Dr. Gentile was born in Midwood Brooklyn and grew up in Jamaica, Queens, graduating from Saint Francis Preparatory School. He was a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the School of Medicine at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, graduating number one in his class. He completed his internship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and his ophthalmology residency at the NYEEI. He performed his Retina Fellowship at the prestigious Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Michigan. Following fellowship, he was recruited back to NYC were he quickly rose through the ranks from assistant professor to full professor within 12 years, becoming one of the most productive faculty members and sought after teachers of retinal surgery.

Dr. Gentile has been consistently listed as one of Best Doctors in New York (Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.) and New York Super Doctors®, recommended by his peers. He has received dozens of awards and honors including the Richard T. Troutman, MD, Award in Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Achievement Award, the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) Honor Award, and the Man of Distinction Award from the Society of Pozzallo, just to name a few. He has been and continues to be a principle investigator for many trials, devoted to scientific research. Some of these trials have resulted in the newest therapies used today that save the vision of thousands of patients worldwide. He has over a hundred publications, with many published in peer-review journals describing pathophysiological concepts, novel surgical techniques, and diagnostic tests for ocular diseases, helping him remain on the cutting edge while advancing his field. Dr. Gentile has consistently appeared in the media and press, on radio shows, and television. These include the New Yorker Magazine, New York Times, Daily News, Italian Tribune, Cooper and Anthony show, PIX 11 news, and the daytime Emmy Award winning talk show, the Doctors.

Dr. Gentile serves as a reviewer for many scientific ophthalmic journals and is a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retina Specialists, Macula Society, and the New York Ophthalmological Society. He is past president of the New York Academy of Medicine, Ophthalmology Section and continues to be active within organized medicine. He has been a mentor to hundreds of young doctors, premed students, ophthalmologists, and optometrists, who he has helped train on both the art and science of medicine, surgery and eye care. He has been involved in leading humanitarian missions to Africa, Asia, and Latin America and is founding member of Operation Restore Sight, a humanitarian organization that leads international eye care missions to restore vision to the poor and train local eye care physicians in underserved communities throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.