Larry Berstein MD is an ophthalmologist from Long Island, New York with a strong expertise in cataract surgery. He has been a dear friend for more than 20 years and I have learned so much from him about cataract surgery, ophthalmology, and life in general. This podcast is aimed at our younger listeners in their 30s and 40s and is chock-full of great pearls and words of wisdom. We even start the podcast with a riddle: What was called a 'ticking time-bomb' in the eye? 

Guy Kezirian, MD, MBA is a dynamic ophthalmologist and leader in refractive surgery. He has founded so many enterprises such as the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Sciences, the physician CEO program, the Refractive Surgery Alliance, and so much more. In this podcast we go deep into refractive surgery and how/why it needs to split into its own specialty (and cataract surgery is the most commonly performed and most powerful refractive surgery). We talk about leadership in ophthalmology and important business lessons and we even cover the beauty of surgical mission trips. Truly an engaging and interesting podcast and I am confident that you will enjoy it and learn some great pearls. If you want to email him, you can contact him via this address [email protected]

Dr Kevin Waltz is an ophthalmologist (and optometrist) who has been involved with so many innovative clinical trials of the equipment, IOLs, and technologies that we use in our surgeries every week. He has developed multiple eye surgery centers in other countries where he and his team provide no cost surgery to patients who also can become enrolled in these clinical trials. He has done well by doing good in the world. He is a truly remarkable man and I know that you will thoroughly enjoy this podcast and learn a lot too.

The University of Texas just started a new medical school in Austin called the Dell School of Medicine. And through the generous gift of the Wong family, they created a new Department of Ophthalmology and the Wong Eye Institute. The inaugural leader of this combined entity is Jane Edmond MD, a dynamic and driven ophthalmologist who will create a legacy to last many lifetimes. Speaking with Jane is energizing with her highly contagious enthusiasm, big dreams, and even bigger ambition. There is an absolute certainty that she will create an incredible eye institute and elevate ophthalmology in Austin. This is truly an invigorating and inspiring podcast that will leave you dreaming and then driven to create something bigger in your world. 

Dr Bill Trattler is a cornea, refractive, and cataract surgeon in Miami who has a gift for teaching using case studies. He has brought this innovative teaching method to many meetings and it is always informative to watch him on the podium. In this podcast we review the best approaches to common corneal conditions like keratoconus, Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, ectasia, irregular astigmatism, and more. We also feature his pearls about how to set up your topographer properly so that you don't miss critical diagnoses. So much great learning in this podcast.

Jack Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS has done an amazing job of advancing ophthalmology with his engineering mindset and passion for teaching. You have used his invention, the Brightness Acuity Tester (BAT) to help many of your cataract patients and you have benefitted from his Holladay and Holladay 2 equations for IOL calculations with Holladay 3 in the works. He has given a precise explanation of the cause (and solution) to negative dysphotopsias with IOLs in his enigmatic penumbra paper and lecture. This podcast is full of great learning points for your clinic and operating room as well as great personal stories and how he beat incredible odds. 

Cathleen McCabe MD has so many great pearls of wisdom from 25 years in practice including how to manage dislocated IOLs using her belt-loop technique which have featured here. She is a high volume cataract and refractive surgeon and she will hit the 100,000 surgery mark later in her career. She is also scheduled to be ASCRS president in a few years and she was just given the nod to be secretary for that organization. ASCRS apparently no longer does elections and decides on leadership positions via insiders. I look forward to her leadership. This was a very interesting discussion with so many important learning points for ophthalmologists.

Sometimes timing is everything and you can't predict your future opportunities. Being prepared and maximizing your reach is important in securing your career, but sometimes the timing just has to be right. Dr Terry Kim, professor of cornea and refractive surgery at Duke University, goes into this topic in detail in our podcast. We also talk about the importance of sports vision and how your research can be integrated into your clinical practice. He even gives us insight into his passion of being a music DJ. 

For a very complex anterior segment reconstruction surgery, Brandon Ayres MD from Wills Eye Hospital is one of the best, performing many of these tough cases every week. This includes scleral fixated IOLs, prosthetic iris devices, corneal transplantation, pupilloplasty, and more. In this interview he gives a step-wise approach to these tough surgeries and a guideline for success, one step at a time. If you have a tough case coming up, you will benefit so much from this podcast! He also has a great youtube channel where he posts videos of these amazing surgeries. https://www.youtube.com/@brandonayres

Cristos Ifantides MD is an accomplished young ophthalmologist who truly brings the "A game" to the future of our field. He completed an international ophthalmology fellowship at the Wills Eye Hospital and he was previously a faculty member of the University of Colorado school of medicine, department of ophthalmology. He left that academic position and moved to Florida to join a private practice. Why? What changed? How is it different? Does he still get involved in clinical trials? How can you be a private practice ophthalmologist but also a notable teacher, key opinion leader, and young visionary? We go into all the details. So much to learn!