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

0:03
hey everyone
0:03
welcome back to the Eye Believe Podcast
0:05
I'm Megan
0:06
and we have a brand new series called What's Up Doc?
0:09
this series is a little bit different
0:10
than what you've previously seen
0:11
on the Eye Believe Podcast
0:13
we have doctors on pretty often
0:15
but usually they're talking about a specific topic
0:17
so today we're gonna do this new series and we're going to focus on our doctor
0:21
we're gonna focus on things that are all about them
0:24
where they practice what they do
0:27
and some personal things too so lets jump right into it
0:30
our very first guest is Doctor Prithvi Mruthyunjaya
0:33
he is from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University
0:36
in Palo Alto California
0:37
so welcome Doctor Mruthyunjaya
0:39
what's up DOC
0:41
hi Megan
0:41
how are you this is great so excited
0:45
thank you I'm great
0:46
and I'm so excited I'm so glad you're our first doctor
0:48
it's gonna be so much fun
0:50
Megan I have a question
0:51
do you think people know where what's up
0:53
doc comes from I
0:55
I feel like I grew up with Bugs Bunny
0:57
like I don't know if Bugs Bunny is like
0:59
you know what all the kids listen and watch these days
1:02
yeah, is it still relevant I agree
1:04
I don't know totally relevant totally relevant
1:07
so if you're listening
1:09
drop us a comment and let us know what is
1:11
what's up doc
1:12
from do you know what it's from
1:13
and if you do tell us what it's from
1:15
and we'll see who gets it right and who doesn't
1:18
okay perfect
1:19
so let's jump right into it
1:20
my first question I would just love it
1:22
if you would tell us a little bit about yourself
1:25
where you grew up and what your childhood was like
1:29
thanks Megan
1:29
uh first off
1:30
I'm uh
1:31
such a big fan
1:32
of all of the work that A Cure In Sight does
1:35
to help educate our patients
1:36
and to kind of ease them into a very um
1:40
uncomfortable situation and I think um
1:43
what this uh
1:44
series is showing is that
1:45
there's such a community around ocular melanoma
1:48
and thank you again for doing what you do
1:51
so um
1:52
I was born in India um
1:54
my parents were dentists
1:56
and they immigrated to the country in the 70s and um
2:00
we grew up in Rochester New York um
2:03
which is where um
2:05
I went through high school
2:06
so um
2:07
I am an only child and my parents um
2:12
worked hard as immigrants often do
2:15
and I always knew that I enjoyed science
2:20
and I wanted to probably be a doctor
2:23
and it turned out that my neighbor down the street
2:27
was a corneal surgeon
2:28
and world famous at what he does
2:31
and um became my mentor
2:34
um he was not just a corneal surgeon
2:36
but he really uh
2:37
embraced um uh
2:39
extending care to people that were uh
2:42
most uh
2:43
needing of it and he actually founded a large
2:46
international eye care hospital
2:49
that took care of patients for free
2:51
and um really taught me the value of um
2:54
hard work and pushing research forward
2:57
and kind of being dedicated to um
3:00
advancing eye care so I had like
3:02
great role models
3:04
hard working parents and an environment around me that
3:09
like fostered my interest in
3:12
in healthcare and taking care of eyes
3:14
at really a young age
3:17
I was a um
3:19
I was the worst tennis player
3:21
on a really good high school tennis team um
3:24
and I did a lot of work on my school newspaper
3:27
and I did Model United Nations in high school
3:30
so um
3:31
but I had I had like
3:32
great friends who are still friends today um
3:35
and that was me growing up in cold upstate New York
3:39
that is really cool
3:40
I love that you were able to look up to so many people
3:43
in your life I think more young people need that
3:46
and I love that you had that
3:48
for sure very very fortunate
3:51
so I know that gave you some inspiration to be a doctor
3:55
but do you remember
3:55
when you first thought
3:57
that you really wanted to be a doctor
3:58
was there like a moment that you can pinpoint
4:01
um I can't say it's a moment
4:03
I think I kind of grew up around um
4:05
healthcare and uh
4:08
it was something that
4:09
I always thought would be a great option for me
4:11
and um I think it was
4:13
just the environment that I was fortunate to grow
4:16
grow up in and um
4:19
even in high school I did a lot of research work
4:22
and it actually was in eye research
4:23
so I kind of knew I didn't want to just be a doctor
4:27
I knew I wanted to be an eye doctor probably when I was
