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Learn About Our Society
Eye doctors who love God’s word
Our signature event has been our annual meeting which takes place in late July or early August each year. This event is family friendly with events for spouses and children. You'll find great fellowship, scientific lectures, a mission's day and more . . .
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First Class Medicine
Practicing our profession in a spirit of love
Founder, J. Lawton Smith never actually used the phrase "practicing first class medicine in a spirit of love", however this represents what he shared with his fellows. Striving for excellence in all things we do is important in a precise field like ophthalmology. It becomes even more important to bring glory to the one who gives us our gifts . . .
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Servant Eye Care
Following the greatest example
Matthew 20:34 states that "Jesus touched their eyes and had compassion on them. Immediately they received their sight and followed him." Our eyesight is so precious that the process of restoring it has the power to change lives. The bar is set high here for eye care providers certainly . . .
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We are passionate about Sight and Light
We believe all ophthalmologists should work hand in hand with God. For vision to occur, one needs sight and light.While ophthalmologists work on the first part, if God were to turn out the light, we're all without a job!
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Mentors and Mentees - the Glen Brindley Mentor Program
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Are you looking for a mentor? If you're a young medical student, resident or fellow and looking for a mentor, please get in touch with us. And, mentors, we need you too!
Mentors (and mentees) are needed in life -- someone who is a little further down the road than we are or has skills we would like to develop in our life, or someone who has the values or character we would like to emulate. Likewise, we all have something to offer. God has taught us much in our journey.
If you have a mentor or mentee, here is an assignment you can do together. We think you will get a lot out of it...
Watch the first 27 minutes of this COUNTERFEIT GODS – VIDEO Sermon by TIM KELLER -- "Idols of the Heart" -- by clicking on the book cover. Then take a few minutes to answer a few questions....use the discussion questions the next time you and your mentor or mentee connect.
What thing, if you lost it - could almost mean that you would lose the will to live -- What thing if you lost it, meant all significance and value would be drained out of your life --- Whatever that thing is, the Bible calls it an idol. The Israelites battled idols over and over and over -- the story of the Jewish people is largely one of following God then abandoning God as they chased after idols. Do we presume to think that our lives are any different? Is it any accident that the Old Testament repeatedly shows us the reality of idols in our hearts?
An idol is anything more fundamental to you or to your life than God -- to your sense of self, for your sense of self value. Idols are things you’re looking to to get fulfillment and meaning and a sense of life purpose from: power, comfort, financial security, your kids - your wife, career, achievement, maybe a political cause and on and on.
“An idol will always break your heart. No created thing can bear the 'freight' of your deepest hopes or the weight or your deepest longings. Idols will always break your heart.”
If you’re a phenomenal athlete, or you’re an incredibly successful businessman, or you’re a world class cataract surgeon -- if this very important, very fundamental piece of your identity was gone, how would you go on?
We may say to ourselves that if we were the best this or that, if we had the most toys, if we finally broke through, if we were finally rich, or extremely successful or highly esteemed and loved, we would be happy—we would be fulfilled…we may say this to ourselves but it’s a lie.
Pastor Keller says “Anything you worship, outside of God, will eat you alive"…If you worship money and things - if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough -- you will never be satisfied…this pursuit of things will never fulfill you because you can never have enough.
After you watch the first 25 minutes of Tim’s video, here are a few questions for discussion with you and your mentor.
What are some of the most prominent idols you see in our culture?
What are the idols you struggle with as it pertains to your career as an ophthalmologist?
How do you recognize the symptoms of idolatry in your life? You might do this by asking yourself, “What or where do I spend my money and time -- or to go much deeper…What is my worst nightmare -- What thing if I lost it, what thing if it were absent from my life, would almost take away my very desire to live?”
For some of us, career, kids, spouse, money and success are a large part of our sense of identity - our sense of acceptability, or our sense of worth - it’s not just money or prestige - in a very real sense it’s like a sense of salvation. Isn’t this an idol?
We say that God is most important to us, but honestly what is FUNCTIONALLY most important to us? For some, our parent’s approval, or spouse's approval, or societal approval is functionally more important to us than our relationship with the Lord.
The Glen Brindley Mentoring Program is run by the Christian Ophthalmology Society (cosw.org).
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Mentors and Mentees - "The Nature of Discipleship"
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For Mentors and Mentees and those we have yet to pair up....Great News!
Dr. Glenn Strauss will lead the Mentors/Mentees on Saturday, February 22th (Note the date change) at 9 a.m. Eastern time. Glenn will talk about "The Nature of Discipleship".
Please note this date in on your calendar as I'm sure you won't want to miss it...This will be an online gathering!
To join us on Saturday, please click this link on Zoom at the appropriate date and time.
- COS Board and Staff
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Remembering a Past J Lawton Smith Award Recipient
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On Thursday, October 17, 2019, after bravely struggling for years with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. C. Roger DeHaven went to be with his Lord. He was 87. As the 2005 J Lawton Smith Award Recipient, we would like to remember Dr. DeHaven and the work that he did. His faithful walk with Jesus and his efforts to give both physical and spiritual light to others is an inspiration.
Dr. DeHaven was from Tyler, TX. He set up his private ophthalmology practice in Tyler shortly after moving there in 1964. Over the course of his career, he did over 23,000 cataract operations and was the first surgeon in East Texas to design and build a Medicare approved ambulatory surgical center. His involvement in the Lighthouse for Christ Eye Centre Mission in Kenya, East Africa was one of things he most treasured. He loved the Lighthouse and often said that was the reason he was put on this earth. He is responsible for the design and construction of their new Eye Center and building expansion that sits on the 2-acre Mombasa, Kenya, campus today.
