Brooke Major, OD, MS, has packed a remarkable amount of professional growth into just one year. And she’s only getting started.
Just one year after graduating, Dr. Major is finishing her residency in ocular disease at Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Oklahoma. Now she’s headed north: a move to Anchorage, Alaska, where she’ll join Paul M. Barney, OD, recently elected as the American Optometric Association secretary/treasurer and a respected leader in the profession. The transition reflects both her clinical ambitions and the kind of career she hopes to build. It’s one rooted in mentorship, advocacy and a lifestyle that leaves room for exploring the outdoors.
“I love hiking and skiing,” she says, noting that Alaska offers the lifestyle she wants alongside a professional opportunity that feels like the right fit. “The mentorship alone” was a major draw in deciding to make the move.
That focus on mentorship and leadership has been a constant in Dr. Major’s trajectory. During her residency, she sharpened her clinical skills within Oklahoma’s progressive scope of practice laws. These include management of lasers and minor surgical procedures,. She also bolstered her comfort in leadership settings. This year, she served as master of ceremonies for AOA+ daylong events for students at Optometry’s Meeting. The program, she says, carries special meaning because it reflects the kind of professional community that helped shape her own path.
“With so many students at Optometry’s Meeting, there’s a different energy, a level of excitement that I get to facilitate,” she says. “I remember my AOA+ year. It shaped my career.”
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
For Dr. Major, those formative experiences reinforce that the relationships young ODs foster are nearly as important as clinical knowledge. She says that she was awed during the daylong event in Phoenix to be sharing the stage with two great female leaders: outgoing AOA President Jacquie Bowen, OD, FAAO, and Sue Downes, CEO and co-founder of MyEyeDr.
“I was nervous,” she says, but then she began to delight in the opportunity to hear from them. The discussion left a lasting impression — especially the emphasis on communication, people skills and the many ways optometrists can lead beyond the exam room.
The day also included three current or former legislators who are ODs talking about the importance of having representation and a voice in policy discussions.
SERENDIPITOUS START
Dr. Major marvels at the opportunities she’s found. She had originally planned to attend medical school, but a college closure near the end of her undergraduate years forced her to rethink her path. She finished her degree by taking a heavy course load. Then she worked in a microbiology lab at a biopharmaceutical company before deciding to explore health care careers more intentionally.
After shadowing several physicians, she realized that while she wanted a clinical role, she also wanted the ability to build a balanced life. Optometrists stood out with their enthusiasm and satisfaction. “What sold me is that every single one of them, no matter if they were in it for 10, 20 or 30 years, loved what they did,” she says. “And that’s what I want for myself.”
At Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois, she earned both her Doctor of Optometry degree and a master’s in precision medicine. The latter program broadened her understanding of personalized care and the future of health care delivery. The graduate work also deepened her appreciation for optometry’s role in detecting systemic disease and tailoring treatment to individual patients.
Her residency in ocular disease further solidified her interest in advanced care. Now, as she prepares for Alaska, Dr. Major says she’s thinking not only about where she’ll work, but how she’ll continue to grow within the profession. Dr. Barney’s reputation and Alaska’s progressive scope of practice were both significant factors in her decision. “He was instrumental in 2017,” she says of the work that helped shape the state’s laws.
GET INVOLVED
Dr. Major offers a message to students and young graduates: “Get involved where you can. There are so many ways to get involved.” You never know which stage you’ll find yourself standing on.
Read more from Optometry’s Meeting here.
Read what other recent grads are doing here.
