When I see a patient on telemedicine or am in my home office, I have a laptop, desktop, iPad, and iPhone available to me. I also installed a Google Nest with Google Assistant so I can verbally ask questions on demand. Perfect if I want to listen to local weather updates.
I used to watch the Sopranos, and for the past many months I’ve been mesmerized by YouTube vignettes of Sopranos episodes. Or on a whim, I’ll remember a favorite scene from Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond. I then go to Youtube TV and watch the episodes online.
It’s gotta stop! I’ve decided to go cold turkey on the Sopranos clips. And will limit the YouTube and other entertainment.
Instead, I’ve committed to watching one TedTalk (randomly selected) and one cataract surgery video each day. In addition, I plan to read one journal article and one book chapter, short story or other piece of work. Having recently cleaned out the family garage, I rediscovered decades of books from college, med school, and beyond. (More than one still had a tight book spine, but, umm … that’s another issue).
So each day — in between podcasts, Google News, YouTube, and countless other distractions — I’ve decided to include at least 4 items of learning — a Ted Talk, a cataract or ophthalmology video, a journal article, and a book chapter.
There are no other rules.
Here’s today’s list:
- Ted Talk – Shantell Martin – How Drawing Can Set You Free. This was the first video result when I typed “Ted Talk” in Google Search. Fascinating!
2. Cataract Surgery Video – Efficient Phaco Chop (Uday Devgan MD). Uday Devgan is an old friend and started cataractcoach.com less than two years ago. I try to watch his daily update each morning (sign up for his daily email updates). His pearls are phenomenal and he’s made me a better surgeon.
3. Journal article – Real-World Outcomes of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in the United Kingdom. Khawaja AP et al. for the UK Glaucoma Real-World Data Consortium. Ophthalmology 2020: 127: 748-757. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a common treatment option for managing glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The authors assessed the real-world effectiveness of SLT and baseline factors associated with treatment success in the United Kingdom.
4. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 1. I started listening to podcasts around 2017. Since then, I came across The Investors Podcast (TIP): We Study Billionaires with Preston Pysh and Stig Broderson. Preston and Stig have interviewed guests and a network of thinkers who share a love of learning. This includes Shane Parrish (The Knowledge Project) and Sean Murray (The Good Life). (***And I decided to travel to the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Meeting through the podcast. I eventually met Preston, Stig, Sean, Guy Spier, and Mohnish Pabrai among many who share a love of value investing).
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is mentioned often among the hosts & guests. There are numerous translations available and I’ll try to share free links online. Here’s a link to Meditations on the Guttenberg Project site. I started with Book I today. A YouTube version is also included below.
I hope you enjoy these selections in this inaugural post!
Protecting Sight Daily Learning posts are here.
great idea! and thank you for the kind support of CataractCoach!