The 20/20 Podcast

As optometrist's we are providing advanced care and performing procedure far beyond simply vision correction on a daily basis. From disease detection and management, to treating various conditions, to digging foreign bodies out of eyes... we know that more than someone who asks "which is better, 1 or 2?"

However, since we are doing these things on a daily basis, we often forget how remarkable they are. But sharing these stories with our friends, family, the public, etc is how we can help change the narrative about optometry in the public's eyes.

Dr. Shiv Sharma co-chair of the BC Doctors of Optometry Government Relation Committee, which is tasked with discussing scope modernization with government officials and other stake holders. He has also been an integral part of the conversations relating to government reimbursement in the past.

In this short episode, Dr. Sharma shares his thoughts on how ODs can all work towards our goals of scope modernization... and it's not the same "speak to your MLAs" pitch that we've all been hearing.

Be sure to check out all of the conversations in the Scope Optimization series.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

In the previous episode, we spoke with Dr. Petar Prpic about how he built his specialty lens clinic (Prpic Eyecare). In that discussion, Dr. Prpic touched on some of the challenges he faced in his journey to developing his expertise in the realm of specialty contact lenses.

In the second part of this discussion, we dive deeper into one of the most common challenges that all ECPs face (not just specialty lens providers); higher order aberrations (HOAs).

In this episode, we discuss what the difference is between regular aberrations and HOAs. How does a patient who is suffering from HOAs present? What are their symptoms and complaints? And, ultimately, how can we help these patients who can't seem to get the resolution (literally and figuratively) that I looking for?

This episode is sponsored by Ovitz.

Learn more about the Ovitz xwave Aberrometer at www.Ovitz.us

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Whether you specialize in dry eyes, myopia management, or specialty contact lenses, the journey can be quite similar. From the magical moments when you help a struggling patient to those seemingly-endless visits when the treatment doesn't seem to be working... every clinician who leans into some type of specialty care has experienced the highs and lows.

In part one of this two part series, Dr. Petar Prpic shares his journey into specialty contact lenses and how he and his brother (Dr. Ivan Prpic) have built their relatively new clinic into a successful practice.

In this episode, Dr. Prpic discusses the different types of specialty lenses he fits, how metrics have been important to his success, and why collaboration between colleagues is important for our patients and our profession.

Stay tuned for part two of this series, where Dr. Prpic discusses some of the more advanced specialty lenses technologies that are available, including correcting higher order aberrations, to help serve our patients better.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Dr. Madan is the immediate Past President for BC Doctors of Optometry and the Chair of the Government and Professional Affairs Committee. She completed a residency in ocular disease at the Eye Center of Texas in Houston and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

In addition to all of this, Dr. Madan currently practices in an MD/OD setting, where she provides advanced services such as treating glaucoma and offering PRP eye drops to dry eye patients. All of this makes her the perfect guest to continue our series on scope optimization.

In the first episode in this series of short interviews, we spoke with Dr. Cedrick Mah to understand how his experience with advanced procedures in Oklahoma can help us understand why scope advancement is important in Canada.

In this episode we continue our conversation on scope with Dr. Madan by asking what the future of optometry looks like. What should primary care optometrist expect their job to look like? Why should we be asking for scope modernization?

Keep the conversation about scope optimization going by sharing these interviews with our colleagues. Send in your thoughts and comments to help us improve these discussions so we can continue to elevate our profession.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

How comfortable are you recommending high end products to your patients? Whether its contact lenses, boutique frames, or ophthalmic lenses, recommending the best-in-class to patients has long been a challenge for many ECPs. But why? And, more importantly, how can we overcome this hurdle?

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Pavan Avinashi who is the owner of Hollyburn Eye Clinic in North Vancouver. Over the last 22 years, Dr. Avinashi has built Hollyburn into the type of clinic many ODs aspire to run: a 6-lane, modern practice with 7 ODs, a dedicated aesthetics spa, and a reputation for offering the best options in eyewear.

