Today we heard from Dr. Heather Chandler! She is a faculty member at the OSU College of Optometry teaching ocular anatomy to first year students. Dr. Chandler was born in Canada and had an interest in veterinary medicine from a young age. She started professional life as a veterinary nurse, and studied in several fields including parasitology and microbiology. Eventually she came to The Ohio State University and discovered veterinary ophthalmology. Dr. Chandler stressed that there are many ways to get where you want to go in terms of career goals.

She earned her PhD in veterinary biosciences and currently researches cataract formation and corneal wound healing. Although her research primarily involves animals, she works with ophthalmologists to apply her findings to clinical settings that benefit human patients. Examples of her research include sunglasses for dogs to reduce oxidative stress on the eyes, and improving retention time of drugs on the cornea.

Regarding optometry school, Dr. Chandler goes into great detail about all structures within the eye and how they work together to produce vision. Her advice to potential applicants is to be prepared for a tough curriculum. Having a tough skin is important and being comfortable with the unknown is essential. To prepare for the rigor of post-graduate coursework, she recommends students take a detailed anatomy course, preferably incorporating histology.

If anyone has questions for Dr. Chandler, you can email her at chandler.111@osu.edu!