Arthur Cummings

About Arthur Cummings

Consultant Ophthalmologist, Wellington Eye Clinic, Dublin, Ireland

Why did you decide to pursue ophthalmology/your subspecialty?

I had a very varied young doctor experience working in almost all disciplines before latching on to ophthalmology. When I started working in ophthalmology and specifically refractive surgery, I got the feeling that I could do this for the rest of my life, even if I was not being paid. I had never experienced a feeling like this before but the sense of helping transform people's lives was pretty addictive.

Who are your role models?

My role models are almost always the people who have achieved something against all odds – when the current consensus is that something is impossible and then someone proves otherwise. Nelson Mandela's "It seems impossible until it's done." And often once it's done, everyone assumes it was always inevitable. I therefore have many role models, including in ophthalmology. Younger, more experienced, male and female, across disciplines – I'm always motivated by those who dream big and pursue their dreams. I am very grateful to the brave and innovative colleagues that have brought eye care to where it is today and the dreamers that are going to take it further. 

What is your proudest contribution to ophthalmology/your subspecialty?

Being appointed to the Alcon board of directors was my proudest moment in ophthalmology and being a co-founder and trustee of the World College of Refractive Surgery my proudest moment in refractive surgery.

What do you credit most for your success over the course of your career? 

Persistence, persistence, persistence. Hanging out with people smarter than me. Creating a large network of colleagues, both physicians and industry partners. Being inquisitive. Asking questions.

What would you like to see change in ophthalmology/your subspecialty over the next 10 years – and why? 

I would like refractive surgery to become the primary solution for vision correction, ahead of spectacles and contact lenses, especially for those where spectacles and contact lenses are not workable solutions; for example, disadvantaged areas, lack of access to the items required to wear contact lenses safely, and so on. Nothing would give me more satisfaction than seeing refractive surgery being provided to young people across the world in the same way that charity cataract surgery is provided to the needy around the globe. I would like to see refractive surgery be something that all can avail of – not only the well-off. The WCRS has plans to make this happen through establishing board certification for refractive surgeons, creating more refractive surgeons, and bringing their services to under-served areas. 

If you weren't an ophthalmologist, what would you be doing? 

That's a thought that I have not had for a long while! I was on the way to becoming a urologist when my best friend invited me to spend a day with him in the eye clinic. That was the day that everything changed. So I may be doing prostatectomies and reflux procedures rather than corneal laser surgery and IOL procedures had that invitation never happened. Outside of medicine, very likely something with numbers, but the truth is that I wanted to be a doctor from the earliest time.

If you could restart your career, would you do anything differently?

Not that I can think of except possibly skipping the urology piece. I'm just kidding. Our current situation is influenced by all our previous experiences and I cannot think of anything that I would have wanted to be different. Most of my deepest learning experiences and stages where my professional life progressed most, were at times of significant challenges and headwinds. Without those tougher times, we take different paths that may not lead to the same outcomes necessarily. Necessity is the mother of invention more times than not in my experience. 

When you are no longer practicing, what do you want your legacy to be?

To have left the world in a better state than what I found it in. We live in an era where the will is there, the technology is there, and the money is available to bring refractive surgery and vision correction to more people. If refractive surgery has a higher penetration rate and the disadvantaged have access to it in the future, then the world is in a better state than when I entered it. We are a large body of ophthalmologists that have the same dream so it's got every chance of happening – hopefully in my lifetime. As long as we're on the path to making it happen, we're succeeding. 

Do you have any advice for young, aspiring ophthalmologists?

Be grateful for the choices you've made and the opportunities that have come your way. Make the most of the incredible opportunity you have to help others. Collaborate with others whenever possible as it keeps things fresh and exciting. Enjoy the privilege of helping people see better.