4:29
like 15 years old
4:31
um so um
4:32
it's maybe I would have
4:35
if I didn't have those experiences
4:37
I would have done something different in my life
4:38
but like
4:39
how fortunate like
4:40
I kind of you know
4:41
got turned um
4:42
into this line of work and research and
4:46
you know interaction
4:47
at really a very young age
4:49
and even through school
4:51
I knew that that's what I wanted to do
4:53
and if anything else was more interesting
4:56
great like
4:56
maybe I would have done that
4:57
but this was just the default
5:00
was always to take care of eyes
5:02
so
5:03
um I kind of knew from him from when I was very young
5:07
oh I love that
5:09
and when did you first hear about ocular melanoma
5:11
when did that come into the picture
5:13
so ocular melanoma
5:14
when I was a resident um
5:17
in in ophthalmology at Duke University
5:21
which is where I did my residency training um
5:24
was when I first learned about ocular melanoma
5:27
we had um
5:28
specialists at that time
5:30
who were doing a lot of other things
5:31
but they also focused on eye melanoma
5:34
and I'll be honest I didn't see um
5:36
a lot of that as I was a resident
5:40
but when I was a retina fellow um
5:43
during my training also at Duke University
5:45
that's when I really began to see
5:48
and learn more about eye melanoma
5:50
and that's when I recognized that um
5:52
this was a disease that needed um
5:55
attention
5:55
and I had the opportunity to continue my training
5:59
where I learned a lot about it um
6:01
and that was in London at the Moorfields Eye Hospital
6:05
I did a one year ocular oncology fellowship
6:08
which was um
6:09
unique um
6:10
and that there weren't many places in the country that
6:13
um you could get this type of training
6:15
and even around the world
6:16
so um
6:17
I ventured across the ocean and I spent a year uh
6:21
learning about how other healthcare systems address um
6:25
eye cancer and eye disease
6:28
um and
6:29
it wasn't so much that they were doing things better
6:32
or more advanced
6:33
but they were doing it slightly differently
6:36
and I thought that was an interesting way to blend
6:38
you know my interest in eye care
6:40
my training as an eye doctor
6:42
but also you know
6:43
how can we advance what we do in this country
6:46
by taking the best of what others do
6:49
from around the world
6:52
I love that I think that's such a great thing
6:55
so
6:56
I think there's some confusion with ocular oncologist
6:58
medical oncologist who people are seeing
7:02
when you end up in medical school
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which doctor are you
7:08
right sure
7:09
so um
7:10
I um
7:11
my path through medical school
7:12
is a little different than most
7:14
so um
7:14
when I was in high school
7:16
I knew I really wanted to be a doctor
7:19
so
7:19
there were a few programs in the country that allowed
7:22
you to get accepted into medical school
7:25
straight out of high school
7:27
that sounds kind of crazy
7:28
so um
7:29
so I did a what they call a
7:31
an accelerated six year medical program
7:33
so instead of four years of undergrad
7:37
I finished my undergrad in two years um
7:39
and I was automatically accepted into medical school
7:43
to follow so in six years
7:44
I was able to finish um
7:46
all of my medical training um
7:49
and at the end of medical school um
7:51
you're a medical doctor and MD is
7:53
is granted to your uh
7:55
degree um
7:56
and at that time we have to make decisions
7:58
as to what our further specialization will be um
8:02
if you wanted to do that at all
8:04
and you know
8:05
one line is what I chose
8:07
which is to focus in ophthalmology
8:09
which is the the study and the surgery
8:12
I have everything to do with the eye
8:14
and its connections to the brain and to the body
8:17
um that's a um
8:18
a three year residency training program
8:21
that you would undergo
8:22
and then after that you can specialize um
8:25
and take care of patients as a general ophthalmologist
8:28
or to do additional training
8:30
and I
8:31
I did actually several additional bouts of training um
8:35
uh one was uh
8:36
extra research uh
8:37
years and then I did a uh
8:40
retina specialization so
8:42
specializing in the care of
8:44
the complexities of the inside of the eye
8:46
and the retina which is so important for our vision
8:49
and then I did another training program
8:52
to focus on eye cancer therapies
8:55
in both babies and adults
8:57
so kind of the whole spectrum
8:59
but backing up a little bit
9:01
