John Dehnel is excited to join West Metro Ophthalmology as a comprehensive ophthalmologist. With his extensive medical and surgical training in handling both rare and common eye conditions honed during residency, he is dedicated to help care for his patients’ vision each day. He aims to deliver excellent, cutting-edge care to each patient while striving to treat everyone with respect, dignity, and kindness always.

Dr. Dehnel grew up in Edina. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wheaton College in Illinois, a Master of Health Informatics from the University of Minnesota, and his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. While in medical school, he received multiple academic awards and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He also received the Ethel Brickey Hicks Merit Scholarship, an award given by class vote to the one senior student the class feels best represents “their profession to the public.” He completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, serving as chief resident from 2023-2024.

Now back in Minnesota and residing in Minnetonka, Dr. Dehnel enjoys cooking barbecue with his Traeger smoker (something he learned while living in Mississippi), biking, and photography. He also has a love for medical missions and volunteer work, having traveled to Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and having participated in free ophthalmology clinics in Little Rock. He looks forward to continuing these types of opportunities as a practicing ophthalmologist.