Out of the Blindspot

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 [https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/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 Johnson [https://ophthalmology.med.brown.edu/people/lenworth-n-johnson-md] Dr. Howard P. Venable [https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/deseg_hist/13/] Dr. Maurice Rabb [https://ohc.library.louisville.edu/ohms/viewer.php?cachefile=404-405_rabb.xml] Breaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in Ophthalmology [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/415209] Black Pioneers in Ophthalmology [https://www.ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(24)00218-6/fulltext] Rabb Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology Program [https://www.rabbvenable.com/about-overview] The National Medical Association Ophthalmology Section [https://ophthalnma.org/page/AboutUs]

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" Pietraskiewicz [https://www.google.com/search?q=ola+peitraskiewicz&sca_esv=44ceae893c66cd9e&sxsrf=ADLYWII4ww-xu3FGD_za0bmr8rTeJlmG5Q%3A1730646779832&ei=-5InZ7HGMu23wN4Pssb7yAk&ved=0ahUKEwjxr6zUucCJAxXtG9AFHTLjHpkQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=ola+peitraskiewicz&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEm9sYSBwZWl0cmFza2lld2ljejIHECEYoAEYCjIHECEYoAEYCjIHECEYoAEYCkjxRVDdBlj-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&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:2edc0285,vid:VPKNFZVgHng,st:0] Dr. Amy Durand [https://www.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/ophthalmology/education-and-training/current-residents-and-fellows]

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.