*Insert Clever Title Here*

I suppose it’s time for a second year update, yes?

To switch things up, this post will be following the ever popular interview format, featuring… Well, me.

*Ahem*

Interviewer: Hello folks, and welcome to another episode of Optometry Bloggers! Tonight, our special guest is a second year student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Please join me in welcoming Hannah!

*applause*
(Fun side note – I almost typed applesauce there. This post may get out of control pretty quickly… Anyway.)

Hannah, how are you doing on this beautiful evening?

H: I’m doing great! Today was a balmy 80 degrees and sunny – unheard of weather for Ohio in November! Not to mention, it’s November 1st, and you know what that means.

I: You didn’t break out the Christmas music.

H: Indeed I did. There’s something perfect about sitting in a windowless room, wearing shorts, and studying Pharmacology to the sound of Michael Buble singing Christmas carols on the first day of November – I just couldn’t resist.

I: Well. That’s… interesting. Anyway, how are you liking your second year?

H: As a whole, I love second year. We are literally out of class by noon every day, which is such an improvement over first year. Plus, we get to spend at least 4 hours in pre-clinic every week learning how to actually perform an eye exam!

I: That definitely sounds exciting. For those of our readers who don’t know, what is pre-clinic?

H: More or less, pre-clinic is an entire floor of Fry Hall (I think…) that is set up with clinic-like exam rooms to allow second and third year students to practice the skills they’re learning in class on each other (before being released to the actual patient population). The best part? It’s open 24 hours a day, so we can literally practice any time – day or night.

I: Very cool. I bet that comes in especially handy when you’re preparing for proficiencies (practical/clinical skills test)?

H: For sure. It can be stressful in the days leading up to a proficiency, so it’s pretty common to find second years in the exam rooms before class, over lunch, and even late into the evening.

I: What would you say the most challenging part of second year has been so far?

H: That’s a bit of a toss up. Pharmacology is a pretty difficult class for me, just because it’s all memorization. And becoming proficient with skills can definitely take some work. Overall though, I think my biggest struggle is knowing how to most effectively balance my schedule. Though it’s defintitely a lot more free than last year, it’s still hard to find the right balance between studying, practicing skills, and just having fun.

I: That does sound like it could be difficult. Well, we’re running out of time for this evening, but before we go, what’s the coolest thing you’ve seen so far this year?

H: Hands down, it was viewing the retina with Fundoscopy for the first time. You can see pictures of the retina, but there are few things quite as awesome as seeing a retina with the depth provided by a binocular view. It’s absolutely amazing, and may have prompted my lab partner to exclaim, “You have the coolest retinas ever!!!” #dailyoddcompliment

I: Too cool. Well, I think that’s all we have time for today. Thank you guests for joining Hannah and I on another episode of Optometry Bloggers!

Catch y’all on the flippity!

-H