Steven Dell MD is a refractive and cataract surgeon in Austin, Texas, USA and he has been involved in so many different avenues of ophthalmology in addition to his clinical practice. More than 15 years ago, he worked with development of the first generation of IOLs which attempted to restore accommodation and we thoroughly discuss this topic in the podcast. He also was founding president of AECOS, the American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery, which promotes innovation, education, and advocacy while also organizing multiple outstanding eye meetings per year in the USA and in Europe. And he is also known for offering guidance and sage advice to younger ophthalmologists as they navigate their careers, me included!

John Hovanesian MD is in private practice in Orange County, California and he has been involved with ophthalmic teaching, consulting, and giving back for more than 20 years. He also hosts the Eyeluminaries podcast, gets involved in many clinical trials, and authors articles and books in ophthalmology. Our discussion is two long time friends catching up with each other because I've known John since I was a first year ophthalmology resident and he was a cornea fellow. There are some great pearls in this podcast that will help our younger audience maximize their happiness and success. 

Priya Mathews, MD, MPH is a successful surgeon and key opinion leader, and she has some great pearls for achieving work-life balance. That is something that I have personally struggled with in the past, but now I am far better at it. While we love ophthalmology, we also need to love ourselves, our lives, and our family and friends. In medicine, we devote so much of our youth to education and training -- essentially all of our twenties and even into our early or mid thirties. This makes it challenging to find a partner, start a family, have a social life, and experience the world. 

Prof. Damien Gatinel, MD, PhD has a background in mathematics and the physics of optics as well as being a world class refractive surgeon. In our podcast he explains the optics behind his trifocal IOL design as well as innovations in refractive surgery, both corneal and lenticular, which give us so many great options for restoring vision to our patients. He has a great way of explaining this complex concepts in a simplified manner so that ophthalmologists like me can easily understand.

Professor Douglas Koch MD has been leading the way in cataract, refractive, and anterior segment surgery for more than 40 years. He is instrumental in teaching surgical techniques as well as pioneering new concepts such as evaluation of posterior corneal power and adjusting the axial lengths in myopic eyes for more accurate IOL calculations. I first met Dr Koch when I was a medical student interviewing for residency at Baylor University in Texas. Though I ultimately chose to do my residency at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute in my hometown of Los Angeles, I still learned so much from Dr Koch's teachings. That learning has continued for decades and I am so excited to bring this podcast to you. I am confident that you will also learn so much just from this one hour conversation.

Eric Donnenfeld MD is an outstanding teacher and has taught thousands of ophthalmologists with his presentations and articles. He has a knack for explaining tough concepts in an easy to understand manner while always providing levity and laughter which makes his lectures memorable. I have learned so much from him over the years and I was really eager to have him share his words of wisdom from 40+ years in ophthalmology. I am certain you will enjoy the podcast and will have many moments where you laugh out loud.

Professor Jorge Alió, MD, PhD from Alicanté, Spain wears many hats: professor, innovator, publisher, researcher, and business leader. He is a remarkable ophthalmologist who has contributed nearly 1000 peer-reviewed journal articles over the past many decades. His impact on our field is tremendous and he is generous with sharing the pearls and words of wisdom which helped propel him to this high level of success. He has truly built an ophthalmology legacy and his impact is worldwide. I'm confident that you will enjoy this podcast and learn so much from it.

The excimer laser revolutionized corneal refractive surgery and countless millions of patients have benefitted from amazing new vision. Marguerite McDonald MD is a true pioneer in corneal refractive surgery and the development of the excimer laser. This podcast dives into the amazing journey of this brilliant surgeon, including the major challenges that were overcome (sometimes by serendipity) to bring this ground breaking technology to surgeons like you and me.

Even though our cataract surgeries are confined to a very small space inside the eye, they require peak performance from our mind and body to ensure a great outcome for our patients. There is certainly a mind, body, and soul connection and achieving appropriate fitness and nutrition can help optimize surgical performance. Bill Soscia MD is a high volume cataract surgeon and lifelong athlete who has spent many years fine tuning his mind-body machine. We enjoy a robust discussion in this podcast and cover so many different areas. I learned a tremendous amount and I came away with a full page of notes for my own personal health journey. I know you'll enjoy this podcast and it will bring a new-found energy to your personal performance in and out of the operating room.  https://www.instagram.com/thetrinitydoc/

Nandini Venkateswaran MD is an anterior segment surgeon and clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and key opinion leader in ophthalmology. She has had a meteoric rise and is frequently seen at the podium at ophthalmology meetings across the USA and contributing to the advancement of our field with consulting activities. As someone who has participated in ophthalmic consulting for more than two decades (back when I had a baby face!), I know that Nandini's achievements are truly outstanding considering that she is still in her early 30s. She is one to watch and there is no doubt that in the coming years she will play a prominent leadership role in our field. We talk about many things in this podcast such as how you can also pave a path to the podium and get involved with the future of our field, but also how to keep up with new surgical techniques and technologies. She brings a high degree of energy and a keen insight that makes for a fascinating podcast. I am sure that you will truly enjoy it.