if I were in medical school
9:03
and then I decided I want to look after cancer patients
9:07
with cancers in different parts of the body
9:09
that's another line altogether
9:11
so I would have had to do a residency
9:14
in internal medicine so
9:15
I understand kind of the body functionings
9:18
from head to toe
9:19
and then a specialization in cancer medicine
9:22
or oncology
9:23
and then you can further specialize in cancer
9:26
of different parts of the body um
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as well so kind of two different lines
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but all kind of dealing with um
9:33
cancer care um
9:35
and you know
9:36
back to my route um
9:38
the role of ocular oncologist um
9:40
has been something that has been growing over the years
9:43
in the past there were very
9:44
very few people that uh
9:46
dedicated their um
9:48
lives and careers to the care of eye cancer um
9:52
and now I think we're seeing another generation of uh
9:56
specialists where more and more they're um
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focusing their practices uh
10:01
on this um
10:03
many of us kind of started
10:05
where we were taking care of a certain part of the eye
10:08
and dealing with the eye cancer
10:10
and then as our practices have continued to evolve
10:14
now my predominantly
10:15
my practice is looking after patients with eye cancer
10:19
not just eye melanoma
10:21
but that is the bulk of what I take care of
10:23
both inside of the eye and outside of the eye
10:26
but also for example
10:28
children with eye cancers
10:30
like retinoblastoma
10:31
or other types of cancers that affect the eye
10:34
and also patients that have um
10:38
cancer in other parts of their body
10:39
that can sometimes come to the eye
10:41
or the chemotherapy that they take can affect the eye
10:45
so there's a there's a whole
10:47
another dimension to what we look after um
10:49
other than just melanoma
10:51
but melanoma is the big one for for us
10:55
perfect explanation thank you for that
10:58
so next
10:59
can you tell us a little bit about where you're located
11:01
the Buyer's Eye Institute
11:02
what kind of facility is it
11:04
what can patients expect
11:05
if they're coming to see you there
11:07
yeah the Byers Eye Institute is um
11:09
the ophthalmology department at Stanford University
11:13
amazing university uh
11:14
here in Palo Alto California uh
11:17
known for its uh
11:18
innovations
11:19
and moving medical care forward into the future
11:24
um our department um
11:26
is located just about two miles off of the main campus
11:30
uh very easy to um
11:31
to get to um
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off the 1 0 1 highway um
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what's unique about our facility is that it is modern
11:38
beautiful and it's state of the art
11:41
um the ocular oncology work
11:44
has recently been designated
11:46
a center of excellence at Stanford University
11:49
so
11:50
we are the Alan Adler Center for Ophthalmic Oncology
11:54
which may be one of the few named centers of excellence
11:58
uh in any university here in the United States
12:01
so we're quite um
12:02
happy to uh
12:03
offer really the best of our um
12:07
heartfelt care to our patients
12:09
um the facility is not just taking care of eye
12:13
cancer patients it's really all elements of um
12:17
eye care and of which
12:19
you know we hold an important role
12:21
in taking care of our patients with ocular melanoma
12:25
and other conditions um
12:27
the neat part about being at an academic medical center
12:30
like Stanford is that we have an amazing connection
12:34
with all of the other doctors
12:37
that are part of the
12:39
the care continuum for our patients
12:42
so we um
12:42
are connected very closely with the Cancer uh
12:46
the Cancer Institute
12:47
and the Cancer Center here at Stanford
12:50
which houses experts in uh
12:53
radiation oncology radiology
12:57
neurosurgery and medical oncology
13:00
and we have a crew of outstanding medical oncologists
13:04
who specialize in melanoma
13:06
and specifically
13:08
ocular melanoma in other parts of the body
13:11
so really are uh
13:13
coming to a place like Stanford
13:14
or any other academic medical center
13:17
really allows the connection
13:20
across the care that needs to be delivered
13:23
so you don't see everybody on that first day
13:26
you see them as you need to
13:27
but we're connected and
13:28
I think that's what's really cool
13:31
about a place like Stanford
