In honor of June National Cataract Awareness Month, we want to shine a spotlight on our team of cataract specialists. Our cataract surgeons have performed over 35,000 cataract procedures. Get to know our cataract experts below.
WHY DO YOU LOVE FLORIDA EYE SPECIALISTS?
“I may be biased but I’m privileged to work for the best eye care practice in this region. I’m surrounded by amazing doctors and staff that truly care about our patients. I’m lucky to be a part of this great environment and am excited for our future.”
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GO INTO EYE CARE?
“Going into med school I thought I was definitely going into orthopedic surgery. As we progressed into our clinical rotation I fell in love with what ophthalmologists can offer patients. I felt there was no other field that combined surgery with developing long lasting relationships with patients. Also I think all the gadgets we get to play with daily are pretty cool.”
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
“Some hobbies I enjoy are working out and playing golf. A lot of times I’ll try to get a quick workout in during our “lunch” break.”
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?
“My favorite foods are most any Indian food and kabobs.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“I love working at Florida Eye Specialists because it is a true community. My co-workers and patients feel like friends and family.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“My ‘joke’ answer is: ‘Lasers! We get to shoot lasers!’ Although it’s tongue in cheek, there is a kernel of truth there. The advanced levels of technology we have in ophthalmology are truly amazing. Most treatments are between 30 seconds and and 10 minutes and painless, but affect huge differences in patients’ lives. Further, the field is moving forward rapidly these days. Every year I have newer, better treatments to offer patients. At the heart of it, we all go into medicine to help people. It’s a wonderful gift to be able to improve or save someone’s vision and make them smile again.”
What was your first job ever?
“My father is a Veterinarian, and I was working in his office as a veterinary tech starting in 7th grade. My twin brother and I loved scanning the appointment book each morning to see what types of problems and what types of animals would be coming in that day. It’s definitely where I caught the bug for medicine.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“I enjoy that every member of Florida Eye regardless of title has a unified mission to help our patients and serve our community. I am also really enjoying having such a diverse and multi-disciplinary group of physicians that are also so accessible regardless of seniority. This in turn allows us to have a very comprehensive approach to any patient that walks into our offices.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“During medical school I found myself not really feeling a connection to the fields I was being exposed to. Unfortunately exposure to more specialized fields is very limited in medical school. I decided on my own to cold call some Ophthalmologists in the community and ask if it would be alright for me to observe them. After visiting a few it became clear this is what I had been looking for. It allows a great variety in your days/weeks and allows you to develop relationships with your patients and ensure continuity of care.”
What are your hobbies?
“I enjoy spending time with my wife and 4 month old son. Our worlds shrunk last year and even more so with the arrival of our son, and although we love to travel, I am loving every moment of this special time. We also enjoy trying to experience as much of Jacksonville as we can, like going to shows at the Florida Theater, catching a Jags game and seeing some Broadway shows at Times-Union.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“FES is a wonderful cohort of fellowship trained physicians to work with. They are all committed to excellence in Eyecare placing patients first.”
What was your first job ever?
“Bag boy at a grocery store which taught me a great deal about responsibility; work ethic; and people skills.”
Do you have any pets?
“A maltese poodle mix dog named Ruby.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“It’s incredibly rewarding to work with a team of compassionate physicians and surgeons along with a dedicated staff to provide excellence in eye care to each and every patient. Our patients are truly our family and we all share in their care. It’s an honor and a privilege.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“Being an ophthalmologist provides me the opportunity to make a tremendous difference in our patients’ quality of life – Performing cataract surgery is very gratifying and I feel blessed to be able to help our patients see clearly again.”
What’s your favorite movie?
“Forrest Gump – it’s a fantastic movie that captures the history and pop culture of our time while also highlighting our humanity and the importance of friendship, commitment, and love.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“I love Florida Eye Specialists because my colleagues are first-rate and we all work together to provide exceptional eye care for our patients.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“Good mix of OR procedures and office-based clinical care. Patients of all ages. Patients can often readily appreciate what we do for them.”
Do you have any pets?
“Two golden retrievers, Wynstan and Stella.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“I love being part of Florida Eye Specialists because I get to work with an amazing group of very knowledgeable Physicians, who truly care about their patients and their well-being. The eye is a small but extremely sophisticated organ with multiple pathologies. I specialize in the Cornea and anterior segment of the eye, however, a lot of my patients have multiple eye problems. Since I work with colleagues who specialize in different ocular subspecialties, it gives me the peace of mind that no matter what problems my patients have, they are getting the best eye care in town and that is priceless!”
What is your favorite book?
“My favorite book is “Blind Corners: Adventures on Seven Continents” by Geoff Tabin.”
What are your hobbies?
“I love spending time in nature, whether it be walking in a wooded trail, gardening at my home or hiking in the mountains. As a child I was lucky enough to go on two trekking trips in the himalayas and they were some of the most gratifying experiences of my life. Geoff is a mountaineering Ophthalmologist and while reading his book it reminded me about the adventures I had and the people I met during my time in the Himalayas. Through this book Geoff shows that life’s an adventure and adventure can be combined with doing great things for others’ like he did with the Himalayan Cataract Project.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“I love having a team-oriented approach at FES to provide the highest excellence of care to our patients. From our staff and technicians to our sub-specialty trained physicians, we all work together as a team to care for our patients and their ocular needs.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“We by far have the coolest gadgets and techy toys!”
What are your hobbies?
“Travelling, camping/hiking, boating/fishing, beaching, spending time with family.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“FES doctors have the breadth and depth of experience, training, and technology that is so important in delivering the best of eye and orbital care. The camaraderie and willingness to provide that care to our region is vital to patients in our greater Jacksonville area.”
What are your hobbies?
“Love to travel. Meeting diverse cultures and sharing universal ideals of family, work, and experiences broadens one’s perspective of the planet we live on.”
Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists?
“Why do you love Florida Eye Specialists? We have the unique opportunity to make people young again through what they see and perceive, which is amazing. We are helping people to function better than ever, to see more vividly. Florida Eye Specialists is more than just an eye clinic. We strive to provide the most sophisticated technology and services throughout North Florida to provide the highest level of care to the region in a compassionate way. I have the privilege to do what I love to do with people I truly enjoy working with.”
What are your hobbies?
“Outdoor excursions and hiking, traveling with my family to experience the beauty of nature and some of the world’s more far-flung and remote destinations.”
Why did you choose to go into eye care?
“I loved the idea of having the ability to change, to improve, people’s lives almost instantly through effective eye treatments.”