Jennifer Hui, M.D., F.A.C.S. — Top Doctors 2017

For Dr. Jennifer Hui, there’s no better fit than the super-specialized field of oculoplastics. “I like very detailed things. I’m very, very precise and in the field of ophthalmology you need to be precise. Everything is down to the millimeter,” explains Hui, who also has an interest in plastic surgery. “When I discovered the subspecialty of oculoplastics, [which] combines plastic and reconstructive surgery around the eyes, I thought, ‘Well, it was meant to be.’ ”

Hui trained at Miami’s renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where, because of its large concentration of oculoplastic attending surgeons, she was able to observe and perform a high volume of specialized surgeries early in her training. “I got to see and do more than most residents in other programs around the country,” says Hui, who later spent three years on Bascom Palmer’s faculty. “What sets me apart is that I did my fellowship only around the eyes,” she says. “So I’m highly specialized and I get to really focus on the eyes.”

Hui moved to the Coachella Valley with her husband, a radiologist, to be closer to family and open her own practice, The Eyelid Institute, in Palm Desert in early 2012. There, she treats patients with a range of eye-related medical issues including congenital malformations, orbital fractures, tumors, and tearing issues, as well as people solely seeking cosmetic work, whether it be eyelid lift surgery or aesthetic services such as Botox or fillers. Often patients are interested in both. “We have patients coming in who want to see better, function better, but also look better,” she says.

Hui’s independent practice feels worlds away from the massive facility she left behind and she couldn’t be happier. “If I need to spend an hour with somebody, I have the freedom to do that. I like that — as a small practice, patients only see me and they see me every time.”

VIDEO: Dr. Jennifer Hui talks about how her specialty fits her personality.