Faculty Focus: Dr. Bisant Labib

Humor has always been an important part of life for Bisant Labib, OD, FAAO. That’s because she believes humor has the ability to transform any negative situation or emotion into a positive one.

“There is no greater bond you can have with someone than to share a laugh together,” said Dr. Labib, associate professor in the University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) and co-chief of Primary Care Suite 3 at The Eye Institute (TEI) along with Andrew Gurwood, OD, FAAO. “I sometimes incorporate sarcastic humor when explaining concepts to my students because I feel that it helps with attention and memory. And, sometimes, making light of a difficult patient encounter that a student has, for example, can easily diffuse any negative feelings. Most importantly, it is a way to keep myself positive and entertained.” 

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Rutgers University, but Dr. Labib said she “was invented” at Salus PCO where she attended as a student and then completed her Primary Care/Ocular Disease residency at TEI before joining the faculty as an instructor in 2015.

“Many of my co-workers are the same doctors who have taught me throughout my student/resident education,” she said. “Both working among such high caliber faculty, as well as my responsibility of teaching our amazing students, is what instilled the drive for my own growth and wanting to have further success within my career. ”To that end, Dr. Labib has stayed active in scholarships and publications and has decided to pursue her diplomate in Primary Care under the mentorship of fellow diplomate De Gaulle Chigbu, OD, MS, FBCLA, FC Optom, FAAO, Dipl., a professor at Salus PCO.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Dr. Labib’s role changed. She had primarily worked in TEI, and it was a challenge when it shut down for patients and the University created an online curriculum to virtually emphasize patient concepts to students.

She was however, pressed into service immediately as a member of the University’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team to help launch this virtual-based curriculum.“This pandemic has forced us to go outside of our normal teaching styles and implement new modalities, some of which I believe we will continue even beyond the pandemic,” said Dr. Labib. “Our students have been extremely understanding, motivated, and resilient during these changes. In some ways, it allowed for a more personal relationship with faculty and students.”

But despite the challenging circumstances, she’s never too far from the humor. Dr. Labib is a first generation Egyptian, which she said contributes to what many people who know her say is her “majestic personality.”

Besides Salus PCO, her other great love is attending church and celebrating holidays. “Even though Easter services were virtual this year, my dad and I still kept our Palm Sunday tradition of making palm crosses together,” she said.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, nature and the outdoors by hiking, working out and “keeping myself alive cooking” with something she calls her “secret recipes.”

“I loved my time at PCO, especially during my TEI residency,” said Dr. Labib. “There is just something so special about our patients and it is a community I am committed to and proud to serve.”