Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 14 December 2017 by Eric Donnenfeld, MD, EyeWorld chief medical editor Chief medical editor's corner of the world Season of gratitude A s 2017 comes to a close and the holidays are in sight, I thought it might be the right time to wax poetic about the people we should be thankful for. I will start my list with my number one priority that I think we can all agree on, and that is family. It may be a bit cliché, but parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and especially our spouses enrich our lives in countless ways. They are often responsible for the successes we have in our careers, and they put up with a great deal. I recall one Sunday morning my wife asked me what I would like to do that day. My response was that I would like to do some cataract sur- gery, so she, as expected, punched me in the arm. I know it was well deserved. I am extremely thankful to live in the U.S. I have traveled the world, and there is nowhere I prefer. Recently there has been a great deal of controversy over kneeling during the national anthem at football games. I completely support the desire to eradicate bigotry and injus- tice, and I also completely support and recognize our military's role in safeguarding our freedom and the sacrifices made in the name of the American flag. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, and I stand with the American flag and what it represents. I am extremely proud of my practice, which has more than 40 doctors and hundreds of staff members. A good practice is very much like a family. We squabble and may disagree from time to time, but at the end of the day we take care of each other while taking care of our patients, including those who cannot afford our care. In addition, I am proud and thankful that my staff makes a concerted effort to give back to the community. Every day I walk into the office, I am greeted by a notice for a bake sale, food drive, or walk-a-thon for an important community-related charity. Our practice has become a part of the community it serves, and the staff and physicians are bound together in a way that goes beyond oph- thalmology and patients' care. The office is full of ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts by volun- teering. They contribute time, effort, and energy to support programs our community deserves. I am extremely appreciative and thankful that I am an ophthalmolo- gist and have the opportunity to im- prove patients' vision and quality of life. The unsung heroes of ophthal- mology are the faculty of teaching institutions and the volunteers in residency and fellowship programs who pass on their knowledge to the next generation of physicians who are entering our field. Finally, I am extremely thankful for ASCRS, the organization that best represents anterior segment surgeons and has been the vehicle for inno- vation in our specialty. We have a devoted group who work at ASCRS to fulfill our mission of education, and their efforts behind the scenes are very much appreciated. There is one person in particular at ASCRS who deserves special recognition, and that is David Karcher, our exec- utive director. He has served us with extraordinary dedication and wis- dom for 37 years and has been the single most instrumental person in bringing ASCRS to where it is today. David is stepping down as executive director at the end of 2018, and we are fortunate that he will continue to serve as a consultant. Thank you, David, for all of your contributions to our profession. EW Contact information Donnenfeld: ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com Scott Fair, DO, iPhone 8+ winner in New Orleans Scan the EWAR code to the left with the EyeWorldAR app and click "Register for a chance to win an iPhone 8+" We will be giving away 2 iPhones in a monthly drawing through January

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