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Host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes glaucoma specialists Drs. Karam Alawa and Pujan Dave to discuss the sometimes bumpy transition from academia to private practice. The guests highlight clinical operations hurdles, such as navigating clunky EMR systems and prior authorizations, and managing finite staff and resources. Despite administrative hurdles, they emphasize the need for committed "chair time" to counsel patients and alleviate anxiety regarding disease progression. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Host Dr. Jay Sridhar is joined by Drs. Naomi Gutkind and Ekjyot (Joey) Gill to discuss staffing ophthalmology residents in surgical training. The early-career faculty share insights on tailoring instruction to resident skill level, delivering feedback at the right moment, and handling complications with empathy.  For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Host Dr. Jay Sridhar welcomes Drs. Michael Ip and Sophie Bakri to discuss the challenges in caring for patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The panel reviews the current approach to treatment using anti-VEGF agents and factors that may suggest a need for more intensive, long-term treatment. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Drs. Roni Levin and Laura Enyedi join host Dr. Ben Young to review what we know about screen time for kids and its impact on visual development and general health.  Today's episode draws largely from the EyeNet article, "Screen Time and Kids' Eye Health," which appeared in the December 2025 issue. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Drs. Priya Vakharia and Sarwar Zahid join host Dr. Jay Sridhar to discuss the history, major recent changes, and future of the Good Days Chronic Disease Fund as it pertains to medical management of patients with retinal disease. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Although severe thyroid eye disease (TED) is easily recognizable, mild TED may go undiagnosed for months if not longer. In today's episode, Dr. Vivek Patel joins host Dr. Amanda Redfern to share how he uncovers subtle signs and symptoms of TED that can lead to a quicker diagnosis and the treatments that make a meaningful impact on quality of life. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

The unprecedented payment cuts that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) proposed over the summer were finalized on October 31. The disastrous impact on cataract surgery reimbursements alone will amount to an 11% reduction in payment. In today's emergency episode, host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes back three guests to rally ophthalmologists to take action: Dr. John McAllister, the Academy's Secretary for Federal Affairs; Brandy Keys, the Academy's Director of Health Policy; and Rebecca Hyder, the Academy's Vice President of Government Affairs.  Physicians shouldn't have to choose between staying open and serving their Medicare patients. Congress needs to hear directly from ophthalmologists like you before these cuts are enacted. Please, make your voice heard. Use this easy form to reach Congress. Essential Academy Resources: Contact Congress Now: www.aao.org/act-now Summary of CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Past podcast episode: CMS Cuts Rock Ophthalmology For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

In this call to action, Drs. Robert Mazzoli, Stuart Seiff, and Jon Perlstein share the scope of issues surrounding ophthalmic trauma care in the United States and a roadmap for improving it, including how we can translate experiences from the military into our own set of Damage Control Ophthalmology (DCO) guidelines. Referenced article: A Call to Action and Roadmap for Improving Emergency Treatment of Ophthalmic Trauma in the United States For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Drs. Michelle Cabrera and Alejandra de Alba join host Dr. Ben Young to discuss the finer points of what makes pediatric cataract surgery so challenging—because it's not "just" scaled-down adult cataract surgery. Referenced article: Management of Infantile and Childhood Retinopathies: Optimized Pediatric Pars Plana Vitrectomy Sclerotomy Nomogram For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Dr. Thomas Gallagher joins host Dr. Amanda Redfern to share how to ethically and effectively disclose medical errors to patients. During the past 20 years, Dr. Gallagher's research has explored the intersection of healthcare quality, accountability, and communication. He has led a variety projects focused on the optimal response to adverse events and errors in healthcare, and developing systematic programs for preventing and responding to such events. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Drs. Marc Toeteberg-Harms and Soshian Sarrafpour join host Dr. Andrew Pouw to discuss micropulse transscleral laser therapy for glaucoma, a less invasive procedure compared with traditional continuous-wave cyclophotocoagulation. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Host Dr. Amanda Redfern welcomes Dr. Claudia Prospero Ponce, a neuro-ophthalmologist and ocular pathologist, to share her unique perspective on how to diagnose giant cell arteritis (GCA) when temporal artery biopsies are not classically positive.  For more information about pathological markers in GCA, check out this paper referenced in the episode: Sultan H, Smith SV, Lee AG, Chévez-Barrios P. Pathologic Markers Determining Prognosis in Patients With Treated or Healing Giant Cell Arteritis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2018;193:45-53. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Dr. Nisha Mehta, founder of Physician Side Gigs, and Dr. Jim Dahle, founder of The White Coat Investor, join host Dr. Jay Sridhar to discuss the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its implications for physicians and ophthalmologists in particular. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

In July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) proposed catastrophic changes to Medicare reimbursement systems that, if finalized, will significantly affect ophthalmology and all specialty care. The impact on cataract surgery reimbursements alone would amount to an 11% reduction in payment. In today's episode, host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes three guests to discuss these highly complex and concerning cuts: Dr. John McAllister, the Academy's Secretary for Federal Affairs; Brandy Keys, the Academy's Director of Health Policy; and Rebecca Hyder, the Academy's Vice President of Government Affairs. Listen, share, and advocate to help us prevent these changes. Related Academy Resources: Summary of CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Impact of the Efficiency Adjustment Impact to Indirect Practice Expense (PE) For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Drs. Prithvi Sankar and Sriram Balasubramanian discuss a personal journey through vision loss, from both the ophthalmologist and patient perspective. Host Dr. Ben Young invites these two friends to share their lessons of grief, denial, and ultimate acceptance of a difficult diagnosis—in this case, retinitis pigmentosa—and what physicians can do to help their patients through these life-changing events. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.