Our Doctor
Abraham Suhr, MD MBA MHA
**SLO Native | Retired Army Colonel | Fellowship-Trained Ophthalmologist**
Abe's journey began on the playground of Bishop’s Peak Elementary, where, as a fifth grader, he envisioned himself performing eye surgeries. After sharing his dream with a left-handed friend, they jokingly decided the friend focus on the left eye and Abe specialize on the right eye.
**Background**
Abe is the son of Paul and Moon Ja Minn Suhr (retired Cal Poly Professor) and the brother of Grace, the Lead Nurse for SLCUSD. At SLO High, he was a multifaceted student-athlete: captain of the varsity football team, member of the 1990 CIF championship baseball team, and an active participant in band, choir, and youth group. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Cal Poly, SLO. He took a two-year break to work as a phlebotomist and study the Bible at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
**Medical Education and Service**
Dr. Suhr completed his medical education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, where he received numerous accolades, including the Ira R. Telford Award for Most Outstanding Student in Histology. During medical school, he volunteered in a rural hospital in Zimbabwe, gaining hands-on experience in abdominal, orthopedic, obstetric, and gynecologic surgeries.
He then undertook a Transitional Internship at Brooke Army Medical Center (now known as SAMMC), earning the Major Gillespie Award for Most Outstanding Transitional Year Resident. Following this, he completed Army Flight Surgeon Training and served as the Blackhawk Flight Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade Aviation Regiment in South Korea.
Returning to San Antonio, he began his Ophthalmology residency, where he learned to be an eye doctor, won research awards, and took first place in the Bloomberg Resident Cataract Video Competition. As the first glaucoma fellow at the University of California, Davis, he earned the Best Fellow Research Award and published a case series. During this time, Dr. Suhr trained for and qualified for the Boston Marathon, completing it in 2008.
**Leadership in Ophthalmology**
Post-fellowship, Dr. Suhr chaired the glaucoma service at SAMMC, receiving the Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award multiple times. His contributions included publishing research, training over 160 resident eye doctors, and being recognized as the busiest surgeon in the surgical department. He also served as the sole ophthalmologist during a deployment, providing humanitarian care through cataract surgeries in austere conditions.
After 15 years in academic, clinical, and research medicine, the U.S. Army granted him a sabbatical to pursue dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Health Administration from Baylor University. He was honored with the Peter T. Shaul Award for his contributions to his classmates’ welfare.
**Final Military Posting and Return to SLO**
Following graduate school, he chaired the ophthalmology department at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, the only inpatient military hospital in Europe. He was later appointed by the hospital commander as the Deputy Commander for Surgical Services, leading the Surgery Division, Anesthesia Department, and Operating Room Department through Joint Commission accreditation and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Dr. Suhr retired with honors from the Army as a full-bird Colonel. He returned to his hometown of SLO with his wife, Eunice, and their three children, joining SLO Eye Associates. In 2026, he opened Peak Vision, dedicated to providing the highest quality cataract and vision surgery.
**Commitment to Patient Care**
Dr. Suhr leverages his extensive experience across the five pillars of medicine: academic, research, trauma, clinical, and executive medicine. As an eye doctor, he specializes in premium cataract surgery, refractive lens exchanges, and surgical glaucoma care; having attained the highest academic training in glaucoma.
He is committed to delivering honest, quality eye care while prioritizing patient outcomes and experiences, ensuring each patient receives the best possible attention.
