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Somebody's Two Cents Might Be Priceless

Learn how one ophthalmologist used good advice to create a three-step roadmap to success.

Eddie F. Kadrmas, M.D., Ph.D.

As ophthalmologists, we owe a debt of gratitude to the physicians who train us. The knowledge and skills they impart are our bridge to real-world practice. They teach us how to observe, evaluate, diagnose and treat. But if we really pay attention, we also can take away valuable lessons that go beyond the therapies and techniques of our daily work.

During my residency at the Mayo Clinic, I was given some very sound advice, which I took to heart and still follow to this day. One of my professors told me not to be concerned about making money. He told me to be the best ophthalmologist I could be. He said that if I did that, the patients would come, and the financial end would take care of itself. He was right.

Taking Good Advice to Heart

Using that advice as a guiding principle, I've been more successful than I thought I could be. To be the best ophthalmologist I can be, I stay focused on these three keys to success.

First, treat patients with respect, as if they were your parents. Never forget why you really went into medicine — to help others.

Second, stay up-to-date on the best technologies and treatments and offer them to your patients. Never be reluctant to try something new, and don't be scared off by steep learning curves, either. For me, adopting 25-gauge retinal surgery coaxed me out of my comfort zone. My training involved only 20-gauge surgery, but in order to provide patients with a more comfortable procedure and faster recovery, I worked through the 25-gauge learning curve. Now, I can perform most of my procedures in an ambulatory setting rather than a hospital operating room, and that has myriad benefits for my patients and my practice.

In medicine, better mousetraps are always being built. You don't have to be the first to try new things, but you shouldn't be the last, either.

And third, consider education a lifelong process. Keep learning all the time; never think you're finished. And recognize that patients also can be teachers. Be open to the idea that every patient who walks into your office represents a learning experience. Disease behaves differently in different people, but if we're open to learning something from each case, we establish an incredible knowledge base.

Also along those lines, don't forget how to "crack the books." When a patient presents with a confusing constellation of findings, don't be afraid to do some basic (or in-depth) research to determine the best course of action. We all did research during our residencies, and the learning and researching should continue in practice. No matter how smart we think we are, there's always more to learn.

Listen and Learn

If we're willing, we can learn so much from those who've gone before us. The key is to recognize good advice when you hear it. Remember that advice. Then put it to good use in your practice — or your life. nMD