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Dr. Laurel Roberts Kelley

written by guest author Dr. Laurel Kelley

I made the decision to pursue optometry when I was a freshman in college. Like many young adults just out of high school, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field due to my interest in the biological sciences and the vague idea that I wanted to help people. In addition to helping people, I wanted to have the freedom in my personal life to make decisions and commitments as I got older and my priorities changed. One of my first courses in the pre-health program in undergrad reviewed a catalog of potential healthcare careers, including many that I had never considered – like optometry! I had been going to the eye doctor since fourth grade but had never thought of optometry as a career option until going through the catalog. It seemed to be the perfect combination of science, helping people, and the freedom to adjust as I got older.

For those who are considering a health profession, especially medicine, realize that becoming a medical doctor is not the only path. I did not learn until college that there are many more opportunities available, including other 4 year professional programs in which you can receive a doctorate.

Once in optometry school, I realized how optometry balances the combination of art and science. You have tests that you perform to achieve a glasses prescription, but then you have to talk to the patient to determine what their lifestyle needs are and you may need to adjust the prescription to best suit their activities of daily living.

What I knew about optometry came from my experiences as a patient and shadowing, I didn’t realize that optometrists did more than just prescribe glasses!

As primary eye care providers, optometrists can diagnose both ocular and systemic conditions, and treat many eye conditions and diseases. They also have the ability to co-manage with ophthalmologists, specialists, primary care physicians, and surgeons.

Growing up I had always entertained the idea of becoming a teacher – I thought it was so fun to help others learn and see them excited about new topics and material. When I entered optometry school I thought there was only one option – private practice. I didn’t realize some of the possible clinical settings in addition to private practice: Veterans Affairs hospitals, university hospitals, commercial settings, and academia. Once I realized I could combine my passion for teaching with this profession that I had fallen in love with, I knew exactly the path I wanted to take.

With those goals in mind, I pursued a residency after completing optometry school so that I could become specialized in anterior segment and dip my toes in precepting students. It came naturally to me and the only place I applied for a job after completing residency was back at the optometry school I had graduated from. Academia also provides all the newest and most up-to-date research and technology, so I knew I would also be on the cutting edge.

I chose to pursue optometric academia because I wanted to make an far-reaching impact on the world. By seeing patients and training the next generation of optometrists, I feel that I am fulfilling the dreams I had set for myself.

Optometry student Mohit Batra shows us Pennsylvania College of Optometry as well as a short Q&A about getting into optometry school.

Guest author Shail Gajjar

I find the act of “fitting in” incredibly exhausting. “Fitting in” implies there are pre-requisites to belonging. Such terminology has pushed me to exhaustingly reevaluate my progress each step of the way and constantly question whether I had finally achieved that dream of “belonging.” You would think being admitted into a doctorate program would be enough to silence my insecurities. The Optometry Admissions Test was over, I was admitted into The University of Houston College of Optometry, and yet I found myself staring at my Anatomy and Physiology Lab Midterm grade wondering whether I could (or would) ever become a good doctor.

My name is Shail Gajjar and this is the third lesson I learned in my first year of optometry school:

Lesson 3: When your sense of self-worth is rooted in comparisons to those around you, you’ll find yourself drowning in constant parasitic competition. To sum it up concisely: learn to learn, and let go of the idea that grades define the trajectory of your doctorate journey.

 Imposter syndrome is no joke. I imagine many students have found themselves wondering whether they belong. Despite having been chosen for the program, students might find themselves “competing” with each other rather than synergistically working together to become the best doctor that they can become.

I’ve grown up a Type-A person. I was someone who was obsessed with scoring as high as possible. This mentality was only further reinforced by the OAT thanks to the percentiles that were conveniently printed alongside each score. Even throughout undergrad, all my professors would provide a “class exam average.” I inadvertently found myself comparing my scores to this average. If they were lower than the class average, I had failed on my part, even if my grade was an A. It didn’t help that I was younger than many of my peers. My younger age reinforced my constant ambition to prove I belonged.

