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What’s Up, Doc? Featuring Dr. Miguel Materin | The Eye Believe Podcast · The Eye Believe Podcast

0:03
hey everyone
0:03
welcome back to the Eye Believe Podcast
0:05
this is another episode in our series
0:07
What's Up, Doc?
0:07
and today we're featuring Miguel Materin
0:09
welcome Doctor Materin
0:11
thank you thank you
0:13
we're very excited to have you here
0:15
so if anyone went to Eye Believe last year in Raleigh
0:17
or watched the recordings
0:19
you will recognize Doctor Materin
0:20
because he was our hosting physician
0:22
so I'd like to just acknowledge that
0:24
and thank you for that cause you did an amazing job
0:27
thank you my pleasure
0:29
and I hope that was informative for everyone
0:32
I think it was I think it was wonderful
0:34
so let's get into a little bit of backstory
0:37
so I would love it
0:38
if you would just tell us a little bit about yourself
0:41
where you grew up what your childhood was like
0:44
so we're going way back in time huh
0:47
so I was born in Argentina um
0:51
and I graduated from University of Buenos Aires
0:55
in Argentina
0:57
did my training in ophthalmology in Buenos Aires
1:01
as well
1:02
and did a vitreoretina fellowship in Buenos Aires
1:09
um interesting
1:11
when I after my graduation
1:15
was saved from the fellowship
1:17
I started to receive referrals
1:19
for patients with intraocular tumors
1:22
and I remember the first patient back in 1992 um
1:27
was a uveal melanoma
1:30
when the second patient came um
1:34
I was like this is serious
1:37
and um
1:38
I wanted to train so I went to
1:42
came to Philadelphia for a couple of weeks
1:45
a couple of times
1:46
and was offered to do a fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital
1:52
which I did in 1999
1:55
um after the fellowship
1:58
I was the the first um
2:01
um US fellowship trained in my country
2:08
uh but the situation in Argentina um
2:11
was not great when
2:13
when we went back my wife
2:15
our four kids and I wanted to look for a
2:20
a different future for the family
2:23
and that's when um
2:25
I received the offer to work at Wills
2:28
which I did for seven years
2:32
after that um
2:35
um I have um
2:37
I had an appointment with a Yale University uh
2:42
where I worked for another seven years
2:46
and then Duke came on board
2:49
and it was an opportunity for me
2:53
I got a job and we develop
2:58
I think a big
3:00
big program at Duke
3:02
and during my 10 years there
3:06
um we studied a fellowship in oncology at Duke
3:11
and then we hired second person Doctor Maniar at
3:16
at Duke
3:18
until recently
3:19
when it was about time to be closer to our family
3:25
now our kids are grown up
3:27
they have their families
3:29
and at least two of them are in the northeast
3:34
so starting in April of this year um
3:40
I came to Northwell Health
3:44
and I see um we're
3:48
I was hired to develop an ocular oncology program
3:52
here at Northwell which is a very large health system
3:57
and I'm seeing patients in Manhattan
4:02
um soon I will start in Westchester and in Long Island
4:09
so that's the story in a nutshell.
