Ophthalmology
Challenging patients and the art of empathy
On a fine afternoon, my nurse came in and gave me a heads-up. “Doctor, the next one’s a bit of a handful. Made a fuss scheduling, complained about her old doctor endlessly at reception … doesn’t seem like a picnic.” I smiled reassuringly, reminding her (and myself) that non-judgmental care is the cornerstone of medicine. However, my mind let out a little sigh, knowing that the next half hour was …
The costly divide: tech innovations and global health inequality
“You have various options for this procedure. However, we will only be able to get the best results with the newest artificial lens on the market. Unfortunately, this type of lens is not covered by any insurance provider since it is sold by a single company in U.S. dollars. Unless you can afford it out of pocket, we would have to go with the older version.”
This is part of a …
Navigating the art of delivering life-altering medical news [PODCAST]
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Join Emily Schehlein, a glaucoma and cataract surgeon. In this episode, we delve into the emotional and ethical complexities of delivering life-altering medical diagnoses. Emily shares her insights and experiences in the world of ophthalmology and how …
The silenced physician voice
Medicine, for many of us, has been a calling. Since I was a child, I knew I would be a doctor, and I did everything in my power to make that dream come to fruition. Nearly 13 years of education, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, years of lost income and retirement savings, countless hours away from family and loved ones, and a disregard for personal passions and hobbies …
Disappointment with a specialty board’s response to Israel crisis
I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in my specialty’s national board organization and its lack of response to the tragedy still unfolding in Israel. Ophthalmology oral boards are currently scheduled for 10/20/2023 through 10/22/2023, and I have received multiple notifications this week regarding testing logistics but not a single reference to a terrorist attack on the scale of the bombing of the Twin Towers in New York City. …
Revelations about physician age [PODCAST]
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We’re joined by Paul Pender, an ophthalmologist and author of Standing Up & Speaking Out for Patients & Doctors. Together, we explore the study’s revelations about physician age, patient outcomes, and the critical role of experience and skill in health care.
Residency reshaped: the courageous journey of switching specialties
“Don’t leave. There are miserable people in this world, and then ones more miserable than the others. My assessment is that you’re in the second category.”
Although it has been over a decade since I resigned from my ophthalmology residency after completing my PGY-2 year, I still remember this attending physician’s words and how they reverberated in my consciousness. I was terrified at his prophecy. Earlier that week, I had requested …
Why perfectionists in medicine need to practice compassion
I recently read the article, “Perfectionism will kill you.”
Our perfectionism is often worn like a badge of honor. It signifies our complete commitment, at times at the expense of others. Wanting to do your best job is what drives “good” perfectionism. Woody Allen quipped, “80 percent of life is just showing up.” And the other 20 percent is reserved for perfectionists.
Success often comes from attention to detail, something perfectionists …
When the time comes, be sure there’s something to retire to
“They may say I can’t sing, but they can never say I didn’t sing.”
– Florence Foster Jenkins.
I was a bachelor over the weekend. My wife Beth was in Columbus at a horse show, just killing it, while I languished at home in The Land with the dogs. Much of what a summer typically includes has been stolen by the traitorous behavior of my “good hip.” Where my left hip only …
Open-angle glaucoma: To screen or not to screen?
In a published statement in JAMA Network on May 24/31, 2022, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that there was insufficient evidence for screening for primary open-angle glaucoma in adults. They could not find a way to balance harms versus benefits for screening in general. But is this reasoning faulty?
It is well known that Black and Hispanic populations suffer a greater incidence and severity of glaucoma, …
The need for ophthalmologists is greater than ever
Increased prevalence of ophthalmic diseases due to continued population growth and aging requires an increase in the number of ophthalmologists nationwide. Multiple sources, including the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), report that the number of people with the most common eye diseases will double between 2010 and 2050. This includes the elderly suffering from long-term eye diseases such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), …
The historical medical significance of carrots
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey.
Most people have heard the joke about rabbits and vitamin A: “Are carrots good for your eyesight?”
Well, I never saw a rabbit wearing glasses!
Vitamin A, one of the essential groups of vitamins, is …
3 reasons why smart doctors fail big exams
OK, quick — word association time.
I say “doctor,” and you think what? “Smart,” right?
And it’s true. Doctors are smart. But before you buy into the myth that every doctor has breezed through school and could fall out of bed with a #2 pencil and crush an exam without thinking about it, consider that over 1,100 internal medicine doctors fail their board exam every year.
And that’s just one medical specialty. When …
An ophthalmologist analyzes Joe Biden’s red eye
Four years ago, there was legitimate concern over Hillary Clinton’s health. Between her coughing spells, facial tics, stumbles and falls, not to mention her prism glasses and inability to hold more than a few campaign events per week, it wasn’t at all clear that she was up to the rigors of being president.
Now it’s Joe Biden and his red eye-raising red flags over his health. His so-called gaffes are well …
Elon Musk’s girlfriend had eye surgery for depression. Is there science behind that?
Claire Elise Boucher, 31, known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. Her music incorporates elements of varied styles, including dream pop, R&B, electronic music, and hip hop. Since 2018, Boucher has been in a relationship with technology entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Grimes recently became the star of a new Adidas advertising campaign. In announcing this new …
Why cataract surgery is more complicated than it should be
Eye surgery is a delicate business. It involves operating within an orb the size of a large marble to remove a cataract or repair a retinal detachment.
Not only is superb eye-hand coordination a must, but also an awareness of the myriad other medical issues in the elderly population most in need of eye surgery.
Traditionally, patients undergoing cataract surgery had a preoperative medical evaluation, including blood work, chest X-ray, and EKG, …
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