Marnix Heersink, MD, joins Gary Wörtz, MD, and Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and shares his experiences and philosophy behind building his business in ophthalmology, philanthropy, and more. Dr. Heersink breaks down his career path, from his first practice to his growth in business ventures beyond medicine. He shares advice for young physicians just getting started in practice, and comments on his outlook for the future of ophthalmology.

Joseph Gira, MD, joins Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, to share his experience with building and growing a business in ophthalmology. He outlines his career history, commenting on his skills for working and collaborating with other doctors and the benefits of working with optometry as a backbone for success. Dr. Gira also describes his experience working in private equity, sharing potential pitfalls and successes for younger surgeons to consider.

Farrell “Toby” Tyson, MD, FACS, joins the podcast to speak with Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, about the lessons he has learned from expanding his practice. Dr. Tyson shares critical elements to success in expansion, including the value of location visibility, the pros and cons of having an optical shop, and strategies to manage cash flow, drive more revenue, and attract top talent.

In the next installment of how to build a business in ophthalmology, Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, speak with Rupa Wong, MD, about her experience building her personal brand and business through social media. Dr. Wong shares insights into evaluating how to invest in one’s social media marketing efforts and gives advice for creating engaging, authentic content that resonates with a specific target audience. She also shares tips for launching and building a successful private practice and discusses learning experiences, tips for networking, and more.

Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, continue this season’s theme of how to grow a business and welcome Brent Saunders, chairman and CEO of Bausch + Lomb, to discuss his experiences in ophthalmology. Mr. Saunders touches on how he defines business success, emphasizing the value of having a great mentor and encouraging young ophthalmologists not to shy away from taking risks. 

In this special live episode, recorded during the YoungMD Connect Live meeting in Austin, Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, sit down with Shannon Wong, MD, to discuss his leadership philosophy and how he models his practice. Dr. Wong describes challenges he has faced regarding his practice and explains how he overcame them, citing how to learn from mistakes and grow the business by building a team of experts.

Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, invite friend and mentor James Loden, MD, to the podcast to discuss his experience building his practice and brand. Dr. Loden shares insights for young surgeons by explaining the best decisions to grow his business and potential pitfalls to avoid. The three physicians further discuss how to discover opportunities for expanding a business and determining how it aligns with one’s personal career goals.

Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, begins the first episode of the 2023 season of Ophthalmology off the Grid by bringing back the podfather himself—Gary Wörtz, MD—as co-host. The theme for the 2023 season examines the business side of ophthalmology. Drs. Williamson and Wörtz share insights as practice owners and discuss the key questions one should address when building a brand.

Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, is joined by Jorawer Singh, MD; Jeffrey Whitman, MD; William Rabourn; and John Blanck to further discuss the intricacies of owning an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). In this episode, Dr. Whitman shares his experience as an ophthalmologist who has found success with an ASC and selling shares to younger partners. Dr. Singh addresses several challenges young ophthalmologists can face when buying into an ASC. Finally, consultants William Rabourn and John Blanck share insights into how to overcome these challenges.

In this special collaboration of YoungMD Connect and Survive & Thrive, Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, invited Caroline Watson, MD; Rupa Wong, MD; and financial advisor Victoria Consoles, CFP, EA, to share insights into how to make smart choices with debt and investments in three different career scenarios. Don’t miss the information shared during this workshop and learn answers to real-world questions for ophthalmologists to find financial success.