Douglas Holsclaw, MD

Douglas Holsclaw, MD, knows exactly how he feels about teaching: “I’m beyond passionate about it.” So much so that when he joined TPMG as a regional cornea specialist in Redwood City, he brought the UCSF cornea fellowship with him. Over the past 18 years, Dr. Holsclaw has trained 46 fellows, including 6 of TPMG’s 12 regional specialists.

As a highly regarded surgeon who receives referrals from across the region, fellows training with Dr. Holsclaw gain exposure to the most complex clinical problems. “I still hear Dr. Holsclaw’s voice providing guidance and encouragement when I work through a difficult case,” says a former fellow.

The skills Dr. Holsclaw imparts extend far beyond the operating room. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from Dr. Holsclaw is how to talk to patients when things are difficult,” another fellow remarks. “He interacts with patients like he’s their partner in healing.”

Dr. Holsclaw’s reputation as a surgeon and teacher is such that eye surgeons from Ethiopia travel halfway around the world to train with him. In collaboration with his Ethiopian colleagues, Dr. Holsclaw recently helped establish the first eye bank for donor corneal tissue on the African continent.

“What sets Dr. Holsclaw apart,” says William Firtch, MD, PIC, Redwood City, “is his really big heart.”