13:34
that is really cool and
13:36
this is a little off topic from our normal questions
13:39
but since we're talking about Byers Eye and Palo Alto
13:42
do you wanna give a plug real quick for the 5K
13:45
cause I know you have a little rivalry with Scottsdale
13:47
and virtual counts
13:49
would you like to appeal to the listeners
13:52
to join your team
13:54
so putting a plug in for um
13:56
July 11th Saturday morning it is
13:59
our fifth annual um
14:03
Lookin' For A Cure walk here in Palo Alto
14:07
we host it here at the Byers Eye Institute
14:11
um we have been so fortunate to have such a great uh
14:16
interest by our community
14:17
by our doctors by our uh
14:20
staff who all come out in force
14:23
um not that competition is what we're all about
14:27
but I will say that um
14:29
the the
14:30
the most well attended greatest energy
14:35
most enthusiastic crowds for this event
14:38
across the country right here
14:40
Palo Alto at Stanford
14:42
at the Byers Eye Institute
14:44
so but seriously
14:45
it's such a great event
14:46
and we really encourage everyone from um
14:50
any part of the country
14:51
to find the closest one that you can get to cause
14:53
it's really an opportunity for the community
14:55
to come together around this rare disease
14:58
and I think that's so powerful for uh
15:02
patients who are just starting the journey
15:04
or have been on this journey for a long time
15:07
to know that they are not alone
15:08
and there are so many people
15:10
across the healthcare system
15:12
that are really rooting for them
15:14
cheering for them and then literally
15:16
on the day of the race will be cheering for you
15:18
so um
15:19
I hope you all come
15:21
and best of luck to Scottsdale again
15:23
they've they've
15:24
they also bring on the the energy too
15:28
absolutely it's a lot of fun
15:30
the 5 KS and everyone gets a medal
15:32
but survivors get a special survivor medal
15:34
so if you are a patient you get two medals
15:37
totally that's great
15:39
yeah it's a lot of fun
15:40
so I just wanted to give Doctor Mruthyunjaya
15:43
a chance to plug his 5 k so um
15:46
we hope we see some of you there
15:47
and you can join virtually
15:48
if you just want to help him beat Scottsdale, join virtually
15:51
ha ha ha we're all winners at the end
15:54
so everyone show up
15:56
and the more people that we can get
15:58
if you invite your friends and family um
16:00
get your team you can do your own team
16:02
the more the merrier and it makes a big impact
16:05
so that's just a little plug for that
16:07
and then we'll move on back to our original programming
16:11
um
16:13
what what question I wanted to ask you
16:16
what do you believe makes a great doctor
16:20
such a great question I think um
16:22
the it's called the practice of medicine
16:26
it's not the um
16:28
the rule of medicine or the perfection of medicine
16:32
I think what any physician strives to do
16:35
is to provide the the best
16:38
most compassionate
16:40
the most appropriate care of their patient
16:44
and it's a practice you have to practice every day
16:47
to try to become the best that you can be
16:50
as a physician and every patient is different
16:53
um so
16:54
you know I think we all gel with um
16:58
different individuals
16:59
we gel with our doctors in different ways
17:01
I think what's unique about ocular oncology
17:05
and specifically
17:07
when we take care of patients with eye melanoma
17:10
is that it is such a rare disease
17:13
that your general physician
17:15
may really know nothing about this condition
17:18
your eye doctor may not know much about the condition
17:22
your specialist may not know
17:24
all the treatments that are involved
17:25
and it's not to their it's not their fault
17:28
it's just so rare
17:29
and people have to keep up with so many things
17:32
that it's um
17:33
it's really hard for any one person
17:35
to know what's going on so I
17:36
I look at um
17:38
you know a compassionate physician
17:41
as someone that can recognize that sometimes
17:44
there's a lot of information out there
17:46
and how do you um
17:48
dedicate the time
17:50
to try to bring everyone on the same wavelength
17:53
I'd like to tell people that
17:55
I'm gonna tell you everything I know
17:56
and at the end of the day um
17:58
you need to know as much as I do
18:00
if not more than I do
18:01
because there's so many sources of information um
18:04
that comes together
18:05
but kind of putting that together in a way that um
18:08
is understandable um
18:10
is empathetic um
18:12
which and also
