoma surgeries, LASIK procedures, and corneal transplants
. He was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) in 1995 but allowed his certification to lapse in 2005. Afterward, he founded an alternative certification board called the National Board of Ophthalmology (NBO), which was not widely recognized by mainstream medical organizations
. In addition to his private practice, Rand Paul has provided free eye surgeries through charitable clinics and medical mission trips internationally
