Eyes Up

Dr. Moore started optometry school when she was 27 and she shares with us inspirational advice on her unique path towards obtaining her Doctor of Optometry degree.

Two main things we cover are the importance of reaching out to the schools you are interested in and on getting as much shadowing experience as you can.

The time to email or DM doctors with your questions or to set up shadowing opportunities is right now. Right now is when most of us have more time than ever before to check our inboxes and to reply to you.

And even if you are almost done with school, or no longer a student, hearing from women who made it can remind us of our own paths and of how blessed we are to have come as far as we have.

instagram.com/dr.see.moore

http://voyageatl.com/interview/meet-trailblazer-dr-candice-moore/

It was so fun to get to talk about fine eyewear again with LA-based optician, Jennifer Centeno.

I think glasses are magical and in this episode Jennifer shares with us her favorite frame lines, how she got into the eyecare industry and we talk about the importance of storytelling.

instagram.com/opticianista_la

https://www.opticianistala.com/

Growing up Dr. Flores had one plan, to become an optometrist. In this episode she shares with us the knowledge she has gained throughout the years.

One key thing to take away from this episode is that in any field we need to recognize that our professors and supervisors are our best resources and not just within academia but also with job searching and with help reviewing contracts. They have been instrumental, to the both of us, in helping us navigate life after optometry school.

Because she’s an optometric beauty expert we discussed all things beauty and one point she made was that just because a makeup product is expensive doesn’t mean it’s the healthiest for your eyes and in fact the opposite tends to be true. And we talk about the #1 makeup faux pas we see in practice, eyeliner being applied right on the waterline aka right on the meibomian glands.

And we reflect on what it means to us to be a latina in healthcare.

instagram.com/lflores_od

instagram.com/dreyebeauty

Dr. Johnson’s path towards becoming an optometrist allowed her to provide patient care across many states, TX, NY, SC and IL to name a few. Her unique experiences, that she shares with us, have inspired her to open up her very own practice, Bespoke Eye Care.

We talk about the importance of representation in medicine and what an impact that can make in our patient’s lives. And we also dream about the future, a future where all of this will be a distant memory and where optometry rises for a comeback, stronger than ever.

instagram.com/curlyoptometrist

instagram.com/bespoke2020eyes

bespoke2020.com

Apologies, my audio was lagging in the recording so some parts in our conversation overlap. Thank you for your patience as I explore the big bad world of podcasting.

Becoming a healthcare professional is not easy. It’s a long race that takes years to complete and the truth is that many don’t make it to the finish line.

As if that isn’t hard enough some us are placed at different starting points in the track, sometimes with extra hurdles scattered along the way.

And when you find someone who has experienced similar obstacles as you have it is comforting to be able to talk to them because they understand what you had to overcome and by talking about it is how we can create awareness and hopefully improve things for future generations.

In this episode future nurse, Maria Dominguez, opens up about her path towards obtaining a nursing degree. We talk about how she had to learn to sift through correct and incorrect information about her career choice, being underrepresented, and on the importance of standing up for yourself which is something that I’ve actually been working on.

Our experiences are unique but what we all have in common is that we all need someone to believe in us.

instagram.com/the_latina_nurse

The lovely Dr. Faye Gamboa comes on my podcast this week to share highlights from her multifaceted optometric career.

It’s clear to see that she is entreprenurial and hard-working and it’s that type of spirit that will allow us as optometrists to get through whatever challenges may come our way.

We talk optometry school, residency, being a VA OD, opening her own private practice, fine eyewear, mission trips and you’re just going to have to listen because we hit so many topics. This lady OD is so inspiring and added much needed light to my day during these difficult times for our industry.

instagram.com/lfayelfaye

instagram.com/wanderlust_eyecare

wanderlusteyecare.com

Everything is canceled, including optometry school, for the time being. We hope these measures will keep safe the most vulnerable among us.

The future is so uncertain, things are changing every hour but if we really think about it isn’t that the way things have always been?

Future Dr. Afkhami updates us on recent events and how because of the coronavirus pandemic most optometry schools are switching over to remote learning. And yet amidst all this uncertainty there’s still a lot of hope and we are both still so excited about what the future holds for optometry.

instagram.com/eyeamnadia

When Dr. Angela Garza Offoegbu was growing up in San Antonio, Texas she knew that college was in her cards. That laser focus got her into optometry school and allowed her to become a successful optometrist with her sights now set on opening her very own private practice, Eyes of Cresta Bella.

We discuss her journey and some difficult decisions she had to make along the way. As we reflected we saw how linear both our paths were and we came upon that realization that for young people of color failure is simply not an option. The only way to go is up and the future is looking really bright.

eyesofcrestabella.com

instagram.com/drangelagarzaoffoegbu

instagram.com/eyesofcrestabella

We’re going back to basics with triple board-certified Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen.

She specializes in endocrinology, obesity medicine, and internal medicine and has her very own practice in the heart of Manhattan.

In this episode we talk about her journey to becoming the doctor she is today. We review conditions like thyroid disease and diabetes, things that endocrinologists and optometrists co-manage. And we also discuss her speciality, obesity medicine.

Did you know that the American Medical Association only recognized obesity as a disease in 2013? And that some insurances still don’t recognize it? And that there are FDA-approved medications indicated for obesity? Dr. Salas-Whalen’s passion and knowledge is unmistakable in this episode as she schools us in this disease that we thought we knew about.

instagram.com/newyorkendocrinology

Dr. Salas-Whalen’s Practice

nyendocrinology.com

Additional Resources

abom.org

hormone.org

This episode was made possible by CPA4TAX.com for your personal or business tax/accounting needs. Friendly reminder, don’t forget to enroll in your employer sponsored retirement plans.

Podcast Produced and Engineered by

Dr. Damaris Raymondi, OD

Copy Editor

Dr. Saara Hashmi, OD

Being a healthcare professional is much more than a job. It’s a lifelong pursuit of excellence. And I always find it so fascinating that when you accomplish a lot in your career it only drives you to accomplish more.

I want to learn about the passion and drive that it takes to achieve and Dr. Rand Diab, an ophthalmologist in Indiana, kindly joins me on my podcast to talk about her experiences.

She shares with us her journey through medical school and residency, building her very own school, and her new pursuits in ophthalmology. And all of that within the context of being Muslim American.

I love that this episode highlights the collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists. After all it’s our patients that benefit the most from us working synergistically.

instagram.com/randdiabmd

instagram.com/carriersoflightschool

randdiab.com

carriersoflight.com

Dr. Diab’s YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtnCAit78aGVDz5Y5GTdtg