Here are some of the comments on the Lighthouse for Christ facebook page
He is survived by his wife Lou Anne whom he married on December 27, 1953. They enjoyed a long and happy marriage and were able to stay together throughout the progression of his disease, thanks to her tireless efforts. They had 5 children including son Thomas DeHaven who still practices in Tyler at the DeHaven Eye Center.
If you know the family, please send them a note of support or add your comments here.. Click here for his obituary.
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Second Surgeon needed for January Cataract Mission to Guatemala
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Please consider joining fellow COS Member Dr. Stephen Fox and his cataract mission team January 18 through January 26, 2020. He is seeking a second surgeon to for this mission which will do manual small incision cataract surgery. Experience in MSICS is certainly preferred.
For the past 15 years the Rotary District 6000 Iowa M.O.S.T. (Miles of Smiles Team) has brought cleft palate/lip medical missions to the remote Western Highlands of Guatemala. This highly professional team of doctors, nurses, and Rotarian volunteers have dedicated themselves to bring hope into the lives of children born with the cleft birth defect. Iowa MOST is committed to improving the lives of the Guatemalan people who live in extreme poverty without the medical resources needed to live healthy, happy lives.
At the request of the Guatemalan people, this year they are assembling a Cataract Surgical Team to bring sight to a great number of Guatemalans who suffer from blindness. The population they serve are predominantly indigineous Mayans living in remote mountainous areas of western Guatemala. Their mission provides transportation, housing, and food for the families while their loved one is having surgery. For the past 10 years they have operated out of a private hospital in Huehuetenango and all logistics (travel, hotel, meals) are arranged by the Iowa MOST team leader. They partner with the local Rotary Club of Huehuetenango to recruit the patients and Dr. Solarzano, a local opthamologist, performs all follow-up to the surgeries.
If you have interest, please contact Steve Fox directly at iowafoxes@gmail.com or the Iowa MOST Team Leader Deb Dunkhase for more information at ddunkhase@theicm.org or 319.321.5528
Muchas Gracias!
Here are the details.....Iowa MOST Medical Mission Info:
- Date: Saturday, Jan 18 through Sunday, Jan 26, 2020
- Location: Huehuetenango, Guatemala (fly into Guatemala City and take a chartered bus to the town of Huehuetenango (5-6 hr ride)
- Sponsor: Rotary District 6000
- Partners: Rotary Club of Huehuetenango, local private doctors & hospitals
- Patients: Primarily indigenous Mayans living in extreme poverty in the remote Western Highlands of Guatemala
- Logistics: All flights, hotel, meals, and in-country logistics are arranged by Iowa MOST Project Leader Deb Dunkahse
- Supplies: All supplies are provided by SEE International
- Surgical Team: Dr. Stephen Fox (Wolfe Clinic-surgeon) and full nursing team
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Salt and Light Podcast
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The Salt and Light Podcast is a new ministry of the Christian Ophthalmology Society. Each episode features ophthalmologists who share some of their journey including nuggets of truth for any ophthalmologist that seeks to follow Christ while being an excellent doctor.
We are always looking for good content and we need your help!
Each of you have thoughts on topics you would like to hear discussed or have stories that were life-shaping or have been life-giving to you. You probably have a good story of when you saw or are seeing God work in your life or through a situation. Maybe you know of someone who has a good story that you think would benefit others. Perhaps there are issues you are wrestling with and you would love to talk about them. We would love to hear from you! Please contact Drew Caldwell at: drew@cosw.org. He would love to talk with you.
To get you thinking, here are some ideas:
- Think through some of the common struggles many of us share as ophthalmologists – the pride of life/our achievements, desire for wealth, etc. – and talk about what God has taught you through your journey.
- How does our Christianity affect how you deal with difficult situations like dealing with challenging patients (Adverse events, patients that are going blind, …), how to handle difficult staff, etc.
- A seasoned MSICS surgeon talking about your journey in learning the technique -- how many cases did it take for you to feel comfortable, what encouragement and advice would you give others who are trying to learn, ...
- Missionary ophthalmologists: How do you believe God “called” you? What have been the greatest challenges on the mission field? How have you seen God be faithful? How could we as a Society pray for you?
- Missionary ophthalmologists (and US-based ophthalmologists): What ethical situations involved in creating a sustainable financial mission/practice have you dealt with? How have you wrestled through them? How do you determine when and when not to upgrade a patient’s surgery? Talk about wrestling with the use of premium products in patients.
- What are some creative ways you are witnessing to patients/staff? Waiting room materials, conversations with patients, praying with patients, Bible studies...?
- Highlight on Women ophthalmologists: How are you as a woman ophthalmologist trying to balance work and home responsibilities? Hired help, lowering expectations of yourself, ...?
- Highlight on mentorship: Mentor/mentees share how you are growing. What does it look like to be a mentor/mentee? What study topics have your used or do you suggest? Tell a story of how a mentor or mentee impacted your life.
Join Drew Caldwell in the first podcast as he interviews Dr. Glenn Strauss about the importance of spiritual formation and what it can look like for a doctor or a doctor in training....
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Paducah, KY 42001 - 269-697-1COS
- info@cosw.org