CataractCoach 1412: academic versus private practice ophthalmology

I recently visited Dr David Goldman who practices cataract and refractive surgery in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA and we talked about academic ophthalmology versus private practice. He was previously a faculty member at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute but then decided to pursue his own private practice instead. There is no right or wrong answer and each has its own challenges and benefits. You can even do a hybrid model where you combine both of them into your work week. Dr Goldman brings a wealth of knowledge from both sides of practicing and he has some important pointers which may help you make a decision for your future career. Plus we have a bonus tour of his clinic in this video.

[@TimRoot-dotcom]

Interesting video. Thanks for the insight. I jumped straight to private practice, but am extremely thankful for the academics who push forward the advancements in our field (and also tend to treat the most complicated cases). I also agree with your marketing comments - word of mouth from satisfied patients is the primary driver of new clients.
My main challenge in private practice: maintaining clinic efficiency using computerized EMR systems. We've had to change software every 4 years when the software breaks or becomes deprecated (after EMR companies are bought and merged).
Were those iPads mounted to the wall? Neat!

[@UdayDevgan]

Good input. I disagree about complicated cases. These days universities are looking to hire the cheapest new grads as faculty and they may not have the expertise or drive to be the best. At the end of the day, it’s the horse, not the track that wins the race. And just because patients go to a university, it does not mean that they will receive great care! And that’s the truth.

[@TimRoot-dotcom]

@@UdayDevgan Well said. I can't find any studies that confirm this ... but I'm SURE complication rates are much lower in private practice than in academic settings. You have exposure to both worlds so are a better judge! Thanks for the discussion!

[@mostafasorowar7011]

O😮😮😢😢😮is 😮p000p4⁵35

[@jonathanzwerling7150]

You guys are killing me, I just spent 10 minutes trying to figure out which one of my smoke detectors was beeping !

[@rajdipbiswas3592]

Excellent Facility

[@sunilbhaskaran5380]

Lovely facility.