
Dr. John P. Shock
Ophthalmologist & Founding Director
The Jones Eye Institute at UAMS | Little Rock
In the five decades since John P. Shock graduated from Duke University Medical School, much has changed in medicine and in society. But as he epitomizes, ethics and character have not.
“I entered the medical profession to help patients and their families deal with their illnesses and to provide support and encouragement to them,” said Shock, 80. “The challenge has always been knowing the right thing to do and then getting it done in the right way.”
Every step of Shock’s distinguished career has been measured by this simple goal. The pride of Webster Springs, West Virginia, he received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. After completing medical school in 1965, he performed an internship and residency in ophthalmology at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
It was more than your typical internship. From 1966 to 1970, during the headiest and deadliest slice of the Vietnam War, Shock watched and worked as battlefield casualties arrived daily, just two or three days removed from the fighting. Hundreds of severely wounded soldiers, many of them not older than the newly-minted eye surgeon, streamed through the facility.
“At any one time, there would be 125 to 150 soldiers on the hospital eye service,” he said. “Anti-war demonstrations at the Walter Reed entrance compounded the despair that patients and families were experiencing.”
After Walter Reed, he completed a retinovitreous fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami and steadily rose through the medical ranks. By the time his service was up, he had served as Assistant Chief of Ophthalmology at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco and as Chief of Ophthalmology at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Not surprisingly, his tours at military hospitals left a lasting impression on him as he honed his craft in service to his wounded comrades.
The level of eye trauma was unprecedented, calling for the development of new surgical methodologies. Shock was more than up for the challenge, inventing a new technique called phacofragmentation and irrigation of cataracts, which consisted of an ultrasonic vibrating needle that fragmented the cataract and washed the resulting pieces out of the eye through a small incision.
Though his nearly 20-year military career would bring him promotion within the U.S. Army Medical Corps, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit, it would be the J Shock Phacofragmenter and its affiliated application that would speak loudest of his invention and skill as it revolutionized cataract surgery worldwide because of its efficiency and low cost. To this day, elements of the invention are still used in modern machines.
In 1979, Shock was recruited by the UAMS College of Medicine in Little Rock to fill the vacant position of Professor and Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department. The college and the state’s ophthalmology community would never be the same.
Under his leadership, the department steadily increased in size from two to 27 full-time faculty and private patient growth increased five-fold. In 1985 he established the Arkansas Lions Eye Bank and Laboratory, which supplies corneas to patients across Arkansas and the following year, the Pat & Willard Walker Eye Research Center was begun.
The growth and reputation of the department and its distinguished leader inspired philanthropic gifts — $60 million during his 30-year tenure — which in turn led to more expansion and development. Under his watch, construction of the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute and the Pat Walker Tower were completed, expanding facilities to over 100,000 SF. Seven $1 million endowed chairs were established and in 2010 the Leland and Betty Tollett Retinal and Ocular Genetics Center was constructed on the eighth floor of the Pat Walker Tower.
UAMS wasn’t the only institution to benefit from his leadership; Shock also helped establish new modern eye clinics at Little Rock’s Arkansas Children’s Hospital and John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital.
In 1994, the John P. Shock, MD Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology was established at UAMS by a $1 million gift from the Harvey & Bernice Jones Charitable Trust. It has now grown to $2.5 million and become a Distinguished Chair.
Now semi-retired, Shock sees his professional life and accomplishments the way most soldiers do — as having simply done his duty.
“What kept me in medicine all those years were the relationships I had with patients, colleagues and donors,” Shock said. “I continue to appreciate the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.”
Highlights
» Attended U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Duke University Medical School
» Served 20 years with U.S. Army Medical Corps and at three different military hospitals
» Invented phacofragmentation and irrigation of cataracts technique and associated device, the J Shock Phacofragmenter.
» As professor and chairman, led the UAMS Ophthalmology Department to rapid and sustained growth. Full-time faculty in the department grew from two to 27; number of patients grew five-fold.
» Has over 100 scientific publications and presentations, patents for several surgical instruments and other devices and helped train more than 150 ophthalmologists.
» His reputation inspired philanthropic gifts to the tune of $60 million during his 30-year tenure.
» Oversaw physical plant expansion, including construction of the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute and the Pat Walker Tower, boosting facilities to over 100,000 SF.
» Seven $1 million endowed chairs were established, and in 2010 the Leland and Betty Tollett Retinal and Ocular Genetics Center was founded.
» In 1994 the John P Shock, MD Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology was established at UAMS by a $1 million gift from the Harvey & Bernice Jones Charitable Trust. It has now grown to $2.5 million and has become a Distinguished Chair.
Selected Awards and Honors:
» Recipient, Army Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit
» National Residency Review Committee for Ophthalmology (1989-1995); Chairman (1993-1995)
» AMS College of Medicine Distinguished Service Award (1999)
» Interim Dean, UAMS College of Medicine (2000-2002)
» Executive Vice Chancellor of the University (2002-2009)
» President of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (2002-2003)
» Arkansas Caduceus Club Distinguished Faculty Award (2003)
» Guest of Honor, American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in San Francisco (2009)
» CARTI Board of Trustees (2007-2009); Chairman of the Board (2011)
» Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, Arnold P. Gold Foundation (2013)
» Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame (2013)