I’m Joel Hunter the son of a preacher with the same name, who I’ve wanted to emulate since I was little. My family put down roots in Orlando in 1981, and my parents served the community (with me and my brothers tagging along) for as long as I can remember. The message I grew up with was consistent and is still my guiding principle today. “Hunters are givers, not takers.” Honestly, I practice medicine to try and be a helper — which is good because I would’ve been a terrible preacher.
That trite phrase “people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” doesn’t get enough credit. It’s too catchy for its own good. There’s tremendous wisdom in those words that look like they were copied off the base of a Precious Moments figurine. My patients come to me and send their families to me because I care a lot. There are a lot of good surgeons, and ultimately a good result matters more than a feel-good conversation. However, when people can expect good results and feel like their surgeon genuinely cares for them as a person, it elevates the whole process.
My motivation is probably a combination of genuine goodwill towards people, a belief that I’m really good at surgery, an ingrained desire to please people. Who knows if it’s genetic or epigenetic or some combination of both, but I’m motivated by a mix of altruism, ego, and insecurity where I really want to be liked. These three motivators live in an uneasy yet bulletproof alliance. That said, it’s worked well so far.
I had my own practice for 10 years. It went belly up because of poor management (humbling to write in an essay to the RSA) but the patients really liked their experience. Dr. Magruder was kind enough to let me join his practice and it’s been wonderful. I was at one point the youngest fellowship-trained refractive surgeon in the US (I think, anyway… I was 29). I trained under the great Dan Durrie, who remains my idol to this day. My main interest is in laser keratorefractive and IOL surgery. I’m not crazy about multifocal IOLs at the moment, but I’m excited to be working with the newer EDOF IOLs and the light adjustable lens.
Whenever I write about myself, I always get to this part where I should write my hobbies. And I always remember anew that I just don’t have hobbies. It’s a fault, really. I spend all my free time outside of work with my two kids, ages 12 and 7. I love them very much. Oh, I also exercise a fair amount. I got on a health kick a couple of years ago and so far it’s sticking.
Magruder Laser Vision
120 E. Par Street
Orlando, FL 32804 USA
Telephone – 407-843-5665
Email – DrHunter@MagruderLaserVision.com
About: Joel Hunter, MD Bio