Several respondents to a recent WO/ROB Pop-up Poll shared the story of who or what inspired their career choice. Read the poll results here.
A CHILDHOOD IN BLUR
Christine Mekhayel, OD, Dearborn, Michigan
When I was 7 years old, my second-grade teacher noticed I had to move up close to see the board. Little did I know I was living in a blurry world. When I tried on my first pair of glasses (which I later found out were -3.00 OU), I remember thinking “wow! This is how everyone else sees the world?”
I was overwhelmed with clarity, which was so foreign to me while I was also frustrated that I had unknowingly lived 7 years of my life in such a blur. Each year thereafter, I visited my optometrist to get a boost to my prescription and by the time I was 18, I had progressed to a -7.00 OU as this was prior to the advancements of myopia control.
As a teenager, my grandmother also became blind from diabetic retinopathy. This further motivated me to pursue optometry with the hopes of helping a family member with low vision. My optometrist had many words of encouragement regarding this path. I knew that my personal experience would allow me to excel in optometry, and I could no longer visualize myself in any other career.
SUMMER JOB LIGHTS A SPARK
Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP, New England College of Optometry
In the summer between high school and college, Robert Willson, OD, at Maitland Vision Center in Maitland, Florida, give me a job. I had planned to be an English major at the University of Florida, but after working for him, I decided to follow the pre-med track while also pursuing an English major. I kept working summers in Dr. Willson’s office and another LensCrafters office to gain experience.
My English professor advised me to go for optometry–not because I wasn’t a great student of medieval and Victorian literature or doing editorial work, but because I had a better chance at financial success and a stable job as an eye doctor. He was right. I think I thrive when I see my patients and connect with them on a personal level and feel fulfilled when I can help people in concrete ways.
Not only did Dr. Willson model excellent optometric care, he also showed me how to manage a closely-knit team of employees in his practice. They were all such wonderful people, and even though that was in the 90s, I can still picture many of their faces. One scenario that stuck with me was an elderly woman who had visual impairment. He did some optometry magic or so it seemed to me at the time, and made it possible for the woman to read her Bible again, which was what she most wanted to do. I am grateful to him for encouraging me in the pursuit of optometry. He changed my life for the better.
OD EMPLOYER PROVIDED ENCOURAGEMENT
Holli Hawthorne, OD Class of 2027, UIW Rosenberg School of Optometry
Out of undergrad, with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science, I had no idea what to do. Then at 23, I was told I had glaucoma and would need to be on a prescription drop for the rest of my life. I had just started working as an optician in a corporate clinic and started really digging into eyes and eyeglasses.
About three months later I got a job as a technician in a small, privately owned clinic. The owner and head optometrist, Lisa Januskey, OD, was the smartest, most motivated woman I have ever met. After working under her for a few months, she pulled me aside privately one day and asked if I had considered becoming an optometrist. She could see the drive and potential in me. I had not considered that, but I was enjoying the environment in optometry and was catching on very fast. I worked at that clinic for three years total and learned so much from the head doctor.
When I got into optometry school, Dr. Januskey took me out to dinner to celebrate and has truly been a guiding voice throughout my school so far as well. I will always appreciate her for pushing me to become more. I don’t know if I would have applied to optometry school without her.
TURNING PASSION INTO PRACTICE
Daisy Dominguez, OD Class of 2026, UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science
During my sophomore year of undergraduate school, I sectored into ocular research after reaching out to a local optometrist. I had a general interest in medicine and a desire to engage with others. I was volunteering at a hospital and had shadowed numerous doctors but was unsure of a specialty that fulfilled my career goals. I wanted a medical pathway where I was not only able to meet my patient’s clinical needs but also have an understanding of their daily lives. Eye care fascinated me because of the idea of immediate solutions; with one visit, someone with poor vision could potentially have their sight fixed. I reached out to a local optometrist who happened to be doing a research project at the time, and they let me join as a research assistant. This turned into a sole desire to study eye care.
This experience taught me that the complexity of optometry far surpasses glasses and contacts; it involves a rich plethora of ocular disease, neurological disorders and systemic health conditions. Through this avenue, I found that optometry fulfilled my desire for human connection as well as met my needs for intellectual curiosity. Research within the field also became a direction point in my path. Advancement in technology, high quality patient care as well as cultural competency can all be aided via research. I aim to be one of the people at the forefront of this research.
Do you have a story of inspiration to share? Email us.
Featured image: Getty Images, Nuthawut Somsuk
