Our Beverly Hills: a doctor with Soviet roots about his clients Michael Jackson and Mile Jovovich

At the reception to the Russian-speaking doctor came Jennifer Lopez, Steve Tyler, Maxim Dunaevsky and Maxim Galkin. Ophthalmologist Arthur Benjamin moved from Uzbekistan to the USA, received a medical education here, got into half a million debts, but as a result he opened his clinic and built a successful business. The Forum met with a doctor in Los Angeles to find out its history and ask about known visitors.

Multi-storey office building in the prestigious Beverly Hills area of ​​Los Angeles. In the coolness of the hall, the concierge smiles welcomingly. The Benjamin Eye Institute is located on the seventh floor of the high-rise building. We start the conversation at the “reception” in English, and literally after a couple of phrases the secretary switches to Russian. Almost everyone in the clinic speaks both languages ​​- most of the staff, as well as the patients, are from the post-Soviet space.

The owner of the clinic, Arthur Benjamin, an 47-year-old from Tashkent, appears after a couple of minutes and first of all leads to the laser operating room. This is his pride. The latest equipment and a special climate system that maintains a constant temperature in the room - expensive medical equipment is sensitive to its differences. The two walls of the operating room are made of glass, so from the reception you can see everything that happens in it. Here Arthur Benjamin performs weekly 10-15 operations.

Hollywood stars often come to see him and Russian celebrities come from overseas. The walls are hung with photos of famous visitors of the clinic.

Wall of Honor at the Benjamin Eye Institute. Photo: Julia Bunyak

Among them are Steve Tyler from Aerosmith and singer Jennifer Lopez, actors Mila Jovovich and Zac Efron, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villarigosa, Russian composer Maxim Dunaevsky and comedian Maxim Galkin. Been to Arthur and Michael Jackson.

Arthur Benjamin and his client - Aerosmith leader Steve Tyler. Photo from the personal archive of Arthur Benjamin

To become an ophthalmologist in the States, Arthur Benjamin had to study for 13 years. He dreamed of a medical path since childhood - he was inspired by the example of his father and grandmother. “In the USA there are very high requirements for doctors. It’s important not only to show that you have the necessary knowledge, you need to prove that you as a person are worthy of being in this profession,” says Benjamin.

Natural selection

From Tashkent to New York, Arthur’s family moved to 1982, he was 14 years old. Prior to that, for six years they were denied travel to the United States, and when they nevertheless were released from the USSR as Jewish refugees, they were deprived of their citizenship by putting a “stateless” stamp.

Immigration for their family was not easy, parents had to work hard for a small salary. The family was helped by the Jewish community of New York.

“I immediately felt at home. It’s amazing how America knows how to accept emigrants,”

remembers Arthur.

He studied at the state free school in a disadvantaged area.

“Every time a teacher came into the classroom, I got up. I was the only one who did it. Everyone laughed at me, "

- Now he talks about it with a smile.

Already at school, Arthur felt for himself how social elevators work in the USA: “They paid attention to me and advised me to go to the best school. Surprisingly, simple teachers in a free public school noticed that I was doing something and started pushing me. I finished my studies in specialized advanced classes ”.

Arthur Benjamin. Photo: Julia Bunyak

After that there were four years at the prestigious and expensive Cornell University, which is part of the Ivy League. A year of study here in the late 80s cost about 20 thousand dollars. The family didn't have that kind of money. But again the well-thought-out American education system saved the day: a special committee allowed Arthur to pay only 1,5 thousand dollars a year. The rest of the amount was covered by grants from the university and a loan at low interest. As a rule, the better you study, the more money the university gives you in the form of a non-repayable grant.

Thanks to such a system, Arthur graduated from university with a debt of only 5 thousand dollars.

“At every stage of my life, I have encountered manifestations of American meritocracy, in which everyone is given according to their abilities. If you are worthy, the system will do everything for you to support and promote you,”

states Arthur.

Over the next year, the future physician was engaged in scientific work during the day, and at night - taxiing in order to earn at least something for a living.

Then there were four years of study at the Duke Medical Institute in North Carolina, in which the competition was 70 people for the place, and another four years of residency, where there was a medical specialization, at the University of California at Los Angeles. At this time, he earned 28 thousand a year, which was barely enough for life.

Way to success

In 1998, Arthur graduated and bought a private practice from an elderly doctor. At that time, Benjamin had about half a million of debt: 200 thousand dollars for studying at the medical institute, the rest - for the acquired practice, purchased equipment and a loan for the maintenance of the office. He gave the debt for the next 10 years.

