Eyeworld Daily News

MAY 6, 2023 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | 37 ASCRS ANNUAL MEETING DAILY NEWS D r. Donnenfeld got involved with ASCRS when he was a resident through his program chairman, Jack Dodick, MD, who is a past president of ASCRS. "He took me under his wing and advised me that the ASCRS Annual Meeting was a meeting that I should be go- ing to. I attended my first ASCRS meeting as a third-year resident," Dr. Donnenfeld said. "I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. Every time I turned around, there was something new and exciting that gave me the encouragement that I needed to pursue more in my career than just being a straight corneal specialist." At the time he first went to the ASCRS Annual Meeting, the excimer laser was entering clinical trials. "That looked like the ideal opportunity for me as a corneal specialist who wanted to also become a refractive surgeon. Through ASCRS and my relation- ship with Jack Dodick, I became an initial investigator of the excimer laser at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital; I don't think that would have happened if it hadn't been for my relationship with ASCRS and Jack Dodick, and that made all the difference in my career," Dr. Donnenfeld said. "What I learned was the value of doing clinical research and innovation, and that's the heart and soul of my Binkhorst Lecture. Every time I've been involved with a new technology, I like to look at the technology from a fresh perspective to see what I can do to enhance the procedure in some way. I've always gone back to my background in cornea and looked for ways of taking a procedure and developing it." When Dr. Donnenfeld first got involved with ASCRS, he had no relationships with the leadership, but he started writing papers, doing research, and presenting at meetings. "The more you present, the more you get invited back, and I started getting invited back to be part of symposia," he said. Dr. Donnenfeld was invited to join the Cornea Clinical Com- mittee and eventually became the chair of the Cornea Clinical Committee. "While I was on the committee, someone in the leadership saw potential in me, and they asked me to join the presidential track." In addition to serving as ASCRS president from 2013–2014, Dr. Donnenfeld served as EyeWorld Chief Medical Editor from 2015–2022. "One of my favorite experiences at ASCRS was working with the incredible staff at EyeWorld and with the section editors who dedicate themselves to providing education to ASCRS members," he said. Dr. Donnenfeld said his favor- ite memories of working within ASCRS are a combination of work- ing with people you like, doing something important, improving patient care, and educating others about new technologies in oph- thalmology. He added that his friendships at ASCRS are what he will remem- ber most about the organization. "These are the people who are extraordinarily important in my life, not only intellectually but also socially and from a family perspec- tive," he said. "My best friends are members of ASCRS, and they've enriched and enhanced my life in many ways." ASCRS has been an advo- cate for patients and doctors, Dr. Donnenfeld said. He noted ASCRS' action in advocating for IOL technology and LASIK, with his and others' involvement in the FDA panel on LASIK sharing perspectives on the value of the procedure. "Many times in my career, excellent technologies have come under attack, and in my experience, it's always been ASCRS who has taken the lead to ensure that these procedures are protected and patients are cared for," he said. Dr. Donnenfeld shares insights into his career and history with ASCRS

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