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Prominent surgeon encourages young ophthalmologists to challenge the status quo
SAN FRANCISCO — Looking back on a long career in ophthalmology, a prominent speaker here challenged his colleagues, and younger physicians in particular, to never accept current knowledge as dogma.
"To all the young ophthalmologists in attendance, let me say this: It's OK to be different," Robert H. Osher, MD, said during the 2009 Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. "It's OK to challenge."
Dr. Osher said that he is proud of many accomplishments in his career and highlighted some inventions and innovations, including surgical techniques to manage cataract complications, the first slow-motion phacoemulsification, a line of microscissors and, his latest development, iris scanning software that will help surgeons better locate toric IOLs.
Dr. Osher, known for video presentations, also said he was the first to present videos of his complicated cases at major ophthalmology meetings, which he said was contrary to popular belief at the time. It is his interest in video presentations that led Dr. Osher to found the Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the first video journal in medicine.