18:14
to clarify doubts'cause
18:15
I think the hardest thing is to go home
18:17
and still like
18:19
I have a question I'm not sure what's going on
18:21
and that can really eat you up on the inside
18:23
so um
18:25
I don't know if I answered your question right
18:26
but
18:27
I think those are elements of what makes a good doctor
18:31
and I think I think all
18:33
all doctors who have dedicated their careers
18:35
to taking care of patients um
18:37
do their their darndest to live up to that
18:40
and I think um
18:41
you know at different times
18:43
you know we have to step up um
18:45
to uh
18:46
to overachieve if you will uh
18:48
to get uh
18:49
our patients to where they need to be
18:53
very well said now to take it a step further
18:57
what is your overall approach
19:00
to treating ocular melanoma
19:01
cause I know a lot of doctors have different
19:03
prefernces on treatment it depends on the patient
19:06
what is your overall approach
19:09
yeah um
19:10
so I really care about the patient from head to toe
19:14
when we talk about um
19:16
our goals of treatment um
19:18
number one is taking care of you from head to toe
19:23
we want you to be able to live a
19:26
a long fruitful
19:28
healthy happy life um
19:30
and a cancer diagnosis can really feel like a
19:34
a large wrench in that in that plan that you have
19:37
and and a condition like ocular melanoma
19:40
is not anything that you are at fault
19:43
for having developed
19:44
you didn't do anything to cause this
19:46
and therefore um
19:48
our opportunities are to take charge of a situation
19:52
that you had no control over
19:55
getting in the first place
19:56
so I think looking after the um
19:59
the patient as a human being from head to toe
20:02
not just an eyeball or two um
20:04
is something that I I really care about
20:07
I I uh
20:08
for me uh
20:09
partnership in understanding the condition
20:12
understanding the goals of treatment
20:14
and then
20:15
understanding the treatment options that are available
20:18
um I think are really important
20:20
and a lot of what I base my work on is uh
20:24
data driven um
20:25
options for patients um
20:27
because you know
20:28
I can have a favorite treatment
20:30
or a surgery that I enjoy doing more than not
20:33
but every patient is an individual
20:35
so um
20:37
you know we usually
20:38
lay out all the treatments that are available
20:41
and then customize it to each particular lesion
20:46
to each eyeball to each person
20:48
because everyone's gonna be a little different um
20:52
and and that said
20:53
you know we really offer um
20:55
here every type of treatment that's available um
20:59
for ocular melanoma but also um
21:01
have engaged in all of the major clinical trials
21:04
that are available for patients
21:06
so um
21:07
in one you know
21:08
you come to to our setting um
21:11
we'll offer everything that's um
21:13
that you're eligible to to have available
21:16
and we'll give you our thoughts
21:18
as to why we think one may be better than the other
21:22
um and
21:22
you know happy for you to ask
21:24
you know a million questions and um
21:26
and you know
21:27
challenge
21:28
as to why we should do one thing versus the other
21:30
um what's great about this field
21:33
is that my friends are all over the country
21:35
and they're all ocular oncologists
21:37
and really good at what they do
21:39
and I'm happy to hop on the phone and
21:41
and share pictures of of your case with them
21:44
with your permission and get you a second opinion
21:47
or if you want to go see somebody
21:49
you know I'm happy to arrange that for you as well
21:51
because
21:51
you need to feel comfortable with the care that you're
21:54
um uh
21:55
achieving and
21:56
you know
21:56
I've been so fortunate to take care of so many patients
21:59
through my career um
22:00
you know my goal is to make sure that everyone is uh
22:03
happy and comfortable with their choices
22:05
and to support them through that journey
22:07
so I don't think I have a favorite way to treat
22:10
I think that um
22:11
everyone is um
22:13
their own unique puzzle and it's finding
22:16
you know the
22:17
putting the pieces together
22:18
and finding new pieces to put into that puzzle um
22:22
that will solve it
22:23
so I can't say there's only one way to do it
22:27
I think that's a perfect answer
22:29
that's wonderful next question I have for you is
22:32
what advancements are most exciting for you right now
22:35
cause there's a lot of stuff coming
22:37
yeah there's a lot of stuff and
22:39
and I think for us
