A Conversation with My Father, the Renaissance Man

Over Father's Day weekend, I had the opportunity to interview my father for my podcast, "How I Broke Into." I recommend everyone interview a loved one at least once. I have even interviewed my children, when they were 8 and 6, and I found their perspectives fascinating. But as enjoyable as my interview with my dad was, it was also very useful. From his childhood memories of shining shoes near his New York City tenement to the betrayal by unethical employers to scaling his own business, he provided a wealth of actionable insights in this interview.

My Dad Arnold Prywes is a true Renaissance Man. By trade, he is a physician and an inventor, but he is also an entrepreneur, a sculptor, a photographer, an architect, and a terrific father. He has been Chief of the Glaucoma Service at the Northwell Department of Ophthalmology since 1981. An Associate Clinical Professor at the Northwell-Hofstra and NYU School of Medicine, he is currently President of the New York State Ophthalmological Society and has served as President of the Long Island Ophthalmological Society, Nassau County Medical Society and Nassau Academy of Medicine. My Dad is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Fellow and past Councilor of the  American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has also been listed in the Castle-Connolly Guide to Top Doctors for well over a decade. He has been involved in clinical care, teaching and research as founding partner of Glaucoma Consultants of Long Island and Eye Care Associates. He also holds multiple patents, one of which (Xen-Aquesys/Allergan shunt implant) is completing FDA clinical trials and is being used in Europe and Canada.

My Dad has enjoyed art (photography, ceramics, sculpture, architecture) as an avocation throughout his medical career. His more recent work has been inspired by his mentor of more than 25 years, the museum sculptor Rhoda Sherbell. His work has been exhibited at Allied Artists of America and Audubon Artists of America at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. He recently had a one doctor featured exhibition at Hofstra-Northwell Medical School.

Here is a video I took before the show:

He was also an All-City lineman for the Stuyvesant High School football team, because why not?

Listen to the full interview here, or please subscribe to "How I Broke Into" at iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or Spotify: