D Magazine
Stuck in Gaza: A Dallas Eye Surgeon’s Journey to Entrepreneurship
A profile of my humanitarian eye surgery in Gaza and how that experience shaped the founding of Visionary Eye.
Read the featurePress & conversations
The stories.
The conversations.
Reporting, profiles, and interviews on medicine, service, leadership, and the person behind the work.
In the press & on the mic
A closer look
at the work.
Living Magazine
Visionary Eye Surgery
A look at the person behind the practice, my approach to patient care, and the perspective I brought home from Gaza.
Read the profileFOX 4 Dallas–Fort Worth
Dallas eye doctor stuck in Gaza after humanitarian mission
An interview from Gaza about providing eye care with limited resources and the uncertainty of getting home.
Read & watchThe Patient Physician
Visionary Doc: Ambition, Burnout, and Resilience
A conversation about ambition, burnout in medical training, and the role of community in finding a way forward.
Listen to the conversationBoardsi Leadership Talks
From Undocumented Immigrant to Visionary Leader: Leadership Talks with Martin Rowinski and Shehzad Batliwala
On building a business, finding purpose in medicine, and rediscovering humor beyond a professional identity.
Read & listenTalks & selected appearances
TEDxRandburg · Speaking · Belonging and connection
How to Stop Feeling Lonely: An Astronaut’s Instant Shift to Belong
ASCRS Foundation Symposium · Conference appearance · 2025
Humanitarian ophthalmology in times of crisis
Ophthalmology Times · Video interview · 2025
Finding your why in humanitarian ophthalmology
Biography & introduction
Speaker biography (Short bio)
Dr. Shehzad Batliwala, DO, known as Dr. Shehz, is an eye surgeon and the founder of Visionary Eye Surgery in Plano, Texas. A TEDx speaker and stand-up comedian, he brings medicine, storytelling, and humor together to explore leadership, belonging, and who we are beyond our achievements. His humanitarian eye surgery, including a medical mission to Gaza, has shaped his perspective on service and responsibility. He has spoken about humanitarian medicine, and his TEDxRandburg talk explored loneliness and belonging.
Stage introduction (Brief introduction)
Please welcome Dr. Shehzad Batliwala, known as Dr. Shehz. He is an eye surgeon, practice founder, TEDx speaker, and stand-up comedian whose work brings medicine, storytelling, and humor into the same conversation.
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