Kathy Whitfield, MD
(Pediatrics)
Alice Zhang, MD
(Vitreoretinal Surgery)
UNC Ophthalmology is thrilled to recognize Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Alice Zhang, MD, and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Kathy Whitfield, MD, for being named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list! This year’s Top Doctors list represents the top 7% out of 1.1M physicians in practice nationwide and includes 72,000 board-certified U.S. physicians from all 50 states and 85 medical specialties. To develop its annual curated list of Top Doctors, the Castle Connolly Medical Advisory Board vets peer-nominated, best-in-class physicians who’ve demonstrated exceptional professional achievements, expertise, integrity and excellence in patient care.
Dr. Kathy Whitfield is a Pediatric Ophthalmology expert and has been a UNC Ophthalmology clinical faculty member for a decade (2016 – Present). She has served in multiple department leadership roles, including UNC Kittner Eye Center Medical Director, Outpatient Leadership Task Force Chair and Pediatric Ophthalmology Resident Education Director. Dr. Alice Zhang is a Vitreoretinal Surgery/Retinal Disease expert and UNC Ophthalmology clinical faculty member of almost a decade (2017 – Present). She serves as the department’s Residency Program Director. At UNC, Dr. Zhang has received the Faculty Resident Teaching Award (2020), as well as UNC Hospitals’ Carolina Care Excellence (2019) Award, an honor reserved for physicians/APPs who rank highly on patient surveys for excellence in patient care.
Click HERE to learn more about the Castle Connolly Top Doctors list and significance of this designation in the field of physician practice.
