Women In Optometry

When Tamara Petrosyan, OD, was appointed to lead the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians (NJSOP) Young OD Taskforce in 2014, it was an opportunity to give back in just the way that experienced ODs had guided her when she was getting started in the profession.

Tammy Than, OD, MS, FAAO, says that she’s always been passionate about education as a chemistry, karate and Sunday school teacher during the time before she became an OD. In the beginning of her career, she endured a long commute—leaving her house at 4 a.m. on Monday morning and not returning until Friday night—for a position at her alma mater, Southern College of Optometry.

After about six years of working for others, Ani Halabi, OD, decided she wanted to open her own practice. But it was very important to her not to go into debt to accomplish this goal, she says.

When Susan Reimbold, OD, decided she wanted to open her own practice, she had a design in mind for how the showroom and exam room should look. The challenge was finding a way to build it without creating a mountain of debt.

By Elise Brisco, OD, FAAO — We live and die by the clock. Staying on time is paramount to keeping patients happy and our office running smoothly. To keep up this pace and maintain a nurturing, yet productive office environment, we need to lay the groundwork by taking care of ourselves first.

For years, Maria Cardona, OD, and her staff practically tripped over each other in the 10-foot-wide practice space that housed the practice she purchased in 1996. Although the space went back 60 feet, the 600-square-foot space was like a tunnel.

Inspired by do-it-yourself TV shows and a nearby Lowe’s, Home Depot and the Atlantic Ocean, Amanda Lee, OD, and Tammy Tully, OD, business partners in a Vision Source® practice in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, decided they could make over their optical.

WO advisory board member Charlotte Tlachac, OD, FAAO, shares six gestures you can make throughout your day to make patients feel special.

Several years ago, Carolyn Wong, OD, was looking for tile flooring to update her office décor. She has four bathrooms in her Los Angeles, California, practice, which each had glass tile floors.

By Kimberly Friedman, OD, FAAO—There are plenty of ways to give back that are win-win! Help the community while also building a little buzz for your practice!