Anat Loewenstein
The Power List 2020 – Power List
Chair, Division of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Medical Center; Vice dean, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Your three wishes?
Health for my family; making a significant change in vision care worldwide by creating innovations and helping with their development; making my division a place where each patient will get VIP professional care at each visit.
Piece of advice for your younger self?
First, establish a peaceful, supporting home environment for yourself. This will keep your mind from being distracted while trying to overcome family conflicts, and will enable you to focus on your goals. Then, find the best training you can get, even at the price of relocation, not focused on money, but working day and night. When you will reach your desired goal (and also on your way there) focus on your colleagues and trainees, and try to bring every single one of them to the most desirable position they can achieve.
The most unexpected moments of your career?
I was only two years post my fellowship, less than 40 years old, and the chairman of our hospital asked me to become the chair of the division of ophthalmology – that caught me by surprise. Even though I knew that I wanted to lead the department, and specifically eye care in Tel Aviv, I did not think that it would come so early in my career.
A career turn you had not predicted?
When I decided to become a retina specialist I did it with the understanding that there was no cure for most retinal vascular diseases. I was prepared for years of frustration in which I would try to do the best for my patients with large scars in the macula… Being part of a process in which we can prevent blindness in most of our patients was really unexpected and it brings me satisfaction and reward every day.