22:41
one of the foundations of the Alan Adler Center
22:44
is innovative research so um
22:47
that's where I spend a lot of my time um
22:50
trying to think about how do we do things now
22:53
what do we need to do in the future
22:54
and how do we move ourselves there
22:57
in the setting of rare diseases
22:59
so first off I am a
23:02
a hardy advocate for clinical trials
23:06
um we are in a really unique
23:08
almost a renaissance period in ocular melanoma
23:12
that we have companies now in biopharma
23:17
who have found the uniqueness of ocular melanoma
23:21
and have dedicated their efforts
23:24
their resources into developing new therapies
23:28
for the first time we have opportunities for patients
23:33
um to think about therapies
23:35
in every realm of treatment for ocular melanoma
23:40
in the setting of small tumors
23:42
medium sized tumors large tumors
23:46
in the in the ability for chemotherapy to shrink tumors
23:50
before we do eye surgery for treatments after um
23:55
they have had um
23:56
their eye therapies or in the
23:58
in the cases where patients develop metastasis
24:02
new options in clinical trials
24:04
we haven't had these many options on the table ever
24:08
so I am fiercely a proponent for um
24:12
moving this forward
24:14
and keeping that interest and momentum going
24:17
um and in many cases um
24:19
having all these trials opened here at Stanford
24:23
really gives me the full palette
24:25
of what I can offer patients
24:28
and not everyone qualifies for everything um
24:30
and this may or may not be the right thing for you
24:34
but it may be an option that we should put out there
24:37
and talk about it whether it's good
24:39
whether it doesn't work why or why not
24:42
so I think that that's something I'm um uh
24:44
very very excited about
24:46
and our medical oncology team here
24:48
really works hard to get as many of these trials open
24:52
and I think pretty much every major trial
24:54
you know we have open and available to us
24:57
so what am I um
24:58
most interested in in these clinical trials
25:00
I think the notion of how can we reduce the toxicities
25:07
of the treatments that we have available
25:09
so concepts such as neo adjuvant chemotherapy
25:13
where we can give chemotherapy
25:15
to shrink the tumor within the eye
25:18
so that the types of treatments we have to do
25:20
are not as damaging to eye and vision
25:23
I think that's really exciting
25:25
um looking at non radiation methods
25:29
of treating small tumors in the eye
25:32
which before we would have to either just watch or
25:36
or treat knowing that it can impact vision
25:38
that's really exciting
25:40
and then now some of the really interesting um
25:43
biological engineering that's going on
25:46
to try to treat tumors that have left the eye and are
25:50
um metastasized to other parts of the body
25:52
really advanced science and ocular melanoma
25:55
has really been at the forefront of new therapies
25:58
and I think even more are coming along the way
26:02
our work here
26:02
I think is also super exciting at Stanford
26:06
so we've been interested in what we call liquid biopsy
26:10
so this is taking samples of fluid around the tumor
26:16
from the eye in a very minimally invasive way
26:20
and understanding that the fluid that bathes the tumor
26:24
actually holds as much information
26:27
as when we take a sample of the tumor itself
26:30
to do a biopsy
26:31
these are things that can be done in the office
26:34
super easy repeated in time as we need to
26:37
but now um
26:38
with the technologies that we have here at Stanford
26:41
you know we're looking at markers at
26:45
you know several thousand fold
26:47
greater than what's ever been available
26:50
or published before and now we
26:53
we're not just looking at this to um
26:55
tell us
26:56
whether a patient has a high risk or low risk tumor
26:59
we're using it to make diagnoses
27:01
we're using it to customize treatments for patients
27:05
so theoretically
27:06
you don't need to have just one available drug
27:09
to treat what's in the eye
27:11
you may have what's good for you or what's good for me
27:14
so customized
27:15
precision medicine is what we're going for
27:18
we're doing a lot of work with um
27:20
image analysis and using artificial intelligence to um
27:24
diagnose tumors earlier so we've got a lot going on
27:28
and for me
27:29
the excitement is how we can propel the field forward
27:34
and improve the care for our patients and
27:37
most importantly improve lives
27:39
that's what it's all about