Doesn’t that sound horrible? If you answered yes, you’re spot on. There was no end to the cycles of comparison. Each clicker question, each quiz, each exam, each hangout had at least one instance of comparison. I approached the first half of my OPT I in this very same manner. I evaluated my performance based on where I fell on that wretched bell curve. As you might imagine, this version of me was demolished when I saw my score fell in the bottom quarter percentile on the Anatomy Lab Midterm. It was my lowest test grade, ever.

Look, I’m not perfect. No one is. Everyone has good exams and bad exams, and I understood that. My disappointment wasn’t necessarily because I had received a “bad grade.” It was instead the idea that I was incompetent that disturbed me so much. The idea that I was inferior to my classmates. The idea that I was somehow incapable of providing high-quality patient care in the future.

I wish I could tell you what my “EUREKA” moment was, and teach you some life-altering lesson. Unfortunately, life is not always so black and white. Some lessons settle in slowly. The below is my current understanding on this topic, after many more exams:

Competing with your classmates with the intent of superiority will irreversibly scar your relationship with your colleagues. At the end of the day, perhaps you do score better than your classmates. Perhaps you do achieve that “self-worth.” What will this achievement cost you? What did you gain? A comforted ego? Some condition-based friendships?

There is a winner and a loser in a competition. Meanwhile, there are only winners in a team effort. To conclude, treat your classmates as teammates. Their successes are successes for you too. Your triumphs are triumphs for them too. Why? Because at the end of the day, pushing each other to become better will ultimately benefit the patient. And that is the whole purpose of a health professional.

Autumn, a fourth year optometric student at the Southern College of Optometry, is a friend of ASCO and has submitted several blogs in the past. Her latest vlog shows us a bit from her optometric externship in Alaska.

Autumn can be contacted at akillop@sco.edu

Interested in submitting a video blog or a written blog? We are looking for submissions from optometric students, faculty/administrators. and residents. For more information, contact Kimberly O’Sullivan at kosullivan@opted.org

Meet Dr. Parres Wright, Assistant Professor at Midwestern University – Chicago College of Optometry. This video shows how she navigates educating her students during Covid as well as her passion for her students and for her profession. She is proof that academic optometry is a rewarding and fulfilling career path.

Dr. Wright is on the following social media platforms:
Instagram: @dr.wrightisright
Twitter: @drwrightisright
YouTube:dr.wrightisright
Podcast: Capital W

Guest author Shail Gajjar

Read Shail’s Part 1: Don’t Let Eyes Be The Demise

Northcote Parkinson, 1942
Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Less time studying, and better grades. Though factual, it sounds entirely fictional. Hi all, my name is Shail Gajjar and I’m a second year at The University of Houston College of Optometry. I hope to share some lessons and insights from my first year in the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program.

I recall a time when I used to dumbfoundedly wonder how my classmates juggled their commitments. Whether it be marriage, taking care of a pet, volunteering every weekend, having a kid, playing on a regional ultimate frisbee team, working a part-time job, or commuting from home, the people around me somehow found a way to fit a doctorate program into their schedules. The question I used to wonder was how? As is, I felt there wasn’t enough time to study, so how could someone – with substantially less time – still manage to sufficiently study. What was the secret?

While I cannot speak on their behalf, here’s the answer I came to one semester later:

Lesson 2: Quality ≥ Quantity. Per Parkinson’s Law, your results will improve when you spend less time studying more. Treat each studying session like your last, as if the final is the next day.

 You’ve probably already been told about the importance of time-management. I wish not to expand that dialogue. My emphasis is instead time–usage. To illustrate this, consider the following scenario:

Let’s say you take the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) in 2 months. I want you to imagine how a typical day of studying would go. More specifically, imagine how many hours you would study in a day.

WHAT IF I told you there was an issue with your registration (you can’t reschedule) and you now have 2 weeks. AS IF THIS WASN’T ENOUGH, you cannot study any more per day than you did previously. What would you change? How would your days of studying evolve?

