Meet our Doctors
Michael J. Elman, M.D.
Michael J. Elman, M.D. has practiced ophthalmology for over 30 years, specializing in diseases of the retina and vitreous. Dr. Elman is president and founder of the Elman Retina Group, an empathetic private practice devoted exclusively to the medical and surgical treatment of the retina and vitreous with three state-of-the-art offices conveniently located throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Author of more than 250 publications on retinal diseases and surgery, Dr. Elman is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Elman was the founding director of the National Institutes of Health supported Ophthalmology Clinical Research Unit at the University of Maryland and in 1990, he was awarded the prestigious Young Scholar Award for the entire University of Maryland system. In 2014, he was presented with the Best Teacher Award for the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
One of only 371 ophthalmologists worldwide elected to the elite American Ophthalmological Society, Dr. Elman is recognized internationally as a leader in clinical research and as an authority in the treatment of retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He served as the national Study Chairman of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCRnet) Protocol I, a nationwide collaborative clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute that revolutionized the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Dr. Elman, a member of the DRCRnet’s Executive Committee, served as its chairman twice.
Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Elman is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Sinai Hospital of Detroit and his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Eye Center in Chicago. He received fellowship training in retinal vascular diseases and clinical research at the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and fellowship training in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous at Barnes Hospital/Retina Consultants, Ltd. of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Dr. Elman and his wife are actively involved in many community and philanthropic organizations. They are the devoted parents of four children, and doting grandparents of eleven grandchildren.
Sidney, “Sid,” A. Schechet, M.D.
Sidney “Sid” A. Schechet, M.D., joins the Elman Retina Group specializing in surgical and medical care of retinal and vitreous diseases. Dr. Schechet’s expertise covers many common and rare retinal conditions, such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and edema, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, and retinal detachments.
Dr. Schechet graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yeshiva University. He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, one of the top 20 medical schools in the country. While at Baylor, Dr. Schechet served as the president of the ophthalmology club. Following an internship year at Medstar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Schechet completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Maryland, where he served as the chief resident during his senior year of training. During his ophthalmology trainings, he received the “Outstanding Resident” award at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and was awarded the “Gold VA Pin Award” by the director of the Maryland Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system. Dr. Schechet next completed a rigorous and prestigious two-year retina fellowship at The University of Chicago, where he performed cutting-edge research on clinical and surgical retinal treatments.
Dr. Schechet is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He has authored multiple research articles in leading ophthalmology journals, such as “RETINA,” as well as retinal book chapters including the renowned Ryan’s Retina textbook. Dr. Schechet has presented his research findings and has won multiple awards for videos of his innovative surgical procedures at premier, international conferences including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Conference; The Macula Society; The American Society of Retina Specialists; and the Vit-Buckle Society. He is an active member of, The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists and American Retinal Forum. Dr. Schechet considers it a privilege and his professional responsibility to contribute to these organizations by diligent participation, research, and academic writing.
Dr. Schechet is a devoted husband and father who enjoys playing sports and hiking with his family.
Outcomes of vitrectomy for diabetic tractional retinal detachment
Contralateral amaurosis after a retrobulbar block
Multimodal Imaging of Dissociated Optic Nerve Fiber Layer after Internal Limiting Membrane Peel
David Dao, M.D.
David Dao, M.D. joins the Elman Retina Group as a dual-fellowship trained specialist in vitreoretinal surgery and uveitis. Dr. Dao has a passion for providing patients with the best possible care and is committed to developing new and innovative treatments for eye diseases including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, and uveitis.
Dr. Dao grew up in Maryland and attended McDonogh School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from John Hopkins University in Baltimore followed by his medical degree at Tulane University in New Orleans. After completing an internal medicine internship at the University Medical Center in New Orleans, he completed Ophthalmology residency at University of Maryland Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Baltimore. After residency, Dr. Dao pursued further advanced fellowship training in uveitis and ocular immunology at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Maryland followed by a two-year surgical retina fellowship at the University of Chicago. Dr. Dao is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Dao’s research has focused on how diet and the microbiome affects vision and has published research articles on the topic with presentations at major conferences including Association for Research in Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) and Retina Society. He has been a co-investigator in multiple clinical trials investigating connections between uveitis, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and the microbiome.
Outside of work, Dr. Dao enjoys travel, tennis, and cooking with his family. He took classes on healthy cooking during medical school and he enjoys applying his interest in cooking to his clinical practice, helping people learn about the importance of a healthy diet. Dr. Dao is enthusiastic and committed to helping patients achieve the best possible outcomes.
