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Virginia Eye Institute’s newest pediatric ophthalmologist isn’t shy about making her exams more fun!
Dr. Inna Marcus
RICHMOND, Va. (August 1, 2013) – Virginia Eye Institute’s newest ophthalmologist is not shy about what her favorite toy is – it’s Sully from the movie Monster’s Inc. – nor is she ashamed to tell you that she tends to play a lot of games with her patients.
“The best part of working with children is that I get to be one myself,” says VEI’s new pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Inna Marcus with a smile. “I’m not just treating patients; I’m developing a relationship with them. And making them feel at ease is my first task.”
When she was an undergraduate student at Columbia University, Dr. Marcus spent time volunteering with a program that taught conflict resolution to fifth graders in New York City. It was that experience, she says, that led to her decision to work with children. It also influenced her approach in the exam room.
“If I can turn the exam into a game for a child – make it a playful experience – I can help him relax and connect with me,” she explains. “Ultimately, that means I get the information I need to make a good diagnosis and the child winds up having fun – and so do I. It’s a win-win.”
But, she notes, it’s not just the child she’s focused on. Parents too play a key role. In fact, she says “parents are perhaps the most important part of my patient’s health care team.” Parent input and active participation are vital to achieving the best outcomes.
Dr. Marcus received her medical degree from New York University. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Yale University, and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Duke University.
Give her a few more years and she might just get her next degree with Sully at Monsters University.
Dr. Marcus joins VEI’s current team of pediatric ophthalmologists, Dr. Donna Brown and Dr. Thomas Carothers. She will be seeing patients at the Short Pump and Puddledock offices. Connect with Dr. Marcus or any of the pediatric ophthalmologists at Virginia Eye Institute by calling 804-287-4200 or visiting their website at www.VaEye.com.
