John Lars Elfervig, MD, received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. He completed his internship and residency in ophthalmology at Confederate Memorial Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, which later became LSU’s School of Medicine in Shreveport. In addition to completing a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the Vitreoretinal Foundation [now the VRF Eye Specialty Group] in Memphis, Tennessee, he completed post-graduate studies in both external and corneal disease as well as some oculoplastics training. Dr. Elfervig has been associated with the VRF Eye Specialty Group since 1976. During this time, he was also associated with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, working with Dr. Charles Pratt on children with retinoblastoma. Dr. Elfervig travels to outreach clinics in several states, providing vitreoretinal services to many small communities where it is not otherwise available.

Dr. Elfervig was appointed Clinical Associate Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences by Dr. Roger Hiatt in 1991. He has been a Fellow of The American Academy of Ophthalmology since 1978. His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Memphis-Shelby County Medical Society, the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology, the Tennessee Medical Association, the Southern Medical Association and the Memphis Eye Society.

Dr. Elfervig’s special interests are diabetic retinopathy, vascular-occlusive, optic nerve diseases and unexplained vision loss.