BLOG: The best advice from my best mentors
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It’s impossible to encapsulate all the incredible advice I’ve received from professional mentors throughout the years, but here is a partial list of some memorable and impactful moments.
I hope it gives my colleagues some insight, or at least a laugh.
“Ophthalmology is the most exciting specialty you could ever consider.” – Conrad Giles, MD, my own childhood ophthalmologist (who is still practicing in Southfield, Michigan)
“Diplopia is better than no plopia at all.” – David Carey, MD
“Don’t be afraid to tell a patient when you don’t have all the answers.” – Daniel Steen, MD
“Don’t nick the knot with Mack the Knife.” – David Bogorad, MD
“The right thing to do [for your patient] is usually not the easy thing to do. Do the right thing.” – Murray Christianson, MD
“Doctor, wear a tie in clinic, or I will rip out your heart and throw it, still beating, down the stairs.” – Cornelius McCole, MD
“Run toward, not away from, your most complicated patients.” – Julian Nussbaum, MD
“Set appropriate expectations for your patients, then exceed them. In cornea, you can do anything you want as long as you follow the patient closely.” – Bartly Mondino, MD
“Be humble, be devoted and be honored that your patients trust you with their eyesight, their most precious gift.” – Gary Holland, MD
“Always try to see the patient’s perspective first. Then educate them from that viewpoint. You will have their attention, and they will appreciate that you listened.” – Robert Maloney, MD
“Have fun with your patients. It builds trust and makes your workday immeasurably enjoyable. And use your God-given talents to make the world a better place.” – Roger Ohanesian, MD
“Keep explanations very simple and in layman’s terms. Patients don’t want to be trained in your specialty. They just want to see better.” – Edward Kim, MD
“Building harmony among doctors and staff is more important than making another dollar.” – Diana Kersten, MD
“Your idea for a startup is a good one. I can’t tell you whether you’ll be successful, but I can tell you it’ll be harder than you expected.” – Richard L. Lindstrom, MD
And finally, my own advice: Keep your own list of guidance you get from the people you trust, whether they be physicians, friends, family or patients. You don’t get to keep your mentors forever, but memorializing their words keeps them living on.
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