Mark L. Arey, MD

A Central Florida native born and raised in Winter Haven, Dr. Arey, or “Weeb” as his close friends and family call him, grew up as a student-athlete with two primary goals: attending the University of Virginia and pitching for the Cavaliers baseball team. While he did realize the achievement of both of these, a shoulder injury in his first semester derailed any further baseball plans, thus shifting his focus towards completing the necessary requirements to gain acceptance into medical school. After graduating from UVa in 1998, Dr. Arey moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to attend Wake Forest University School of Medicine, graduating in 2002. Along with his new wife Shuchi, Dr. Arey then moved to Dallas and began his training at the nationally recognized Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/ Parkland Memorial Hospital. Following completion of residency and an additional fellowship year in Cornea, External Disease & Keratorefractive Surgery, Dr. Arey returned to his home state in 2008 and has been taking care of patients in North Tampa ever since. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Dr. Arey spent much of his free time in past years as a volunteer coach with a number of local youth sports organizations and holds a National “D” Level Coaching License with the US Soccer Federation. These days with the kids growing older, Dr. Arey is likely to be found cheering on with his wife, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Shuchi Shah, while they watch the action on the soccer fields and tennis courts.