With absolute certainty, my stress would go through the roof. That variable aside, however, I can also say my time-usage would significantly change. I would undergo a paradigm shift. Rather than casually studying the material for the day and taking breaks as I please, I would spend each and every single minute of that studying session with focus and concentration. My breaks would be limited to an “as-needed” basis for the sole purpose of expanding my studying. Such new behaviors would be rooted to a sense of urgency; the realization that each minute matters would push me to spend the limited time that I had with maximal efficiency.

THIS, my friends, is the key that revolutionized how I approached studying my second semester of first year. Sure, scheduling in activities for the sake of my mental health decreased the available amount of time that I had, but enhancing my time-usage allowed me to cover more material in less time.

Now… this might sound really intense… And to be frank, as I re-read the points I make above, it does sound a little forward. Yet, I can say that employing the methods mentioned will allow you to free up more time for yourself. And so, whether you’re group studying or studying by yourself, always ensure you’re studying with a sense of urgency. It can be really easy (and tempting) to sit back, relax, and casually flip through PowerPoint slides. Or maybe have a few conversations with your friends, order some food, and so forth. Unfortunately, such behaviors will only prolong your studying time and ultimately restrict you from doing the things that you actually enjoy.

Study in an environment that keeps you motivated, but don’t make studying longer than it needs to be. All of this brings me to…

A variation of Parkinson’s Law:

FIRST, schedule doing the things that you love. Work will THEN expand to fill the available time remaining for its completion, assuming you’re spending that time correctly.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Lakshya Trivedi (more info at his website themdjourney.com or his YouTube channel TheMDJourney) for teaching me this concept, and to HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj (learn more at pramukhswami.org) who taught me its application.

Easy Anyama, 2nd year optometry student at the University of Houston, College of Optometry continues his journey in optometry school. Episode 2 of Easy on the Eyes is below. Revisit Episode 1.

Are you an optometry student (or know one) who is interested in sharing your story with us? Please message ASCO’s Director of Communications, Kimberly O’Sullivan, at kosullivan@opted.org.

Guest author Shail Gajjar

I get it. It’s your first year of optometry school. You’re nervous. Your anxiety has peaked. Your ambitions are high. You refuse to fail, and you’ll use every ounce of your strength and mental energy to safeguard your success. I was there too, and I admire your dedication to the profession. No one wants to fail, and yet it remains a possibility for each one of us. The simplest of mistakes, the smallest of missteps and you’ll find yourself in a position you would have never imagined otherwise. My name is Shail Gajjar and I am now a second year at The University of Houston College of Optometry. My first year of optometry school was full of ups and downs, and I hope to share some of the lessons I learned with you all.

Lesson 1: Your grades matter, sure, but so does your mental health. Find your passion, and treat it like another class.

 I’m sure you’ve heard one person or another stress the importance of taking care of yourself in graduate school. If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you also shrugged off this piece of advice. It’s easy to let this fly over your head. And to highlight its importance, I would go so far as to say this is one of the most important lessons I learned in optometry school.

I can’t tell you the number of students I saw pulling all nighters, sacrificing sleep, or downing gallons of coffee or energy drinks just to squeeze in as much studying as humanly possible. I found myself in that very same position during our first exam week. The scariest part of all, however, was the difference I saw in myself during the first week of school versus during finals week. During the first week of school, I was vibrant, energized, social, and excited. During finals week, I was a literal zombie – dead, emotionless, lacking motivation, and dragging myself to the end. This observation is true for anyone who forewent self-care in my class.

On this note, I must ask: Why is it that society only cares about the product, but never the process? We always ask what our peers scored on the exam, but never how they were doing in the preparation for that exam. And if we do ask how they studied, it’s with the intent of learning their study habits so we can score an A on the exam next time around. I admit, perfect grades are ideal. But at what cost to attain those perfect scores? If I have to be honest, if getting a 4.0 means sacrificing your mental health, then the grades aren’t worth it. It comes down to one simple question you must ask yourself:

How many times can you burn yourself out before the damage is irreversible?