4:13
that's amazing so you've just relocated to New York
4:16
how's it going are you liking it
4:18
well I had a different concept of what spring is
4:23
um I thought it was warmer uh
4:26
but no so far it's been
4:28
it's been great um
4:31
it's nice to be close to the family
4:33
and it's nice to um
4:35
to help I'm building a
4:37
a new program I have um
4:42
full support more than hundred percent support
4:45
from the health system and we are building our teams um
4:50
we're building our teams with experienced people
4:52
and physicians and um
4:55
we are in the process of um
4:58
we just started so so far it's going well
5:02
that's fantastic well
5:04
I love to hear that okay so
5:05
when did you know that you wanted to be a doctor
5:09
in elementary school um
5:12
I saw myself as a as a doctor
5:16
I was very interested in the
5:19
you know to learn about the human body um
5:23
but you know
5:24
in order to be honest with you the
5:26
my favorite topic was geography um
5:30
but um no I I
5:32
I know that I I wanted to be a doctor
5:35
um when I was in elementary school
5:38
then growing up my father was an optician
5:42
so
5:44
the doctors that I knew the most were ophthalmologist
5:47
and I was deciding between OB GYN
5:52
which I liked and
5:55
and ophthalmology but during this um
5:59
the medical school I realized that I was
6:02
I really like more of ophthalmology than um
6:06
than OBGYN uh
6:09
probably mainly because of quality of life uh
6:12
to be honest um
6:14
at the same time um
6:17
you know you may ask me why ocular oncology
6:21
and the reason was um
6:24
I saw that there was a need um
6:27
in my country
6:28
and I said that I left after being trained
6:30
but there are other people that took over
6:34
you know there are now
6:36
at least three or four centers in Argentina
6:40
that specialize in
6:42
in ocular tumors but um
6:45
personally
6:45
I started because I saw that there was a need for that
6:50
when did you first hear about ocular melanoma
6:55
um
6:56
that's that's very interesting because um
6:59
I was um early in the ophthalmology career
7:04
was training and I was um I
7:08
I remember exactly what I was doing
7:11
who and I who I was talking to
7:13
and this was another trainee
7:16
who had a friend
7:19
whose father
7:20
was a very well known ophthalmologist in my country
7:23
and they were talking about ocular melanoma
7:27
and I was like I don't think I want to go that route
7:31
and that was early in my career
7:34
and you know after um
7:38
getting into it I
7:41
I saw that there was um as I said
7:44
there was a need in in my country to have um
7:47
someone who can be um specialized in that
7:52
and right from day one um
7:56
I studied I studied
7:58
I studied so I think I
8:01
I told you that um
8:03
after my first visit to Philadelphia
8:08
I went back to in my country
8:11
and I had to give a presentation
8:14
about my 2 weeks experience in Philadelphia
8:18
so I read I don't know
8:20
probably hundred articles about it
8:23
and that's how you know
8:25
I discovered that there was a need for
8:29
not the need yeah
8:30
the need in my country about ocular melanoma
8:34
and then I found out
8:35
that there was a lot of unanswered questions
8:38
in ocular melanoma back in the
8:41
in the 1990s um
8:44
so we have so many more answers today
8:47
and you know
8:49
I am kind of you know
8:52
kind of happy that I saw the path from where we were um
8:58
in the late 80s and where we are now in 2026
9:05
yeah it's a big jump it's pretty cool
9:07
the discussions were about diagnosis we
9:13
very rarely we discuss about diagnosis today
9:16
we're talking more about um
9:19
well
9:19
we have FDA approved medicines for metastatic disease
9:25
whether any clinical trials and prognosis
9:31
why every melanoma is different
9:34
so I think that we're getting closer and closer to
9:38
doing better and better
9:40
yeah I agree
9:41
I think that's amazing
9:43
so tell us a little bit about your location
9:45
you've just moved
9:46
what's the name of the location you're at now
9:48
so the health system is called Northwell Health
9:53
and I
9:54
my appointment is with the Northwell Eye Institute
9:58
which in the past was the Manhattan Eye and Ear
10:03
uh Manhattan Eye and Throat Hospital
10:06
um this
10:07
it's called MEETH and MEETH was built in
10:11
I think was in the 18th
10:15
19th century so there is a history in
10:19
in this building but um
10:23
but I I
10:24
when my my arrangement with
10:27
my agreement with Northwell
10:29
was that
10:29
I wanted to see more patients than in Manhattan
10:32
so that's why I will
10:35
I will see patients also in Long Island
