EyePod

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. In this episode, Eichenbaum speaks with David J. Tanzer, MD, ABO, chief medical officer (CMO) at Lexitas Pharma Services, Inc., about a career that travels from the cockpit through clinical practice to the boardroom. A former US Navy flight surgeon turned three-time CMO, Tanzer shares how a chance rotation in San Diego led him into ophthalmology, why he still misses hands-on patient care, and what advice he'd give physicians considering a path beyond pure clinical medicine. Check out more episodes of Eichenbaum Acorns, powered by Modern Retina, at https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/podcasts/eichenbaum-acorns

In this episode of the Ophthalmology Times ® "Beyond The Walls" podcast, host Deborah Ristvedt, DO, sits down with colleague John P. Berdahl, MD, of Vance Thompson Vision, to explore the personal story behind a career defined by curiosity, persistence, and a commitment to giving back. Berdahl shares formative childhood experiences, early struggles in medical school, and the defining moments that shaped his path in ophthalmology. He discusses the innovations that have marked his career, including OPAP, a negative pressure goggle system for glaucoma, and a free toric IOL rotation calculator used by thousands of surgeons each month. He also speaks candidly about a high-profile business failure, the resilience it took to recover, and what he has learned about leadership along the way. The conversation closes with reflections on mentorship, family, and legacy — and what it truly means to give more than you take. Check out more episodes of Beyond The Walls at https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/podcasts/beyond-the-walls #Ophthalmology #EyeCare #BeyondTheWalls #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Mentorship #Podcast #OphthalmologyTimes

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish word for oak tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this episode, Eichenbaum speaks with Caroline R. Baumal, MD, recently chief medical officer (CMO) of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, about a career that has moved between clinical practice, academic medicine, imaging research, and industry leadership—and what she has learned along the way. Check out other episodes of Eichenbaum Acorns , powered by Modern Retina.

In this podcast, experts Mary Qiu, MD; Paul Singh, MD; and Danica J. Marrelli, OD, FAAO; discuss interventional glaucoma. This more proactive management approach aims to minimize the challenges of topical glaucoma management with the earlier use of procedures.

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish word for oak tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this episode, Eichenbaum speaks with Jay S. Duker, MD, president and CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals and a board director, and Ramiro Ribeiro, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, about the professional decisions that led each of them from clinical and academic training into pharmaceutical leadership—and what they have learned along the way.

In this podcast, experts Francis Mah, MD; and Amy Nau, OD, FAAO, Dipl, CCLRT; discuss how to identify neurotrophic keratitis in practice, highlighting indications for corneal sensitivity testing based on patient history and examination findings. Faculty will also examine how to stage and treat neurotrophic keratitis once diagnosed.

In this latest episode of the Ophthalmology Times® “Beyond The Walls” podcast, host Deborah Ristvedt, DO, sits down with her ophthalmology practice partner and mentor Vance Thompson, MD, to explore the origins and ongoing impact of a team first culture at Vance Thompson Vision. The conversation covers Thompson's early frustrations with practice dynamics, his turn toward business education, and the philosophy that has guided his career and practice growth. Thompson traces his thinking back to the late 1990s, when despite working with what he describes as "nice people," his practice was seeing more team and patient complaints than he expected. Encouraged by his brother-in-law, a physician-turned-hospital administrator, Thompson began studying the business side of medicine. He attended a course in Boca Raton, Florida, and worked with Jim Gilmore, coauthor of The Experience Economy , whose framework—"work is theater and every business a stage"—helped him reframe how he thought about patient care delivery. The pivotal insight came when Thompson recognized that teachings focused on the customer, while he was focused on the patient. "The team experience is something that I have to have perfect, we have to have perfect before we're gonna have a great patient experience," he explains. This realization led to what became his signature and deliberately provocative principle: The patient comes second. Thompson acknowledges the reaction that framing typically draws. "I've heard audible gasps from groups of surgeons," he says, adding that the point is not to deprioritize patients but to challenge a culture in medicine where staff are treated "less than." His argument is that an authentically cared-for team creates an environment patients feel immediately. "I don't know exactly what's going on here, but I love how they treat each other and I love how they treat me," he describes patients saying. He also connects team first culture to burnout prevention, recounting a colleague who told him he feared he was burning out. Thompson's response: "Are you operating on eyes or are you operating on people?" Reconnecting with the human dimension of the work, he suggests, is central to sustaining energy across a career. "I always want to remember I'm a doctor first, I'm an ophthalmologist second, I'm a refractive surgeon third." Thompson credits legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden with giving him "the guts to use the L word in the workplace," drawing a distinction between the love shared with family and a professional love rooted in genuine care for colleagues. He describes this openly with prospective partners: "I want them to know about the mush of me from the beginning," noting that those not open to that kind of relationship will eventually leave. He concludes that he views shared values around caring for fellow humans as a foundation for both culture and growth at Vance Thompson Vision.

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish translation for acorn tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this episode of Eichenbaum Acorns , Eichenbaum speaks with Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, about her career path, mentorship, education, and evolving clinical research in retina. Weng, who is professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology, and fellowship program director, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, reflects on joining Baylor straight out of fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, and building her career there over more than a decade. Fun fact! Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, is also host of The Retina TL;DR , powered by Modern Retina. Check out these episodes!

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish translation for acorn tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this special cross-brand episode with Optometry Times , Eichenbaum speaks with Jeffry D. Gerson, OD, FAAO, about career development, mentorship, and collaboration between optometry and ophthalmology in retinal care. Gerson practices in a collaborative OD-MD setting at Grin Eye Care in Olathe and Leawood, Kansas, where his work includes primary care as well as secondary care with an emphasis on retinal disease.

In this podcast, eye care expert Uday Devgan, MD, FACS, FRCS, reviews premium intraocular lens (IOL) options, including presbyopia-correcting IOLs and toric IOLs for patients with astigmatism.

In this podcast, Philadelphia cornea and glaucoma surgeon Brian Shafer, MD, discusses the procedures and processes involved in interventional glaucoma , which offers earlier options such as laser, drug-releasing implants, MIGS, and MIBS, with less reliance on topical medications in appropriate patients.

In this latest episode of the Ophthalmology Times® “Beyond The Walls” podcast, host Deborah Ristvedt, DO, of Vance Thompson Vision, sits down with William B. Trattler, MD, to explore the experiences, influences, and philosophies that have shaped his career in ophthalmology. The discussion covers early inspirations, approaches to teaching, mentorship initiatives, clinical collaboration, and the evolving role of technology in patient care. Trattler traces his introduction to medicine to his father, an ophthalmologist, whom he describes as “just such an incredible role model.” During medical school, Trattler coauthored Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple , motivated by a desire to simplify complex material. “We should just make it ridiculously simple,” he explains, highlighting his use of visual aids and associations to enhance learning. This philosophy carries into his clinical practice, where he emphasizes simplifying the interpretation of diagnostic tools by distinguishing “what’s normal, versus abnormal,” while recognizing the variability in findings and the importance of repetition and experience. Mentorship is a central theme, reflected in Trattler’s development of the Rising Stars in Ophthalmology program. The conversation also includes reflections on balancing professional and personal life, ongoing practice growth, generational transitions, and the future of ophthalmology.

IOLs: What Every Surgeon Needs to Know is an editorially independent video and podcast series from Ophthalmology Times , hosted by Douglas D. Koch, MD, Professor and Allen, Mosbacher, and Law Chair in Ophthalmology at the Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. In each episode, Koch will be joined by different expert guests to discuss cutting-edge advancements in intraocular lens (IOL) technology and cataract surgery. In this inaugural episode, Koch is joined by Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, Benning Presidential Endowed Chair and co-director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center at the Moran A. Eye Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, to explore IOL biomaterials. 🎧 Listen as Douglas D. Koch, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, discuss IOL biomaterials and emerging lens technologies.

In this podcast, experts Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, FASRS; Jed H. Assam, MD, MS; Diana V. Do, MD; and Dante Pieramici, MD, FASRS; discuss the diagnosis, clinical features, and evolving management strategies for patients diagnosed with macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2.

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This Q&A-style article and podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina specialist profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the German translation for acorn tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this installment, Eichenbaum talks with Jayanth Sridhar, MD, who saw an opportunity to bring retina education into the daily commute of ophthalmologists. What started as a simple idea during a long drive grew into Sridhar’s Straight From the Cutter’s Mouth: A Retina Podcast . Sridhar explains how the podcast began, the early challenges he faced, and what he learned along the way. Sridhar is associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in Miami, Florida, and serves as chief of ophthalmology for the Olive View Medical Center, part of Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, in Los Angeles, California.

In this podcast, expert Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, discusses the burden, diagnosis, and management of Demodex blepharitis, highlighting a recently approved targeted treatment option.

Joel Schuman, MD, of Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, sits down with Sheryl Stevenson, executive editor of the Eye Care Network, for a discussion about emerging technologies that may influence glaucoma care as clinicians look toward 2026. Schuman highlights artificial intelligence for imaging and risk prediction, noting that “the performance really rivals expert readers and the regulatory pathways are clear.” He also reviews remote monitoring, sustained-release drug delivery, and procedural innovations such as direct selective laser trabeculoplasty. Addressing adoption challenges, Schuman outlines evidence, workflow, economics, and interoperability as key factors, noting that “The winners don’t have to be the flashiest tools in 2026. They’ll be the ones that make a busy clinic run better.”

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina ® and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida in Tampa. This Q&A-style article and podcast series explore the overlooked corners of the retina specialist profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the German translation for oak tree , and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding. In this installment, Eichenbaum chats with Jordan M. Graff, MD, FACS, of Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center in Phoenix, Arizona, to discuss the realities of early adoption in retina care. Graff’s experience with the port delivery system (PDS) (Susvimo; Genentech), first as an investigator and later as one of the most active commercial utilizers in the US, provides insight into the opportunities and challenges of early adoption. He has navigated both the initial excitement of innovation and the realities of setbacks, including Genentech’s October 2022 voluntary recall following septum dislodgement issues. With the July 2024 reintroduction of a revised product, Graff offers a perspective on resuming adoption post-recall.