Originally from Santa Maria, California, Patrick Williams, MD, met fellow Texas Retina Associates physician Christopher Fuller, MD, in medical school at Texas Tech in Lubbock. That led to the opportunity to shadow Dr. Christopher Fuller’s father Dwain Fuller, MD, at Texas Retina Associates when Dr. Williams was a second-year medical student. This inspired a passion for ophthalmology and retina surgery. He then went on to complete his vitreoretinal fellowship at Texas Retina Associates after his residency at UT Southwestern Dallas.
A board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained retina specialist, Dr. Williams provides a full range of medical and surgical retina care at our Arlington, Fort Worth and Grapevine offices and has a special interest in age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and surgical repair of retinal diseases.
What inspired you to become a physician and then a retina specialist?
I had no family in healthcare, but I observed family members endure ailments, including a degenerative spine with chronic pain and heart disease. The trust they placed in physicians inspired me to be the type of person they relied on so heavily. Then when I shadowed Dr Dwain Fuller, the passion and enthusiasm he brought to his profession combined with the ability to surgically repair complex and blinding conditions led me to pursue a sub-specialty in retinal diseases.
What do you enjoy most about your work caring for patients?
To put it simply, making people better. I want to not only give them the best vision possible, but through listening, explaining, and calm and honest conversation, provide them the best possible care.
What do you think is most important in caring for a patient?
I believe the most important part of patient care is understanding the patient. By asking questions and listening, I can better understand each patient’s individual goals and explain the options available. Then we can make decisions together to try to give them the vision they need.
What do you enjoy most outside of work?
I enjoy teaching vitreoretinal surgery as clinical faculty in the department of ophthalmology at UT Southwestern and also serve on the University of Texas College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council. Outside of that, I try to keep up with my wife and three children. Occasionally, I get to play a little tennis.
Learn more about Patrick Williams, MD.