10:39
and I will see patients in the Westchester area
10:42
I will alternate between those two every other week
10:47
but every week here in Manhattan
10:49
that's great I love that
10:51
okay so what do you believe makes a great doctor
10:57
that's very you know
10:59
any answer that I will give um
11:04
it will have definitely bias and maybe incomplete
11:10
there are some um
11:12
um
11:14
uh non negotiable topics
11:17
to me one is patient comes first
11:22
and that's the number one uh
11:26
then you know
11:27
you have different personalities within the doctors
11:30
because you know
11:31
some patients would expect uh
11:34
bedside manners um
11:35
I think that's important too
11:38
I think that's part of giving comfort to the patient
11:42
in the difficult situation
11:44
that the patient might be experience
11:47
but we know that the patient is experience
11:50
patient and the family um
11:52
and then study being up to date uh
11:57
see all the options interact with colleagues um
12:03
uh teamwork
12:04
realizing that um
12:06
even though there is one patient
12:10
many times patients don't realize that there is a team
12:15
behind the doctor what the doctor does
12:18
so it's not about one person
12:21
is about a team
12:23
that is providing the best possible care
12:26
so in my opinion someone who can um
12:31
build a team that someone can work with
12:35
and a team
12:36
does not mean that they need to be physicians
12:38
team is like the person who answers the phone
12:42
to schedule the appointment
12:44
the the coordinators
12:45
the technicians and and the doctors
12:49
the other doctors that I collaborate
12:52
so if you you know um
12:56
you find that you know um
12:59
doctors and
12:59
I think that there are many doctors out there
13:02
who are like that and I think those
13:04
those are great doctors
13:06
that's great now
13:08
if somebody comes to see you
13:09
what can they expect from you
13:11
they can expect um
13:13
that we care about them
13:17
and everything I have just said will
13:20
will be in there for the patient and for the family
13:25
patients will have a full disclosure about diagnosis
13:29
um prognosis
13:30
options of treatment
13:32
and we'll provide best possible care for
13:36
for them
13:38
and we'll go with the patient through the um
13:43
through the whole you know
13:45
challenging journey that is ahead
13:49
and then you know
13:50
we'll try to um
13:53
we are all looking for the best results
13:56
and we are with the patient on that
14:30
what is your overall approach
14:32
to treating ocular melanoma
14:34
so the approach is it it will depend on on on
14:38
on patient it will depend on the tumor
14:41
and depend on several factors
14:43
so if if the patient um
14:48
needs um
14:49
you know the most common treatment is
14:51
is the Plaque brachytherapy
14:53
and we offer that um
14:56
we offer we include um
14:59
what we believe is the best option for them
15:02
to keep the eye and to keep as good vision as possible
15:07
uh at the same time
15:09
if there is no chance for uh
15:13
to save the eye
15:14
we will be full disclosure to the patient
15:18
telling them that um
15:21
we don't see um
15:22
that there is any chance to save the eye
15:25
so but um
15:28
we will offer the biopsy we'd explain why the
15:31
we do the biopsy and we'd explain why we want to
15:36
to have the
15:37
the gene expression profile analysis and the prognostic
15:41
um information
15:43
um so it's it's
15:45
it's a long conversation with
15:47
with the patient and we'll
15:50
I will give what my opinion is
15:52
and then I'll let the patient decide
15:54
yeah because a lot of times there's multiple options
15:57
how do you guide them through those options
15:59
so by talking and disclosing what the options are
16:04
and if the patient is interested in something
16:08
that we don't do
16:09
when we'll we'll encourage the patient
16:12
you know go with your
16:14
you know with what you feel
16:16
and so Megan
16:20
there is a lot of information
16:22
um
16:23
we have internet now we have AI
16:27
and we have the ocular melanoma foundations
16:32
the all the information is in there
16:34
the um um
16:36
NCCN guidelines so any patient who is interested in
16:42
in finding information information is happening
16:45
we just try to and sometimes
16:47
you know patients with all that information
16:49
they get lost they don't know where they are
16:52
so we'll probably tell them uh
16:54
where in our opinion
16:56
they are using all that information that is available
17:00
and we'll organize those thoughts
17:03
and explain why
17:04