"Imagine. I just finished my studies, I sit all in debt. I am 32 of the year, and I have no money for the movie. Everything had to start from scratch at a time when peers were already working, earning, had their own homes ",

- says Arthur.

He undertook to develop medical practice. The doctor who conducted it earlier transmitted all his patients to Arthur. In addition, there was just another Russian-speaking ophthalmologist at the end of 1990 in Los Angeles. Representatives of the diaspora began to go to the Benjamin clinic. The practice has grown substantially.

One of the photographs that hangs on the wall at the Benjamin Eye Institute is of Arthur Benjamin and Milla Jovovich. Photo: Yulia Bunyak

Arthur had a chance to learn the basics of business himself. “A good doctor is not considered a very good businessman,” he admits. — In medical practice there is no such cold calculation as in ordinary business. I have a successful practice, but I often make decisions not as a businessman, but as a doctor. For example, if I saw new diagnostic equipment at a conference, I believe that my patients need it, even if it is not particularly profitable for me economically.”

Over 17 years of practice, Benjamin’s business has turned into a successful business, and the staff has increased from one employee to one and a half dozen. He himself teaches as an assistant professor at the University of California at Los Angeles and at his Eye Institute shares his experience with doctors from other states and countries. In particular, he was one of the first in Los Angeles to completely switch to electronic circulation. Another feature of the clinic is the so-called secret service. This is a radio communication system that allows all employees to quickly receive information about the patient. For example, someone is just heading to the doctor’s office, and the doctor already comes out and addresses him by his first name and patronymic.

The team "Benjamin Eye Institute". Photo: Julia Bunyak

Through the thorns to the stars

World-famous celebrities regularly visit the clinic located in the heart of Los Angeles. Arthur tells almost nothing about the details of their visits - a medical secret. In his clinic, all the stars are recorded in the file under the names of others, so that information does not leak into the media.

One of the clients is Russian comedian Maxim Galkin. Photo: Yulia Bunyak

“Of course, you need to spend more time with the stars. But we more often have some nuances arise with Russian “celebrities” than with Hollywood ones. They come and demand, for example, that an assistant not work with them, they need the doctor to measure their blood pressure and select glasses. I had one of the wives of the King of Saudi Arabia - an educated woman who spoke six languages. Yes, she came with security, but when my assistant came to see her, no one said anything to her or kicked her out, and she represents the world elite,” Arthur shares the details.

He was among his regular clients and Michael Jackson. Despite the train of scandals that dragged after the king of pop music, Arthur speaks of him exceptionally well:

“Pleasant man. Always treated with respect, no flaring. ”

Remembers: when Michael Jackson came to the previous office, his guard asked that at that time there was no one there. Benjamin then finished the reception or asked the patients to go to the waiting room. Jackson, with his accompanying people, went through the service entrance.

“This entourage was needed not because he was so great and famous. The stars here are very plentiful, constantly being photographed. And who wants to be photographed at the clinic? ”

Benjamin explains.

From Russia - with dislike

In the middle of 2000's, Arthur Benjamin, along with investors, wanted to open a network of eye centers in Russia. We were ready to invest in the project 4-5 millions of dollars. Arthur recalls with horror about the period when it was necessary to constantly fly to Moscow for negotiations and paperwork: all processes were slowed down, another seal was needed for each print, “assistants” constantly appeared, offering to speed things up for money, regularly with checks came from the fire department and sanitary epidemiological station.

“We spent a lot of money - about 350 thousand dollars and achieved nothing. The money, in fact, went towards bribes. I have never seen anything like what I saw in Moscow anywhere,” says Arthur. The project was canceled as soon as the 2008 financial crisis began. After this, Arthur had no desire to open anything in Russia.

Arthur Benjamin. Photo by Julia Bunyak

“At every stage of life there were such moments when I was ashamed that I was Russian in a broad sense. In 1983, the Soviet fighter knocked down a South Korean airliner flying from New York to Seoul. There were a lot of Koreans in the area where I lived at the time. And I remember how ashamed I was then that I was from the USSR. And now, sometimes, I feel awkward, because in the States, all of us, Uzbeks, Jews, Armenians, are mistaken for Russians, because we are from there,” admits Benjamin.

Arthur is married to a former resident of Kiev. Their whole family speaks Russian and loves Russian literature and cinema. But no more than that. Arthur proudly says:

"I have long been an American."