Peter J. McDonnell, MD

Stormy Daniels’ pupillary diameter could indicate high intelligence

The famous line from George Bernard Shaw's "Man and Superman"-"those who can, do; those who can't, teach"-is sometimes quoted to explain why certain of us choose a career in academics. Fortunately for many medical students, the head of medical student education in my medical school was both a doer and a teacher.

Two headlines broke new ground recently when it comes to horror and adversity. Coincidentally, they both involved worms and left eyes: "Woman pulls wiggling cattle worms from her eyeball, makes medical history" appeared along with "Brain-eating pork worm removed from man's eye."

My classmate in medical school, Eric, only became a medical student because his father insisted. Eric wasn’t happy about this until he discovered he loved ophthalmology. He went on to perform brilliantly as a resident and built an extremely successful and fulfilling practice. Eric’s story is not unique.

One approach that is sometimes recommended to give honest feedback is to deliver it between two positive comments. This is known as the “compliment sandwich.” While some advocates of this approach still assert its value, it is largely out of favor and is often ridiculed.

In my own personal experience, there have always been infections that are difficult to treat (e.g., acanthamoeba or fungal keratitis), but that was no less the case 20 years ago than it is today. Bacterial infections are not (in my humble opinion) particularly more a concern today than they were a decade or two ago.

Sometimes it is best that we don't know what we don't know.

In the movies "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Matrix Reloaded," evil gunmen who are albinos figure prominently.

The author discusses beach soccer, Van Gogh, and yellowing of the vision.

Before starting medical school, the author spent a summer doing chemistry research at his state university.

The author addresses the benefits of agreeableness in the workplace.

A recent trip provided the author the opportunity to visit two countries on two different continents and learn a little about their health-care systems, and, more specifically, how they care for patients with cataracts.

The author discusses how MGD is a major source of morbidity and decreased quality of life for patients.

If we can help our patients understand the wisdom of leaving a written record of their desires should they suffer severe medical setbacks, they might avoid the problems that can occur from having their health care guided by presumably well-meaning family members who might be educationally or emotionally ill-equipped to make sound decisions.

My friends in practice tell me that the starting pay packages being offered to ophthalmologists right out of training are becoming more modest.

Everyone is given a special talent, which, if developed, can allow them to perform their talent really well. This explains why there are great singers, superb artists or musicians, and gifted mechanics, to name a few professions. Those talents often are limited to that particular setting, however; they are not always transferable into another area.

Disconnecting from the worldwide electronic ophthalmic community and living in the moment, although a scary concept, can be done. And it can be enjoyable, especially with the right company.

Some speculate that the current economic crisis is a result of financial institutions' misplaced optimism and trust in their companies. Ophthalmologists, who run practices, departments, divisions, etc., have to strike the right balance between sharing and recognizing the realities of whatever problems organizations face, and express the confidence that they can be overcome if the right things are done.

We're to the point that medical care for our children is a discretionary item, less of a priority than digital cable. Blurry vision from a cataract is something that can be dealt with next year or whenever the economy sorts itself out. While it may be impossible to peer into the future, it increasingly appears that accessing medical care may not be the recession-proof priority for Americans that it has been in the past.

One concern of the theory of evolution is how a highly complex organ such as the eye might develop if there are not intermediate forms of rudimentary eyes that confer a survival advantage to the organism. An intermediate life form recently has been discovered, and Ophthalmology Times Chief Medical Editor Dr. McDonnell hypothesizes that it may have implications for patient care.

Young ophthalmologists consider themselves well-prepared in terms of the medical and surgical knowledge but unprepared for non-clinical aspects of ophthalmology, such as leading employees and managing a successful practice.

A highlight of this issue of Ophthalmology Times is the article on Page 1 discussing the end of the chairmanship of William Tasman, MD. Under his leadership of the excellent and storied Wills Eye Institute, a great institution became even stronger.

"Mr. Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately."

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."

American physicians may no longer have a monopoly on caring for American patients.