Dr. Michael De Rubeis was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Milford, Michigan—a suburb of Detroit. He is a second generation eye care professional since his father was also an eye doctor. He grew up in this profession—in fact, he began working as a laboratory technician, manufacturing and repairing eyeglasses when he started high school. Dr. De Rubeis attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for his undergraduate studies and then received his doctorate in 1983 after 4 years of medical training at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, Illinois. The Illinois College of Optometry is the oldest optometry school in the United States. He was awarded the Irvin M. Borish Award for his "Outstanding Clinical Research in the Field of Clinical Optometric Science" on the effects of rigid gas permeable lenses on the human cornea. His thesis paper was published in the prestigious American Journal of Contact Lenses which detailed very early work on Boston gas permeable lenses. Dr. De Rubeis holds a certification in the Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease from the Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, California. He is licensed in Arizona, California, Illinois, and Michigan to diagnose and treat all eye diseases and conditions, including prescibing eyeglasses and fitting contact lenses. In his practice here in Phoenix, he has a large number of glaucoma and diabetic patients whom he has successfully treated over the years. Glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration are three of his major interests in regards to managing and treating ocular disease. He has been listed in "America's Top Optometrists" for multiple years. Dr. De Rubeis also has years of experience fitting some of the "hardest-to-fit" patients with contact lenses. His expertise in contact lens fitting extends to: keratoconus, post-operative corneal transplants, corneal dystrophies, and corneal scarring from both trauma and severe corneal infections. He has successfully fit patients of all ages including young children and even infants with both soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses. As the oldest of eight children, Dr. De Rubeis has been around youngsters his whole life. He enjoys the challenges of examining even some of the most difficult children and infants in his practice. He believes in performing early eye examinations on children—by their first birthday—in order to ensure that they develop the ability to see and perform optimally. On a personal level, Dr. De Rubeis is a passionate sailor since he was 12 years old. He is certified by the American Sailing Association to skipper large keel boat sailing vessels. He also enjoys playing tennis, table tennis, photography, theoretical (especially quantum) physics, astronomy, computer programming, and his newest passion--making videos and special effects editing. He and his wife Phyllis are proud parents of three children: Mario, Joseph, and Jenna.
Dr. Michael De Rubeis