we recommend one treatment or the other
17:07
yeah
17:07
it's a lot of conversation and a lot of options
17:10
so I love that you explain it and walk them through it
17:12
I think that's amazing um
17:15
how do you work with other specialists
17:17
to provide the best care as far as like
17:19
multi disciplinary teams so what what
17:23
what I personally do is like
17:26
we have
17:27
specialty chief let's
17:29
let me explain to that so I see the patient today um
17:34
the patient decided that
17:35
we'll go with certain treatment um
17:38
we have our um
17:41
internal melanoma team um
17:44
and we have our tumor board
17:48
so all the patient's information goes there
17:51
we decide um
17:53
in terms of okay
17:55
the patient is here
17:56
the patient was informed this is a treatment
17:59
we discuss that and then we
18:02
we prepare the patient for that
18:03
so um
18:05
my goal is the patient to do the less in terms of uh
18:11
okay where should I go
18:12
or no
18:13
I need to go no no
18:14
we try to organize their path
18:17
so this is more or less how
18:19
how it works
18:21
so I have a an assigned person
18:24
a collaborator that um
18:27
that will be I I always joke that okay
18:30
this person is going to be your best friend
18:32
because
18:33
this person is going to guide you through the process
18:36
when you're gonna see radiation oncology
18:38
when you're gonna have your CT scans done
18:41
when you're gonna see the medical oncology etcetera
18:44
and the team already knows about it
18:46
so probably the the
18:48
a little bit more challenging can be the radiology
18:51
because that requires a special appointment
18:55
uh but um
18:58
but this person our coordinator
19:00
will explain that
19:02
that's fantastic that's a huge help to patients
19:04
to have somebody in your corner that's like
19:06
I got you I'm gonna walk you through this
19:07
and get this set up for you
19:09
that's wonderful
19:10
so let's switch gears a little bit
19:12
we're gonna go a little more personal
19:14
what keeps you going on the hard days
19:16
well um
19:17
I have kind of a personal strategy that is not unique
19:22
I think and whenever it's a hard day
19:26
I stop I breathe
19:29
and then I think how to go through so
19:34
and believe it or not I've Learned that during my uh
19:41
training days doing surgeries
19:43
when I was a trainee and there was a difficult case
19:47
or there was a complication
19:49
my reaction was okay stop breathe
19:54
think and then proceed
19:57
and I I would say that at all levels
20:00
personal and and
20:02
and family or or
20:04
or job or whatever um
20:07
you know
20:09
that's my my way of confronting or
20:13
you know facing or handling a challenging day
20:17
yeah that allows you to stop and center yourself
20:21
I think that's a great tip
20:23
you can and you can use it anywhere
20:24
so that's a really smart thing to do
20:27
how has this work changed you as a person
20:29
it was hard
20:32
probably more on my family
20:36
uh because after a long day that we
20:42
I see patients going through a difficult time
20:48
with cancer you know it's hard to hear
20:54
the loved ones or friends or anyone
20:59
you know
21:03
facing or confronting some what
21:06
I would say it's less important in life
21:10
and that's normal so I always tried
21:15
and I think that I've been good at that
21:19
not to bring um
21:23
any anything that I
21:25
you know I saw during the day to my home
21:29
so same one
21:32
you know I
21:34
I'm not sure they realize um
21:36
you know what
21:38
what we um
21:41
what we do every day um
21:44
and I think it's
21:46
it's good because that creates a balance
21:48
now sometimes um
21:50
it's hard because you know
21:52
just keep thinking about the patient struggling and
21:58
and personally I
22:00
I keep quiet and I don't try to
22:03
you know to bring anything of those things to my home
22:07
and to my friends
22:08
so that's that's another thing that I
22:13
I've Learned how to do you know after all these years
22:16
yeah that makes a lot of sense
22:19
what does hope mean to you in your work
22:22
that the patient will do well
22:25
that's
22:27
that's I would say the number one
22:32
patients doing well
22:34
that's important
22:35
yeah
22:37
what do you love doing outside of work
22:41
family
22:42
sports slash gym
22:46
um you know
22:49
I like I love outdoors
22:52
so that's a against of you know
22:57
coming to New York ha ha
23:00
in terms of the weather ha ha ha ha
23:03
but yeah
23:04
outside work I
23:06
I I
23:06
you know in the past
23:07
I used to play basketball
23:09
but after the years um
23:12
you know play a lot of tennis or or we have
