Between the two of them, Beverly Bianes, OD, and Janelle Davison, OD, have 50 years of practice experience. They each also have two children and have run a private practice. The two Women In Optometry board members say each aspect of their life has had a positive impact on the way they not only give empathy to and treat patients but also serve as a reminder to give themselves a break.
MOM MODE
Dr. Davison’s two teenagers “take up a lot of my time,” she says. “I am definitely more than a doctor—I’m a mom first.” Whether she’s dropping them off at school or picking them up from one of their numerous extracurricular activities, Dr. Davison says being in mom mode has often reminded her to give herself grace.
“That’s the thing about being a woman: it can be a lot,” Dr. Davison says. “I have my own practice, I’m married and two teenagers. Unless you remind yourself that someone else is going through it, too, you might get overwhelmed.”
Dr. Bianes agrees. Even with two grown children of her own—her daughter and son-in-law are practicing ODs—she still often goes into mom mode and stresses the importance of “getting out there.”
“When my daughter and son-in-law graduated in 2020, it was a scary time,” Dr. Bianes says. “There was no in-person support for them during or after graduation. I told them about how important it is to find a group connection or a mentor in the industry—not just their mom or mother-in-law—and what those connections can do for you.”
TIME TO TREAT PATIENTS
The gentle self-reminder to treat yourself with kindness may not only make you a more mellow mom, the two doctors say, but it can help when you’re in the exam lane, too.
Dr. Davison says, “For some, I’m that leader in optometry. So I think it’s important to say that it’s okay to read stories about women having a life outside of one aspect of what she is. It’s okay to have a real-talk conversation.” Those conversations can occur with friends or with patients about their nutrition and daily habits, Dr. Davison says, and they can help form a long-lasting patient-doctor relationship.
Dr. Bianes hopes that the lessons she has learned can help her daughter, Alyssa Pack, OD. “It’s been so great to see her get involved in the industry, going to leadership conferences and seeing how she interacts with patients. She is so patient and loves her patients. It’s a great reminder of why we do what we do,” Dr. Bianes says.
Dr. Davison says it’s those ties that make it all worth it. She encourages those in optometry to “find someone to reach out to –a friend, a young or seasoned OD or other people that want to help you succeed. They are out there,” she says, in all aspects of life.
To read more health and wellness stories from WO, click here.
Both Dr. Bianes and Dr. Davison are completing their two-year terms as WO board members in 2024. To learn more about them and other board members, click here.
