When she was in the fourth grade, Mary Beth Yackey, OD, was determined to “invent an eye for somebody to see.” This dream was sparked by a personal family experience involving her cousin, who, at just 2 years old, had a white pupil. Concerned that he might have retinoblastoma, surgeons eventually removed his eye. It turned out to be a retinal detachment, not retinoblastoma.
The event became a pivotal moment for Dr. Yackey, one that would guide her career in ways she couldn’t have imagined then. “The question in my heart in fourth grade was whether that eye needed to come out. Of course, I didn’t know anything about cancer in the eye or the anatomy of the eye. I just thought I was going to take a ping pong ball and make an eye.”
RETINA INTRIGUE
Dr. Yackey’s commitment to eye care was so strong that she chose a career in optometry rather than attend medical school and potentially face challenges getting into ophthalmology. “Optometry guaranteed I could focus on eyes,” she says. After graduating from the New England College of Optometry, she and her husband moved to Cincinnati, where she explored various roles, including working in a primary care office and a LASIK clinic. However, her exposure to retina care truly captivated her.
“I was honestly really scared of the retina but excited about it,” she says. A retina physician recognized her potential, telling her, “You see things that other doctors can’t see.” This encouragement led her to work in his clinic, Cincinnati Eye Institute, where she began to thrive in a field that many optometrists find intimidating. Indeed, there are only a handful of optometrists in the country who hold similar positions in retina practices: Mohammad Rafieetary, OD, FAAO, and Jessica Haynes, OD, at Charles Retina Institute in Germantown, Tennessee; Jay M. Haynie, OD, FAAO, of Sound Retina in Washington state; and Betty Zhang, OD, at Colorado Retina. “We do not yet have a retina fellowship for optometry, but that is something I would love to create,” she says.
TREMENDOUS NEED
The need is clearly there. In her current role, Dr. Yackey serves as a vital liaison between patients and the clinic’s retina specialists. She triages patients with retinal issues, ensuring they receive timely treatment. “A lot of my clinic work involves figuring out who needs treatment and then sending them to the retina physician ready for the procedure,” she describes. Her presence in the clinic has proven invaluable, especially with the increasing demand for retina care due to advancements in treatment options.
Until a retina fellowship for optometrists becomes available, “We really need to advocate and work hand in hand with the retina physicians to provide the best care for patients,” she says. Optometrists can establish relationships with retina specialists by reaching out for mentorship and guidance. She encourages aspiring optometrists to “contact one of us five that are out there,” suggesting that many retina-focused optometrists are open to sharing their experiences and providing support to those interested in the field.
To facilitate collaboration with retina specialists, having the right technology is essential. Dr. Yackey notes that imaging equipment such as OCT, color fundus photography, and wide-field imaging are crucial for effective retina care. Fluorescein angiography, where it fits within optometrists’ scope of practice, is also helpful. By investing in these technologies, optometrists can enhance their diagnostic capabilities and provide valuable information to retina specialists. Additionally, Dr. Yackey suggests identifying a supportive retina specialist and spending a day in that clinic to gain insight into the specialty. This hands-on experience, along with the right technology, can help build rapport and understanding between optometrists and retina specialists, fostering a collaborative environment that ultimately benefits patient care.
FULL CIRCLE
Dr. Yackey says her career in retina has been fulfilling. It has also brought her full circle from where her young imagination envisioned her, which was not what she anticipated in optometry school. Like many students, she envisioned herself in a primary care practice. But her interest in retina overshadowed any intimidation she felt, and she’s grateful that retina specialists helped her develop her skills and confidence. “I would know I saw something in the retina, but I didn’t always know what to call what I saw or what it was,” she says.
She’s hopeful that other optometrists will feel encouraged by her experience to pursue a similar path for themselves.
Read how other ODs are building a specialty within optometry.
