The Indomitable Howard Krauss

In the last episode, we began a conversation with Dr. Howard Krauss, founding partner of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Southern California and a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist.In this episode, we continue our conversation, learning more about his experience training to become a surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist, his experience as a co-founder of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and r. Krauss offers some of his thoughts on the current state of our healthcare system, and sage advice to the next generation of aspiring physicians and Neuro-ophthalmologists.

Dr. Krauss is a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in minimally invasive orbital and oculoplastic surgery and adult strabismus.  A leader in ophthalmology and medicine,  he has blazed the trail for many of us who followed his footsteps into this specialty as surgeons. In this episode, we’ll learn about his formative years including his journey from rocket scientist to Neuro-ophthalmologist.Dr. Howard Krauss

In this episode, I’m honored to bring you my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson, a true pioneer in neuro-ophthalmology. As one of the first African American neuro-ophthalmologists, Dr. Johnson paved the way for future generations, breaking barriers and making an indelible mark on our field. Beyond his significant clinical expertise and technical contributions to ophthalmology, Dr. Johnson is also a historian of our profession. His book, Breaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in Ophthalmology, is the definitive account of the African American experience in our field, chronicling the challenges, triumphs, and the ongoing endeavors to increase representation in ophthalmology.Dr. Johnson’s storytelling is as compelling as his insights, and in this episode, we explore his remarkable journey, the importance of representation in medicine, and the future of our field through his unique perspective.Dr. Lenworth JohnsonDr. Howard P. VenableDr. Maurice RabbBreaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in OphthalmologyBlack Pioneers in OphthalmologyRabb Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology ProgramThe National Medical Association Ophthalmology Section

Today on the podcast, I have Drs. Alexandra "Ola" Pietraskiewicz and Amy Durand, two young physicians who are at the cusp of beginning what will hopefully be long and fulfilling careers in neuro-ophthalmology. We’ll hear what motivated them to pursue careers in our field, help break some of the common myths that dissuade many trainees from considering neuro-ophthalmology as a viable career choice, and we’ll hear some sage advice about the mindset that can help overcome apprehension about choosing a career in Neuro-ophthalmology.Dr. Alexandra "Ola" PietraskiewiczDr. Amy Durand

With overall relatively low exposure to and recruitment of trainees to the field of neuro-ophthalmology, I feel that we as a specialty must be able address the misconceptions about who we are and what we do by telling our own stories. We need to spread the message more widely about how great our specialty is and how much of a positive impact we can have on our patients, colleagues, and communities by the specialized care and expertise we are able to offer to our patients and communities. This has been the main goal of this podcast, which started with an episode featuring an invited talk to the ophthalmology student interest group at McGovern medical school. This episode is a rebroadcast of that conversation in which I exposed medical students to our field and addressed some of the misconceptions about neuro-ophthalmology to their young impressionable minds. 

In the previous episode, I began a conversation with Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting.  In this episode, we continue our conversation about what’s new and exciting in NO and how to take the momentum from the meeting and use it to grow more practical interest in our specialty.NANOS 2024John J. Chen M.D., PH.DFiona Costello, M.D, FRCPCHeather Moss, M.D., PH.D

The 50th Anniversary NANOS Annual Meeting was held in Honolulu, HI from March 2 through March 7 2024. it was a wonderful meeting that has been claimed  by many to be of the best annual meetings ever with respect to location, venue, content, organization, and atmosphere. It was one of the the largest NANOS meetings ever, drawing a diverse, international audience from all over the globe. The meeting covered a wide range of neuro-ophthalmologic content including cutting edge research, and some of the latest in diagnostic and treatment paradigms in our specialty. Today, we begin a series of episodes in which I speak with world renowned neuro-ophthalmologists Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting. Each played an important role in the meeting and its success and we had a wonderful conversation about their experiences in Hawaii, the new and cutting edge topics that came out of the meeting, and how to take the momentum from the excitement of the meeting and use it to grow the specialty of neuro-ophthalmology.NANOS 2024John J. Chen M.D., PH.DFiona Costello, M.D, FRCPCHeather Moss, M.D., PH.D

The young Neuro-ophthalmologists committee of NANOS or YONO was established in 2012 in an effort to meet the needs of trainees and neuro-ophthalmologists in their formative years of training and practice. The YONO committee is currently co-chaired by Drs. Nailyn Rasool and Andrew Melson who are passionate about the support and mentorship of those early in their neuro-ophthalmology journeys. In this episode of OOTBS I'll speak with them about the importance of YONO and the wonderful resources it provides, and how to YOLO as a YONO. NANOS YONO PortalDr. Nailyn RasoolDr. Andrew Melson

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, addressing the importance of creating spaces where diversity can thrive, the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action and how it affects AAO, and what the academy is doing to support the cognitive specialties of ophthalmology, including my field of Neuro-ophthalmology. 

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to bring important and hopefully thought provoking conversations through the sight for site eyes podcast highlighting the world of DEI in ophthalmology. I’ve also been able to highlight the unique field of Neuro-ophthalmology through the out of the Blindspot podcast. I’m particularly excited for the conversation that will be featured in the next couple of episodes in the first of its kind cross over event for the two podcasts I produce. That’s because I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the chief executive officer of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. McLeod is an extremely accomplished leader of leaders who brings an inspiring perspective from his many years of leadership service at all levels of academia and within the American academy of Ophthalmology.We spoke about his paths to ophthalmology and leadership, and his leadership philosophy and style. We also spoke about what the CEO of the academy does and what DEI means to him and its importance to the academy and its mission. Finally I had the opportunity to ask him what the academy is doing to support my field of neuro-ophthalmology and the other cognitive specialties of ophthalmology that are at risk of becoming severely undermanned if actions are not taken to address their pipeline and retention issues.Dr. Stephen McLeodAAO Staff Leadership