Earning a Doctor of Optometry takes 4 years. There are two ways to get through this journey:

1. Accelerate as fast as possible and burn the majority of your fuel in the first year. Score high, even if it means emptying your tank.
2. Put yourself in cruise control. Stay consistent, take care of yourself, and expend your fuel equally through the four years of school.

The first semester of optometry school I embraced strategy 1. After just a few months of school, I found myself exhausted both emotionally and physically. Half of my winter break was spent sleeping, watching movies, and trying to somehow scavenge enough energy to get through the next semester.

I knew there was no way I’d be able to get through the program with the habits I had established. I made a few key changes. First, I made my hobbies and passions a priority; I treated them like another class. I scheduled two “classes” that I would attend no matter how many exams I had on the horizon. The first class was Fridays from 4:00 – 8:00 PM. The second class was on Sundays and split into two time intervals: 2:00 – 4:00 PM and 7:00 – 10:00 PM.

Class 1: Following my clinic practicum lab, I made it a point to socialize with my friends. Whether that meant going to a nearby park to play sports, accompanying them to a restaurant, or heading to the recreation center, Fridays were seldom spent studying.

Class 2: Beginning at 2:00 PM, I spent my time at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford, Texas. I attended the Sunday classes they held for adults. The calm, divine aura of the temple served as a weekly reminder that there is more to life than taking one exam after another – I was reminded the end goal of this optometry program was treating patients, not taking exams. From 4:00 – 7:00 PM, I went to a local Starbucks and spent some time studying. From 7:00 PM onwards, I came back to the temple and had dinner there. Ending my week with spirituality allowed me to recalibrate my identity.

No matter how busy you get, never forget your sense of happiness. DO IT! Paint that one drawing, shoot those hoops, make that meal, play those video games. As someone who once spent every living hour of the day studying, I promise you spending some of your time taking care of yourself is the better route to go. I am wholly convinced those Fridays with friends and Sundays at the temple were the reasons I was able to stay sane and thrive in my first year of optometry school. I’m happy to report my grades actually improved despite the fact that, objectively, I was spending less time studying.

Naturally, your next thought might be: I get that you were happier and more motivated your second semester, but how does less studying amount to better grades? The answer to this question lies with the second lesson I learned in optometry school. Until then, I thank you for your time in reading this. I hope I was able to provide useful insights and know you’ll do great things.

DISCLOSURE: Optometry school is not easy – the program is certainly serious and challenging, and for good reason. But despite its difficulties, acing optometry school is a realistic aspiration. While there is no one-size-fits-all guide to getting through the program, I hope my lessons will aid you in your optometric journey.

To my future colleagues,

I wish you the best,

Shail Gajjar
OPT II
The University of Houston College of Optometry

Meet Easy Anyama. Easy is a 2nd year optometry student at the University of Houston, College of Optometry. We first met Easy when he was featured in our April 2020 issue of Eye on Education, and we are excited to learn more about him.

Check out his video below and learn more about his journey to optometry school via two NFL mini camps. The NFL’s loss is optometry’s gain.

We look forward to “Easy on the Eyes” Episode 2 and thank Easy for sharing his story with us.

Are you an optometry student (or know one) who is interested in sharing your story with us? Please message ASCO’s Director of Communications, Kimberly O’Sullivan, at kosullivan@opted.org.

ASCO is happy to introduce Doctors of Optometry, Sola and Brenda Fadeyi. Take a listen to their story.

They describe their journey of finding and getting into optometry school, why they chose optometry as a career, and their trials and tribulations along the way. Both Doctors of Optometry may have had their challenges but they overcame them and now are thriving in their careers and in life. We hope to learn more about both of them in the future.

Thank you Drs. Fadeyi for sharing your journey with us. Take a listen.