An Open Letter from Dr. Shakir
To my esteemed patients,
I can think of no greater honor than to be trusted in restoring your vision. In my view, I am giving you back the life and freedom you deserve.
As a child, I knew I wanted to make a large impact in people’s lives – my “purposeful life.” While my classmates would talk about wanting to be professional athletes or astronauts (seriously, I grew up on the Space Coast of Florida), I was busy thinking about what gave me purpose.
I played baseball starting from Tee-ball largely because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my brother. He went on to play competitively in college but found a greater calling in government and politics while studying at Harvard. He gave me strong motivation to find my calling.
Suddenly, I was having a difficult time playing night games at Central Catholic High School. My teammate’s father was an optometrist, and he knew I must not be seeing the baseball clearly. He offered to examine my eyes, and he was correct – I had a problem.
Within a few days, I was nervously sitting across from a renowned ophthalmologist… as the patient. I was so scared going into this consultation. Isn’t it funny how small moments can be so transformative? It was that day, after he put my mind at ease and thoroughly explained my diagnosis and treatment plan, that I knew I wanted to be an eye surgeon.
Fast forward a few decades now, and I still remember that moment each and every time I sit down with my patients. It is my sincere promise to all my patients that I will approach your consultation as if I were the one sitting in the exam chair because I know what it’s like to need help.
My sincere promise, in combination with my rigorous, world-class training and immense skillset, means you can trust me to do everything in my power to enhance your sight. With better vision comes a better life. This is what gives me my purpose!
I hope that sharing my personal story gives you deeper insight into why I chose to be your eye surgeon. To those of you that choose to be my patient, it will be my greatest honor to serve you.
Dr. Shakir