27:40
that's amazing
27:41
I love everything that you guys are doing
27:44
and I mean the the whole community
27:47
I think is so grateful for every doctor
27:51
every researcher every bio
27:53
company that's putting so much effort into this
27:56
so it's just huge to see it moving forward
28:00
so next question I wanna switch to some
28:01
that are a little more personal about you
28:04
what keeps you going on the hard days
28:06
cause I know you have some hard days
28:10
what keeps me going on the hard days um
28:12
really is uh the
28:14
the people that I am around
28:17
it's the um
28:18
patients that I get to take care of um
28:21
it's my staff and my team that um
28:24
are also working as hard as I am
28:27
it's all of the students like
28:28
I'm a you know
28:29
an educator at heart and really
28:32
knowing that
28:33
I need to set the tone and the example for my trainees
28:37
who will then be the next great experts in the field
28:41
one day which is my hope
28:42
um I think that um
28:44
are all things that just move me forward um
28:47
but yeah there are hard days
28:48
and I think you know
28:49
we recognize that being able to um
28:53
share that with um
28:54
you know my
28:55
my loved ones I think
28:57
really does help me to kind of decompress from that um
29:01
so you know
29:02
hard days are hard but
29:03
you know it's harder for our patients sometimes
29:06
so we need to be up to the task and up to the challenge
29:12
and how has this work changed you as a person
29:17
um I really feel fortunate um
29:20
for me um
29:22
having the opportunity to be involved um
29:24
in such a niche area in medicine um
29:28
really forces me to be at the best of my game um
29:33
to keep giving um what I can in terms of um
29:36
my clinical care um
29:38
in what little I can contribute to research um
29:41
and teaching the next generation um
29:44
it's really given me like such
29:46
great opportunities so I'm ever grateful
29:49
um I wish we could just cure the whole thing
29:52
and we never have to deal with it
29:54
that would really make me so happy
29:57
but um
29:57
you know until then
29:59
it just is a motivation for me to keep moving forward
30:02
and I feel like our uh
30:04
our Alan Adler Center here at Stanford
30:07
really kind of galvanizes what we've been working for
30:10
and working towards for so many years
30:12
and we hope it's a um
30:15
it's a lightning rod for collaboration to bring
30:18
you know others together to the table um
30:21
so that we can advance the
30:23
the field together faster um
30:26
and in a more complete way
30:29
what have your patients taught you through the years
30:34
my patients have taught me resilience
30:36
they have taught me
30:38
their ability to go through what they do
30:42
in a in an
30:44
in a period that probably starts with a lot of fear and
30:48
you know kind of personal terror
30:49
and just not knowing what to expect to um
30:53
accepting their situation
30:55
and then taking the reins
30:57
and moving their care forward
30:59
and the the most amazing thing is
31:02
everyone's journey is different
31:04
but there there kind of emerges from all of that that
31:10
the efforts that the patients go through um
31:12
in an ability to help their fellow um
31:16
patient as well so
31:17
you know when they give back to organizations
31:20
like A Cure In Sight or they find a buddy
31:23
who they're gonna help
31:24
talk through what their journey was like
31:27
I think that's amazing
31:28
I mean I think just shows the capacity um
31:31
that humans have to um
31:33
to to be strong
31:35
to persevere um
31:36
and then to help others so um
31:38
I think I've just seen the whole spectrum of humanity
31:41
in my patients
31:43
and their families and their caregivers
31:46
it's inspiring
31:47
and I think it just shows that as a community
31:51
coming together
31:52
we are so much stronger than any individual
31:56
what does hope mean to you in your work
31:59
uh hope means tomorrow
32:02
hope means an ability for people to um
32:06
live the life that they've always wanted to live
32:09
to share it with their family
32:10
with their loved ones um
32:12
and that happens one day at a time um
32:16
and it could be a very long day
32:18
but a day at a time and if you can um
32:21
think about that tomorrow and the tomorrow after that
32:24
um that gives me hope
32:28
what brings you the most joy outside of medicine
32:31
um it's gotta be my
32:34
my family um
32:35
I'm lucky to be married to um
32:37
a a wonderful woman who is an oncologist
32:40
and way smarter than I am
32:42
