About Dr. Gelman
Ophthalmologist Rachel Gelman, MD, specializes in the treatments of refractory dry eye, corneal infections, cataracts/intraocular lens abnormalities, diseases and tumors of the ocular surface, and complications from LASIK and cataract surgeries. She currently serves patients at her practice in Edinburg, Texas, and is the only ophthalmologist performing cornea transplants in the Rio Grande Valley. She is bilingual and is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Dr. Gelman was born and raised in McAllen, Texas, a small border town at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. After graduating from South Texas ISD Science Academy in Mercedes, she was accepted into the University of Texas-Pan American and Baylor College of Medicine combined Bachelors-MD program, receiving full scholarships from both institutions. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.
Upon graduation from medical school, she completed an internship at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she served as chief resident her senior year. She then pursued subspecialty training and did a fellowship in cornea, anterior segment, and refractive surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Upon completion, she finally moved back to the Rio Grande Valley after being away for nine years.
Dr. Gelman is an active member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Cornea Society. She has several publications in ophthalmic clinical research.
Passionate about charitable eye care, Dr. Gelman, along with her father who is also a physician, co-founded the Rio Grande Valley Cataract Project, in which patients suffering blindness from cataracts but with limited financial means are given the gift of cataract surgery. Through this program, they hope to help eradicate curable blindness in their community.
Dr. Gelman is an avid weightlifter and runner, regularly participating in local competitions. She is a proficient pianist, playing since the age of 5. She is fond of traveling and immersing herself in new and unfamiliar cultures and languages, but her favorite pastime is spending time with her family.