Mark L. Arey, MD
Board-Certified Ophthalmologist
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 on to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to attend Wake Forest University School of Medicine, graduating in 2002. Along with his new wife Shuchi, Dr. Arey moved to Dallas and began his training at the nationally recognized Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/ Parkland Memorial Hospital. Following completion of residency and an additional fellowship year in cornea and external disease, 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 now spends much of his free time volunteering as a coach in several local youth sports organizations. He has coached hundreds of kids over the last decade in programs at the New Tampa YMCA, Chargers Soccer Club, and North Tampa Athletic Association. He holds a National “D” Level Coaching License with the US Soccer Federation and travels the state for competitive soccer matches and tournaments with the Chargers SC.
Along with his wife, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Shuchi Shah, Dr. Arey is raising his three young children with a dual focus of both academic and athletic achievement, similar to how he grew up. Mikaela, Evan, and Daniela each compete in their own right around the state in a variety of competitive activities including soccer, basketball, baseball, karate, youth road races and triathlons, tennis, golf, and chess.
When time allows, Dr. Arey stays in shape himself by running and cycling, competing annually in the Gasparilla Distance Classic half-marathon. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO), and the Tampa Bay Ophthalmological Society (TBOS). He is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He regularly attends the annual meetings of the AAO and FSO and monthly TBOS events to stay current on the latest trends in ophthalmology and eye surgery. He is a member of St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Tampa and serves as a Lector during Sunday Mass. He counts the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring and the One Love Foundation aimed at ending relationship abuse as important causes supported by him and his family
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Medical Education
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC
Medical Doctor -
Internship/Residency
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Dallas, TX
General SurgeryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital
Dallas, TX
Ophthalmology
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Fellowships
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital
Dallas, TX
Cornea, External Disease, and Keratorefractive Surgery -
Professional Activities
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Florida Society of Ophthalmology
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Board Certifications
American Board of Ophthalmology
