One and a half quarters of fourth year are already underway! How did this happen already? I have a feeling this last year is going to be over in the blink of an eye (pun intended). So far it’s been really different from the first three years of optometry school because it’s compromised of solely clinical experience in different settings. My first quarter was entirely at the College of Optometry in the fourth year clinics, Binocular Vision and Pediatrics, Low Vision, Contact Lens and another rotation in the Eyewear Gallery. I really enjoyed being able to provide patient care at the school in different ways than previously in primary care clinic. Now, I’m currently in my Primary Care Externship, which includes a day at an ophthalmology department, a private practice and an outreach clinic in the Columbus area. This rotation gives even more variety and exposure to different modalities of optometric practice and significantly helps to broaden our clinical experience. Plus it keeps me on my toes—we’re at a different location everyday and it’s hard for me to keep track of! Of course, I’ll have it memorized and then we’ll have to move on to the next rotation. I’m looking forward to my next rotation, Advanced Practice, at Northeast Ohio Eye Surgeons in Kent, OH. However, I am not looking forward to leaving Columbus :/ I’ll miss the college and campus because it has been my home for the past 7 years. But I will always be Buckeye for life!
Let me lighten up the mood and tell you about something amazing that happened this summer! For the first time, I was able to attend the SVOSH trip to Nicaragua in August! It was one of the greatest experiences of my optometry school and I am very grateful to have been able to go. Our group worked in conjunction with UNAN School of Optometry in Nicaragua and their SVOSH chapter to organize and run clinic at a local elementary school. We were able to collaborate to help hundreds of patients and to set up a more lasting relationship between UNAN and the community. We also had a day at end of the trip to explore! We hiked the volcano Mombacho (in a downpour!) and visited the historic city of Grenada. Here are some photos of the trip to show you
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- Before our hike
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- Dee and Noor taking acuities
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- Our ride to clinic everyday!
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- Soaking wet post-hike!
In other optometry news, I’m very excited to be attending Academy for the first time, a national optometric conference that provides continuing education with excellent speakers, posters from optometry students and the chance to network with doctors and students from other schools. This year the meeting is in Chicago and I cannot wait to go! I’ll give you an update of how the conference was afterwards.
There are so many exciting events coming this quarter still; football games, new clinic experiences, taking the third part of my Boards (yikes!) I can’t wait to update you every step of the way. Go Bucks!