A message from our CEO, Dr David Lederer.
When the first OCTs were developed, I was a medical student at Tufts University. Even as a young trainee, I knew OCT technology was a game changer. The ability to see retinal anatomy at the micron level seemed like magic.
Despite getting a world-class education, I must admit that I started my career without being truly proficient in OCT interpretation. I often found myself asking questions like “is that choroidal neovascularization or a vitelliform lesion?” or “is that intraretinal fluid or outer retinal tubulation?”. Given the power of OCT technology to transform patient care, I set a goal for myself: I wanted to be able to look at the pixels of each OCT image and unravel the secrets it was telling me. All of the information was there to behold, I just needed to develop the expertise to interpret it. So I read every book and journal article available and I reviewed every image I captured and I spoke to every expert I met at every conference I attended. After years of struggle, I succeeded.
Now I am considered to be an expert in OCT interpretation and I have mentored hundreds of eye care professionals. So I set a new goal: To teach every eye care professional to be able to use OCT technology efficiently and effectively. More specifically, I want to teach you to read OCTs like a pro and help you help your patients in ways you never thought possible.
But the catch is that I cannot work with everybody personally. And I do not want you to have to struggle as much as I did along my learning curve. So instead, I worked with the best educational experts and computer programmers to create a powerful new teaching tool. It’s called INTERPRET™. INTERPRET™ is not your typical learning program. It is not a book. It is not a lecture. Rather, INTERPRET™ is a set of activities that allow you to learn by doing with me giving you feedback every step of the way. And it’s a method that works. Rapidly. Consistently.
I believe that expertise is not a static state. Rather, it’s a process. A process of continual learning and continual improvement. I am still learning. I invite you to join me!
Always Learning,
David
Dr David E Lederer, MD FRCSC
Dr Lederer is a board-certified ophthalmologist with fellowship training in medical retina. He graduated from medical school at Tufts University and went on to complete his residency at McGill University followed by a fellowship at Duke University. He now lives with his family in Montreal, Canada.
Ian Gaither, Director of Operations
Over the past 20+ years, Ian has been designing and developing educational programs for learners as diverse as supermarket clerks and astronauts. He holds a Masters in Educational Technology from Concordia University and spends his waking hours trying to figure out how to make training more relevant, effective and engaging.
