I used to refer to this guy many years ago

Steve Silberberg

ODwire.org Supporting Member
Jan 2, 2012
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School/Org
SUNY Stonybrook/SUNY/MIT
City
Matawan
State
NJ
https://nypost.com/2023/03/04/nj-eye-doctor-mark-leitmans-office-is-a-must-see/
This eye doctor’s office is a must-see!

You may need your peepers checked after stepping into the wacky waiting room of New Jersey ophthalmologist Mark Leitman.

The hippy-dippy doctor’s East Brunswick work digs resemble a funhouse/Mardi Gras mashup, resplendent with clowns, collectibles, crystals, mannequins and other items that catch his eye.

He doesn’t worry if outsiders find his over-the-top optics an eyesore.

“If you’re not living on the edge you’re taking up too much space,” the happy-go-lucky 76-year-old quipped to The Post.





00:0200:59
The self-described collector, originally from Laurelton, Queens, is the creative curator of jam-packed space.

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Mark Leitman
Leitman has filled every inch of the space.Stefano Giovannini
Mark Leitman
Dr. Leitman with one of the dolls decorating his waiting room.Stefano Giovannini
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A decoration in leitman's waiting room
Leitman’s waiting room is almost too much for the eyes.Stefano Giovannini
message reads the sun will rise again
Little messages are tucked in amongst the decor.Stefano Giovannini
Mark Leitman
Leitman said patient’s who complain don’t bother him.Stefano Giovannini
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“It’s everything I’ve loved over 50 years!” Leitman exclaimed, like Willy Wonka on a sugar high. “I am never unhappy!”

For decades, Leitman has added a trinket here, or a mineral there from his travels to stores, shops, and adventures abroad.

It all started with a crystal rock from Colombia that Leitman admired and brought to work. He was hooked.

His colorful officeThe self-described collector — who hails from Laurelton, Queens — is the creative curator of the wall-to-wall, kaleidoscope-like space.Stefano Giovannini
“As a child I did coin collecting. But the color of the rocks really amazed me. And I have every colorful rock. Then, I moved onto shells and then I moved onto colorful feathers. I went to all the zoos. I donated to zoos and they let me go in the cage and get the feathers. If I see a bird store, I’ll ask, ‘Can I have that feather?’ ” he explained.

The doc also digs sulfur crystals he obtained from the top of a volcano on the island of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean Sea. “It’s always something different,” he noted.

His office floor, ceiling and walls are etched with meaty maxims like, “Happiness is treasure hunting” and “Unapologetically Bohemian.”

His NJ officeLeitman has been decorating his office with quirky items for nearly 50 years.Stefano Giovannini
“You know who gets it? Collectors,” Leitman explained. “This is not a free ride. It takes a lot of effort!”

The zany office belies Leitman’s bonafides: He completed ophthalmic training at Albert Einstein Medical School, where he was chief resident, and authored a book on eye examination and diagnosis while in med school that is now in its 10th edition and translated into nine languages.

The reception office.Leitman’s reception room is like no other office in town.Stefano Giovannini
His employees see eye-to-eye with their boss.

“Dr. Leitman calls it a jewelry box of everything. It’s just a fun house, a fun place. I love it. The kids [patients] love it,” gushed loyal receptionist Terry Hadzimichalis, who has been working with the good doctor for over 25 years.

Dr. Leitman at work.The zany office belies Leitman’s bonafides.Stefano Giovannini
“He’s one of a kind. When I first came here, it was like, wow,” said Joann Anderson, the eye doctor’s tech and billing person. “He has a great imagination. He likes colorful things.”

First-time patients have been known to walk in the front door and reverse field when they encounter the sensory assault. “They walk out, then call us and ask, ‘Where are you?’ [located],” Anderson laughed.

The office bathroomEven the office bathroom is flush with bright-colored items.Stefano GiovanniniLeitman's office wall features postcards from visits to Coney Island.The Queens native has a soft spot for Coney Island.Stefano Giovannini
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Dr. Leitman
 
That is INCREDIBLE and AMAZING!
But my second thought is, how can they keep the office clean with all that stuff packing every square millimeter?
He was a nut. Didn’t believe in LASIK. He actually before we had TPAs would call in RXs for antibiotics and the old drug Opticrom for Gpc for me. Out there really really far however
 
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That is one way to ensure you never have patients with reduced figure-ground and other vision processing issues in your chair!
 
My desk looks like a start up of this.
 
It looks like a hoarder house or a flea market.
 
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