23:19
not not
23:20
it's not a gym but we have different machines at home
23:22
and I like to to row or
23:26
or indoor cycling so
23:29
but walking is nice
23:32
and as I said spend time withbb the family
23:36
that's perfect yep
23:38
like to travel also oh
23:41
that's fun where do you like to go
23:43
I like everywhere
23:44
but in the past was trying to go to Argentina and
23:49
one of our daughters living
23:51
lives in Madrid now so it's a
23:55
it was another reason to come to New York
23:57
because it's only one one flight
23:59
it's overnight and we're there um
24:02
so yeah
24:04
but I would say anywhere anywhere
24:07
just to find new places I
24:09
I like it
24:11
do you have a favorite place you've been
24:12
when we used to live in Argentina
24:15
there was this a beautiful um
24:18
beach in um
24:20
in Uruguay
24:22
uh it's called Punta del Este
24:24
and that was I would say
24:27
my favorite place
24:29
um but in recent years
24:32
I mean we
24:32
we had a wedding in Patagonia
24:34
Argentina this year it was beautiful to go there
24:38
beautiful
24:40
um scenery and
24:41
and weather and the food and we have family there
24:45
so um
24:47
but I would say that um I
24:50
I don't have a one favorite
24:52
but um
24:53
but there are different places that
24:56
it's about what we do on those places and
24:59
and knowing those places and discovering them
25:03
so it's beautiful
25:05
yeah how do you unwind after a long day
25:07
well that's the probably
25:10
I stop again and breathe and
25:13
and then um
25:16
I will probably go home um
25:20
there is an Argentine tea that we drink
25:25
it's called mate Mate
25:29
we we found many places in the US where to get it
25:34
it's um
25:36
and you know
25:36
just relax listening to some music probably
25:39
and then uh
25:41
you know
25:43
it could be the gym or tennis
25:44
or maybe watching TV or something that
25:49
nothing special I would say
25:52
yeah it's the joy in the simple things
25:55
yes yes
25:56
hundred percent I agree
25:57
hundred percent I agree
25:58
hundred percent
25:59
who has had the biggest impact on your life
26:01
uh well
26:03
I would say that um
26:07
it's not one person
26:11
um but I was
26:12
I like to say that there are a few
26:17
my father
26:19
um my father in law
26:23
um
26:26
there was a very um
26:29
well known in Argentina and other places
26:35
he was the director of a place
26:37
that I used to work in Argentina
26:39
as Doctor Dodds
26:41
Dr. Ricardo Dodds
26:43
um professionally and
26:46
you know my
26:47
I would say that my time at
26:49
at Wills was very important too
26:53
um
26:54
and I cannot
26:58
ah forget my wife
27:01
I better because she will see this one day
27:04
I better say that
27:07
that but even though she doesn't hear this
27:11
yeah um
27:13
she does too
27:13
and of course
27:14
you know the kids every day
27:16
but I I like to learn
27:18
when I hear something from someone
27:21
even if I don't know that person
27:23
and I think that huh
27:25
that's important I learn from it so
27:29
but in general I think I name most of them
27:32
yeah it's a whole team approach I like that
27:36
what what does a perfect day look like for you
27:38
perfect day well
27:40
it depends if it's Monday to Friday
27:43
or Saturday or Sunday
27:46
which one's perfect your choice
27:48
my my favorite day of the week is Friday
27:52
always has been
27:55
because some some work but
27:59
the good time is coming
28:02
but if it's at work
28:04
and we did our job and patients did well
28:09
you know that's a good day too
28:11
so I would say that I have good days
28:15
perfect days for work and perfect days for sports
28:19
um you know
28:20
if we have a tournament in tennis and we win
28:23
that will be a great day too
28:25
um the exercise or the family
28:27
so I don't have one
28:30
I have for each
28:32
one of each part of different topics in my life
28:35
can have a good day
28:37
yeah I get that
28:39
alright we're going into our last part of the interview
28:41
this is our lightning round
28:42
so I'm just gonna pepper you with some questions
28:44
and you just give me some quick answers
28:47
okay go ahead
29:07
alright so
29:07
lightning round first question
29:09
what is your go to Starbucks order
29:11
I order a small decaf skim milk cappuccino
29:15
nice are you a morning person or a night owl
29:19
morning person
29:21
what's your favorite way to spend your day off
29:24
playing sports
29:25
what's your favorite vacation spot
29:28
well I named one of them Punta del Este
29:30
you did yeah
29:32
but um
29:32
but it could be I love
29:34
I love going to to Spain too
