The buzzword throughout health care and especially throughout optometry is interprofessional communication and care.
While sounding simple on paper, interprofessional education (IPE) presents a series of challenges, but that does not mean that we should not endeavor to reach this destination, especially as the health care model continues to shift in this general direction.
Read moreI’m often asked by students for advice as they begin their career. My answer is simple and consistent—never lose sight of why you chose to be an Optometrist.
I remember, early on in my career, I was taking care of a patient who had just returned from the war in Iraq. He was only 20 years old and had recently lost all his limbs following an IED explosion. Despite needing visual correction, with the physical limitations he was experiencing, he craved the freedom of not needing to continually ensure spectacles remained on. My desire was to give this young soldier, who gave us all so much through his sacrifice, the gift of sight.
Read moreEach year, a third or fourth year student at each college of optometry has the opportunity to serve as a CooperVision student ambassador. The program is designed to give a student with an interest in the contact lens industry an opportunity to partner with CooperVision and to facilitate sponsorship and other opportunities at their school. The Student Ambassador acts as a liaison between the optometry school and CooperVision and receives a $500 educational grant for their time and effort.
Company Description: CooperVision’s dedication to prescription contact lens design, materials and manufacturing excellence enhances the wearing experience of contact lens patients the world over. CooperVision concentrates on all day wearing comfort in the widest variety of lens designs, materials and wearing options.
Read moreDetermining the effectiveness of treatment in a patient with suspected retinal pathology can be challenging. While visual acuity can serve as a benchmark, vision gains do not necessarily correlate with improvement in structure or global function. Despite the array of diagnostic modalities available to the eye care expert, very few of them deliver actionable information that is helpful in deciding if treatment is working, when to change course, or perhaps even when to cease treatment because risks outweigh the potential benefits.
Read moreThe vision care field is continually evolving, with new technology and techniques being pioneered at a fantastic pace. Continuing education is required of optometrists to keep up with these innovations; why shouldn’t we as industry partners engage in ongoing training in order to serve our ODs better?
Volk has a comprehensive in-house training program for employees. With slit lamps, BIOs, lenses and model eyes, we can get a really great understanding of basic eye anatomy. However, static model eyes, 2D textbooks and videos just can’t effectively simulate the tremendous variety of real patients our ODs see in their practices. In an effort to see what our customers actually see, we were fortunate to partner with Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University.
Read moreAlong with the excitement of going into business for yourself, there’s often a bit of apprehension. Sound guidance and tips from someone who’s already successfully traveled the journey of business start-up and ownership can be an invaluable resource. In this brief article, I share my own experience to answer some of the most common questions asked by doctors just starting out in practice. I hope you find this information helpful and I wish you the best in your new endeavor!
Read moreInterest in a health professions career such as optometry can spring from a variety of motivations, but a desire to help people is a common inspiration. Sight is such a precious human sense, the care optometrists provide is of immense value to the patients they serve. As shown in the international Barometer of Global Eye […]
Read moreInterest in a health professions career such as optometry can spring from a variety of motivations, but a desire to help people is a common inspiration. Sight is such a precious human sense, the care optometrists provide is of immense value to the patients they serve. As shown in the international Barometer of Global Eye […]
Read moreOpening a practice cold or buying a practice is a very challenging, yet rewarding adventure. There are many ways to go about this business opportunity, however you must have two key elements to succeed: a good mentor and an excellent support system. With these two things, along with the proper research and drive, you WILL succeed.
Read moreJust little over a year ago I realized becoming a part of the U.S. Navy could be my reality. This reality was never fathomed or appreciated before I learned of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
Even when I first learned of this scholarship, it seemed too good to be true, and so I discounted the application process as I simply did not see myself in the military. Well, I was obviously wrong and thank goodness.
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