Shanelle Jenkins Sanchez, OD, always had a clear vision for her optometry career—but as a military spouse, she’s had to navigate an unconventional path with frequent moves and uncertainty.
She met her husband, Army Captain Juan Sanchez-Castaneda, in 2010, when they were both freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They began dating during their senior year.
Despite their careers taking them to different states—he was commissioned in the U.S. Army while she attended Southern College of Optometry in Tennessee—they planned a future together.
Drawn to ocular disease and geriatric care, Dr. Jenkins pursued a VA career, knowing it offered some transferability. After graduating in 2018, she completed a residency at the Daytona Beach VA and joined the Fayetteville VA in 2019—just as her husband was stationed at nearby Fort Bragg.
That stability was brief. In 2023, her husband relocated to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, while she stayed in North Carolina to remain eligible for the VA’s student loan reimbursement program. With no eye clinic at the VA in Kentucky, she couldn’t transfer.
In 2024, they were briefly reunited before he was stationed to Brazil. Dr. Jenkins joined him a few months later but has been unable to obtain work due to language barriers and licensing restrictions. A sudden change in orders cut their expected stay short, and the couple will relocate again to Washington, D.C., this summer.
Frustrated by the lack of stability and looking for connection through shared experiences, Dr. Jenkins launched a Facebook group: ODs on the Move.
“There are other Facebook groups for military spouses, but they weren’t what I was looking for,” Dr. Jenkins says. “I wasn’t looking for drama or gossip. I needed support from other like-minded professionals and a place to network with other ODs experiencing this lifestyle. I especially wanted to target military spouses like myself because, unlike our active-duty OD counterparts, when we are relocated with our servicemember, we aren’t provided with employment. It’s up to us to figure it out.”
NAVIGATING A CAREER OVERSEAS
As she explored work opportunities abroad, she quickly discovered how limited the options can be for military spouse ODs. The VA’s teleretinal program, which allows optometrists to review imaging remotely, seemed promising—but she was informed that she wasn’t eligible to participate from Brazil, as it’s not a part of NATO.
She also looked into federal programs like DETO (Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas) which allow military spouses in federal positions to work remotely. But those options can be difficult to navigate.
“Applying for that program can be a deterrent for some organizations,” Dr. Jenkins says. “It’s a lot of paperwork, and for families who move frequently, the long approval process isn’t always feasible.”
In Brazil, there is no U.S. military base, so the couple lives within the local community. “My husband is a foreign area officer (FAO),” she says. “Instead of working on post, they work at U.S. consulates at embassies.” That also means no access to a military clinic and, therefore, no opportunity for federal employment. “There’s a health unit associated with the state department, but it has just one doctor and two nurses—no optometry. Anyone requiring specialty services is referred into the community,” she says.
One promising opportunity came from MyEyeDr., which offered her a chance to work remotely and would even ship equipment to her overseas. But when she learned that her stay in Brazil would end in this summer, the long onboarding process outweighed taking the offer.
Dr. Jenkins is currently awaiting issuance of her Virginia license so that she may begin work when she returns to the U.S.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY
Through it all, Dr. Jenkins has remained focused on creating a space for others in similar situations. She hopes the Facebook group will offer both encouragement and real-world advice.
“This lifestyle comes with challenges, but it also opens doors you didn’t know existed,” she says. “If you don’t ask the questions, you won’t know what’s available to you. I want this group to be a place where we ask those questions together and create more opportunities for ourselves.”
“To anyone looking for support: I hope you find it here,” she says. “You can be a supportive military spouse and a professional. Join us!”
Learn more about ODs on the Move and join the Facebook group here.
