Kara Bachus, OD, FAAO, built her career on loyalty to the optometric profession.
For nearly 25 years, she worked at the same MD/OD practice, where she became deeply involved in the practice’s culture and leadership. She managed doctor schedules, mentored students rotating through the office and took on a variety of operational responsibilities as the senior OD.
Outside the clinic, Dr. Bachus immersed herself in the profession by serving on boards, lobbying at the state capitol, acting as president of the Central Florida Society of Optometric Physicians, serving as a preceptor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry and contributing as both a Florida board examiner and National Board question writer.
While her schedule stayed busy, Dr. Bachus says she thrived on the variety her career offered. “I loved the mental challenge of solving a medically complex case and then researching state legislature or working with optometry students,” she says.
But after a difficult period in 2020 that included a divorce, the loss of her mother and the stress of a growing international pandemic, Dr. Bachus realized she needed a change.
HITTING THE RESET BUTTON
Dr. Bachus stepped away from practice and took two years off, gradually returning to patient care through a position in Texas. During that time, she met her future husband and was able to balance work in Texas with family life in Florida, flying back and forth twice a week to spend time with her children. Eventually, however, the commute became unsustainable.
With her husband willing to relocate, Dr. Bachus began searching for an opportunity in Florida that would allow her to continue practicing while creating a healthier work-life balance. She found that opportunity through the National Vision network, when a recruiter connected her with Gulfview Vision Associates, an independent, multi-location practice with offices adjacent to America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses and Eyeglass World locations.
Although she had not practiced in a primary care setting in more than 25 years, Dr. Bachus welcomed the opportunity to return to the fundamentals she first learned as a student at Southern College of Optometry (SCO).
“I didn’t have that same feeling I had in the early years of my career where I felt like I had to prove myself,” she says. “I’m confident in my clinical skills, and my main priority is making sure my patients are getting the best care.”
CAREER GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
The transition also opened new leadership opportunities. Dr. Bachus soon became an Area Doctor, supporting nearly 40 optometrists. The role allows her to combine mentorship, organization and clinical collaboration while, as she says, “thoroughly enjoying going to work and not living such a stressful life.”
As an Area Doctor, Dr. Bachus hosts monthly virtual meetings, communicates regularly with doctors and helps troubleshoot patient care challenges. The position has also reconnected her with the teaching she valued earlier in her career while working with students and younger colleagues. Along the way, she has reconnected with classmates from SCO and colleagues she met decades earlier.
“I never realized how many friends I’ve made through the profession over the years until I started reconnecting with so many colleagues through the Area Doctor role,” Dr. Bachus says.
The role also reminds her of the years she spent guiding students in the medical practice setting. “It brings me back to helping students who rotated through the medical practice all those years ago, who themselves are now 20 years into their own careers,” Dr. Bachus says. “I take great pride in helping guide current students and knowing their impact will span thousands of patients.”
Through the National Vision network, Dr. Bachus also maintains independence in patient care while benefiting from the support of a larger network, without the added stress of managing payroll, insurance or optical staffing responsibilities.
“Working with the National Vision network has been a blessing in so many ways,” she says. “I love what I do. I love building relationships with patients, and I’m proud of the care I provide.”