29:38
oh nice
29:39
okay what is currently on your playlist for music
29:43
oh for music
29:45
yeah
29:46
the eighties
29:48
oh love that
29:49
that's great okay
29:51
favorite movie or TV show
29:53
I have several um
29:56
TV show
29:57
probably Friends I enjoy that
30:00
me too
30:02
and movie um
30:05
there are several the ones that come to my mind is um
30:11
what's the name in in
30:12
I'm trying to think in English
30:13
um
30:15
the a
30:16
death um
30:19
poet society oh yeah
30:22
yeah Dead Poet Society
30:24
that's the one that was
30:26
that was good I
30:27
well you know what
30:28
maybe I should oh um
30:32
about Henry with Harrison Ford
30:34
so I I can tell you my favorite actors
30:38
and whenever they are in there I
30:39
I probably watch their movies
30:41
um Harrison Ford and Robin Williams being my favorites
30:46
oh love that
30:48
that's great okay
30:50
are you more of a planner or a go with the flow person
30:53
I plan when I have to plan
30:55
and I go to the flow when I feel I can go with the flow
30:58
I love that that's a perfect answer actually
31:01
okay what's a small thing that makes your day better
31:04
so I would say when
31:07
I don't know if it's small but whenever I communicate
31:14
with anyone in my my family
31:16
and again we are a lot because it's my wife and I
31:20
we have four kids we have six grandkids
31:25
and that's a lot of people so
31:29
and if we communicate with
31:31
if I communicate with them during that day
31:33
and everything is is good and fun
31:36
that's maybe simple or not
31:39
but I like that perfect
31:42
I like that too
31:43
what is the best advice you've ever received
31:46
someone once told me
31:48
plan your life like you're going to live forever
31:54
but um
31:56
live it like you're gonna die tomorrow
32:00
I love that because it's it's so simple
32:02
but it's so profound at the same time
32:05
what advice would you give younger self
32:08
I would say um
32:10
keep doing that
32:12
it is worth it
32:14
love that okay
32:16
do you have a hidden talent
32:20
hidden to whom to me or to someone else
32:22
to us to us
32:23
what is a talent you have that we don't know about
32:27
haha um
32:28
I don't like to to say anything
32:32
you know
32:35
because um
32:38
I am who you see and and I think where
32:44
I think what I say and I say what I think
32:48
so I don't think I have anything hiding
32:53
if someone consider talent or no talent that's
32:58
that's an opinion and even if I say a talent that's
33:01
that would be my opinion I can be wrong
33:03
so
33:05
that's very modest okay
33:06
I love it alright
33:08
it's alright if you could instantly master a new skill
33:10
what would it be okay no
33:12
having a better serve in tennis
33:14
okay coffee or tea
33:17
if the tea is mate the one that I said before
33:21
then mate
33:24
it's the Argentine tea but I do like good coffee
33:29
I like it
33:30
is there a difference between mate and yerba mate
33:33
cause I see yerba mate is the same store same
33:35
it's the same OK
33:36
it's the same it's yerba mate
33:38
OK got you
33:39
alright beach or mountains
33:41
and and I have um
33:42
and and I have um
33:44
I have the mate here in my
33:46
in my office
33:48
nice yes
33:50
so yeah
33:52
so okay
33:53
beach or mountain beach
33:56
beach I love it
33:58
last question is sweet or salty
34:01
both because salty when
34:07
you know when I eat
34:08
but it has to come with something sweet afterwards
34:13
oh I like that
34:15
yeah definitely
34:16
Doctor Materin thank you so much for being here
34:18
and being a guest on What's Up Doc
34:20
with the Eye Believe podcast by A Cure In Sight
34:22
we were thrilled to have you
34:24
it's always a pleasure I love your accent
34:26
I could listen to you talk all day
34:27
so I just want to thank you so much for being here
34:31
thank you it's been my pleasure
34:33
and this was this was fun hope people enjoy
34:38
getting many of us more outside yes
34:43
professional work
34:45
yeah I know I
34:46
I think it's gonna be a lot of fun
34:47
I can't wait till we have a playlist
34:49
full of all the doctors
34:50
so this is gonna be really great
34:51
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34:55
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35:00
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35:01
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35:03
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35:03
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35:14
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35:16
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