taking care of cancer patients um
32:45
and you know we've
32:46
we share uh
32:47
having raised uh two uh
32:49
beautiful smart uh
32:51
young women who are kind of carrying their careers
32:54
and their lives forward um
32:56
and I think just enjoying the time
33:01
taking care of people
33:02
is something that is so important to us
33:04
but finding time with each other really is great
33:09
I love playing tennis
33:10
and I've been playing more and more
33:13
and that just kind of gives me a little release
33:15
with my friends and colleagues
33:18
what does a perfect day look like for you
33:22
perfect day is um
33:27
a perfect day where I'm not working is
33:30
getting up a little late a cup of hazelnut coffee
33:34
um a uh
33:36
an hour of tennis with friends where I uh
33:39
don't miss every ball but maybe half the balls
33:42
um nice lunch with my wife
33:45
um a nice nap in the afternoon
33:49
a stroll around the neighborhood
33:50
and a good dinner with friends
33:53
that would be a lot of fun
33:54
and if my kids are home that's even a bigger plus
34:00
that does sound like a perfect day
34:02
alright the last part of this episode
34:04
we are gonna go into our lightning round
34:06
where I'm just gonna pepper you with some questions
34:08
haha that you're going to answer just sort of rapid fire
34:11
so what is your go to Starbucks order
34:15
um oat milk latte short
34:17
okay morning person or night owl
34:20
uh morning person
34:23
favorite vacation spot
34:25
a visiting family in India
34:29
what's currently on your playlist
34:32
uh the new U2 album that just came out
34:35
favorite movie or TV show
34:37
Shawshank Redemption and um
34:40
I watching the pit
34:41
because I used to watch ER when I was uh in med school
34:47
okay are you a planner or go with the flow
34:50
a planner who goes with the flow
34:53
me too uh
34:55
what's a small thing that makes your day better
34:59
um
35:00
small thing
35:04
a small thing that makes my day better is um
35:08
cookies in the middle of the day
35:10
oh I like that
35:11
do you have a favorite quote
35:12
or a mantra that you live by
35:14
oh yes
35:15
um so um
35:16
my favorite quote is work hard play hard
35:19
love that
35:21
what is the best advice you've ever received
35:25
never sell yourself short
35:28
what advice would you give younger self
35:32
um
35:34
be more organized
35:36
haha I feel that um
35:38
do you have a hidden talent
35:41
I have no talent ha ha ha um
35:45
let me try that again um
35:49
yeah my hidden talent is I'm I'm I'm a pretty good MC
35:52
oh I'm excited to see that
35:55
one day we're gonna make that happen
35:57
okay what is something
35:58
people would be surprised to learn about you
36:01
um I'm an only child because I'm so like well adjusted
36:07
love it
36:09
if you could instantly master a new skill
36:12
what would it be
36:15
uh how to play the guitar
36:18
that's a good one okay
36:20
coffee or tea? coffee
36:23
beach or mountains
36:25
uh both but mountains
36:27
okay early mornings late nights
36:31
uh early mornings
36:32
and sweet or salty
36:34
sweet if it's a Dunkin Donuts
36:37
um glazed that's perfect
36:40
okay and what's your favorite candy
36:43
uh Snickers
36:44
Snickers alright
36:45
well that's all of my questions
36:47
is there anything else
36:48
that you would like to share with us before we wrap up
36:51
no I think this is a
36:52
this is wonderful and I hope
36:54
um you know
36:55
everyone in your community
36:56
can feel comfortable
36:57
with the doctors that they get to work with
37:00
um
37:00
we have a fantastic group of ocular melanoma physicians
37:05
across this country
37:06
and we are all colleagues and we are collegial
37:11
so I feel like everyone is in really good hands
37:13
everyone's trying to do good work
37:16
and I wish you all a great health
37:19
and success on your journey
37:20
thanks Megan
37:23
thank you so much Doctor Mruthyunjaya
37:25
for being here and for being our very first what's up
37:27
doc series episode
37:29
we're thrilled
37:30
we're thrilled to bring this to the community
37:32
and this really came about
37:34
because people kept asking the questions
37:36
do you know this doctor do you know anything about them
37:37
and we thought hey
37:38
we know them and we love them
37:40
so let's bring them to you
37:41
and show you what we love about them
37:43
so we're really excited about this
37:45
if you wanna see more doctors
37:46
please subscribe wherever you're listening
37:49
give us a like leave us a comment
37:51
and we will see you all on the next episode