Neda Nikpoor, MD, sits down with Rupa K. Wong, MD, to unpack how an intentional, authentic brand can strengthen patient trust and fuel broader impact. Dr. Wong shares how speaking directly to her core audience (millennial parents) keeps education relatable, explains why blending personal and professional presence works in a small community, and shows how mentorship grew organically into larger initiatives such as the Pediatric Ophthalmology Mentorship Program through the AAO Leadership Development Program.
--------
28:45
--------
28:45
Workforce Development and Surgical Mentorship in Global Ophthalmic Care
Kevin Barber, MD, speaks with Cynthia Matossian, MD, and Sara O’Connor, MD, MPH, about strategies to address workforce shortages and training gaps in ophthalmic care. Dr. Matossian outlines the American College of Eye Technicians and its technician training model to expand career awareness and technical competency, and Dr. O’Connor describes ACE Global’s ophthalmic technician program in Honduras and a community health worker curriculum. Dr. Barber reviews distance surgical mentorship, a smartphone-to-microscope telementoring approach that supports ophthalmologists in low-resource settings as they transition to independent cataract surgery. Together, these initiatives illustrate a scalable, team-based pipeline to build capacity and reduce preventable blindness; related perspectives appear in CRST’s June 2025 “Bridging the Gap” issue. Related reading:
"A Workforce Solution to Expand Access to Eye Care"
"Scaling Surgical Mentorship Across Borders"
--------
30:28
--------
30:28
Unconscious Bias in Medicine (Part 2): From Awareness to Action
Building on their first discussion Neda Shamie, MD, revisits the topic with Tanya Trinh, MBBS, FRANZCO, FWCRS, shifting from recognition to implementation. The conversation covers building inclusive programs (diversifying panels and thoughtfully limiting repeat speakers to create space), engaging male allies and role models, applying blinded selection where feasible, and auditing outcomes.
--------
28:13
--------
28:13
Use Your Dream Team to Execute Your Keratoconus Strategy
In this episode, experts in administrative support join Brandon D. Ayres, MD, to discuss their role in facilitating patient treatment for keratoconus. Susan DeGroot, MBA, executive director at Vance Thompson Vision, and Vivian Cole, BA, director of administrative services at Horizon Eye Specialists, explain their approaches to bringing patients into their practices, securing approval for crosslinking treatment, coordinating with referring doctors, and more.
Test Your Knowledge HERE
--------
22:12
--------
22:12
Highlights From AECOS Europe 2025
This special edition of CRST: The Podcast, recorded live at AECOS Europe 2025 in London, features six discussions from Eyetube’s Meeting Coverage. Topics include patient selection and long-term outcomes in presbyopia correction, advances in keratorefractive lenticule extraction, innovation in IOL customization, automated slit lamp imaging integration, solid-state laser technology, adjustable lens use in complex cases, and keratopigmentation techniques.
Join CRST: The Podcast at the intersection of patient care and innovation in ophthalmology and listen as experts in the field engage in thought-provoking discussion on anterior segment surgery. This podcast curates content and mini series that help progressive cataract and refractive surgeons take their practices to the next level. CRST: The Podcast is produced by Bryn Mawr Communications and the medical trade publication Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today.
Brasil