Dr. Seth A. Koch, VMD, Diplomate ACVO
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Seth Koch graduated from Erasmus Hall High School, the oldest public high school in the United States. After high school, he attended the State University of New York in Binghamton where he was awarded a B.A. Degree. Following his undergraduate studies, he was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1965.
After practicing veterinary medicine for a few years in Kingston, MA, Dr. Koch returned to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital as an intern and then as a recipient of the Seeing Eye Fellowship in the Department of Small Animal Medicine. It was during this time that his interest in ophthalmology began.
Dr. Koch received a grant for a post doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and completed a residency at the human and veterinary hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania. His mentor at the veterinary hospital was Dr. Lionel Rubin and at the human hospital, Dr. Harold Scheie. As a result of his hard work, Dr. Koch was awarded a Master's Degree in Comparative Ophthalmology from the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1970, the American Veterinary Medical Association recognized the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology as a specialty college. As an integral part of the ACVO development, Dr. Koch distinguished himself as one of the college’s 24 charter members. In 1975, he was elected president and has since served on many ACVO committees.
In 1970, Doctor Koch established one of the first specialty practices in the United States. He opened The Animal Eye Clinic in Alexandria, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC. The office has moved several times since its inception and is currently located in Silver Spring, Maryland. A leader in veterinary specialty practices, Dr. Koch was also instrumental in organizing other specialty and emergency hospitals in the Washington area.
Over the years, Dr. Koch has helped train numerous veterinary ophthalmologists and has been responsible for teaching veterinary students the basic techniques of ophthalmology. He currently teaches clinical ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania two days a week and has written more than 50 professional articles and chapters that appear in veterinary texts. He has lectured throughout the United States and foreign countries and has received the prestigious Research Practitioner Award from the AVMA in 1976. Dr. Koch has also appeared in several instructional films and videos.
Robert Edward Matus, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM
Veterinary oncologist at Shaker Veterinary Hospital since 1991, Dr. Robert Matus attended Indiana University and received his B.S. Degree in Biology in 1971. Following his undergraduate studies, he completed a 2 year Master’s Degree program in Physical Education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. He remained at Purdue for his veterinary studies and was awarded his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1977.
The recipient of numerous academic awards during veterinary school, Dr. Matus continued a track toward specialization in veterinary internal medicine. He held several positions at the prestigious Animal Medical Center in NYC, from staff veterinarian to head of the cancer division. In 1982, after completing a rigorous academic specialty program, Dr. Matus was awarded Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Medicine - Internal Medicine. Several years later, after completing additional studies, he was inducted as a Charter Diplomate into the American College of Veterinary Medicine - Oncology.
Dr. Matus is married to Mary, a veterinarian who specializes in feline medicine, and they have 2 children, Jessie and Laura. During his leisure time, Dr. Matus enjoys fly fishing and horseback riding with his family. The family’s pets are numerous and they include 4 dogs, 3 cats, 2 rabbits and 6 horses.