Dr. Radha Kohly has spent her career at the top of her field — and spent just as much time questioning what that actually means. In this conversation, we get into medicine, ambition, the gap between achievement and fulfillment, and what women sacrifice to get to the top. She's honest about the climb, the cost, and what comes after you've made it

Dr. Radha Kohly: Ambition, Fulfillment & Building a Life With Purpose

Dr. Radha Kohly is a physician, a fellowship-trained retina specialist, and a dedicated clinician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre — one of Canada's leading academic hospitals. With advanced training in medical retina and a background spanning acute care, surgery, orthopedics, and neurology, Radha brings a rare and comprehensive understanding of how the body — and the eye — actually works. What began as a passion for helping patients see clearly evolved into a career dedicated to diagnosing and treating diseases of the vitreous and retina, specializing in inherited retinal diseases and caring for some of the most vulnerable patients, including premature infants at risk of vision loss.

Through her work at Sunnybrook, Radha is building more than a clinical practice — she is building a bridge between cutting-edge medicine and patient education. By taking the time to truly explain what is happening to her patients' eyes, what threats loom in the digital age, and what they can do to protect their vision, Radha transforms the way people understand their own eye health. She believes that informed patients are empowered patients, and that the conversation around vision care needs to happen long before someone sits in her office with a problem. The result is a clinician who sees eye health not as a isolated specialty, but as an essential part of overall wellness and quality of life.

Beyond her work as a physician, Radha is deeply passionate about advancing women in medicine — not just as clinicians, but as leaders and educators. As a podcast guest, she brings the kind of clinical expertise, warmth, and refreshingly direct perspective that only comes from years of caring for patients with real vision challenges. She shares the honest conversation about eye health, the risks we're not paying attention to, and the mindset it takes to build a career in medicine while navigating the unique challenges women face in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her goal is simple: help people understand what they're doing to their eyes before it's too late.

RADHA KOHLY