So, how did Dr. Avinashi build his practice to this level? Today, he shares his top three recommendations for business owners who aspire to offer the best to their patients.

Big thanks to Hoya Vision Care Canada for their support of this episode.

Learn more about Hoya and their premium lens offering:

https://www.hoyavision.com/en-ca/vision-products/

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Dr. Cedrick Mah graduated from Waterloo in 2022. He then completed his residency in Oklahoma. Cedrick is a Fellow of the American Association of Optometry, a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, and newly crowned Young Optometrist of the Year by the BC Doctors of Optometry.

In this episode, we discuss Dr. Mah's experiences practicing to the fullest scope within optometry. Through his recent training and experience, Cedrick has been able to prescribe medications, order blood tests, and perform various advanced procedures for many patients. Coming back to Vancouver,

the discrepancy in scope is abundantly clear.

From reducing wait times to reducing healthcare costs and redundancies, Dr. Mah shares why and how advancing scope will benefit our profession and, most importantly, benefit our patients.

Big thanks to the BCDO for giving us the space to record these interviews during the annual conference in May 2025.

Stay tuned for more of these short episodes on scope optimization on The 20/20 podcast. We will be sharing thoughts from optometrists from across Canada who have varied and extensive experience in the matter of scope optimization.

Let's all get on board and help our profession continue to grow!

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

It is not often that we have the opportunity to witness the launch of a whole new class of soft contact lens. But today, we have the unique opportunity to explore CooperVision’s MyDay Energys®. Joining Harbir Sian to talk about the first and only daily disposable lens in the industry to offer DigitalBoost™ technology are Dr. Nathalie Trottier and Dr. Evelyn Lo. Together, they explore how this lens combines innovative aspheric design and material technology to deal with eye dryness and fatigue due to digital device use. They also discuss how the MyDay Energys® contact lenses can provide comfort to its users and offer visual endurance.

Big thanks to CooperVision for supporting this episode.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Red Light Therapy is gaining a lot of momentum in recent years. It has been used for mood, hair growth, and many other health benefits.

But how does photobiomodulation (PBM) help our eyes?

In this episode, Dr. Graham Merry, MD discuss the history of PBM and the exciting future for this technology in eyecare.

Dr. Merry is one of the pioneers of PBM in North America, he has published landmark papers that have shown the positive effects of PBM on patients with AMD, and he has co-founded multiple companies in the PBM space.

If you were ever curious about how red light therapy works and how it can help your patients, this is the discussion for you!

Learn more about Arunalight and related studies, go to:

Arunalight.com

Connect with Dr. Merry:

[email protected]

Thanks to Bright Optical for supporting this episode.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Which type of refractive surgery procedure is the best option for your patients? Is it PRK? LASIK? What about SMILE? What are the differences between these?

In this episode of The 20/20 Podcast, we have the opportunity to chat with two pre-eminent corneal surgeons to discuss the latest updates in refractive surgery.

Dr. Michael Boyd is the owner of Boyd Vision in Burnaby, BC and has been performing refractive surgeries for over 30 years. Dr. Darrell Lewis is a highly trained corneal surgeon who has recently joined the Boyd Vision team. Boyd Vision is the first refractive surgical centre in BC to offer the latest in lenticule extraction technology (aka SMILE).

In this episode we will cover the following questions:

How do PRK, LASIK, and SMILE all compare to one another?

Who is the right patient for each of these types of surgery?

What makes SmartSight a better option?

How important is treating dry eye before surgery?

How can optometrists help to improve patient outcomes?

Learn more here:

https://www.boydvision.ca/referral-guide/

Big thanks to Boyd Vision for supporting this episode.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Have you noticed the recent changes in Google's search? Have you seen the AI tool that shows up when you search?

It's handy for the person doing the search. But how does it affect your business?

In this episode, I chat with Tyler Kemp, who is a marketing expert and account manager specializing in marketing for the eyecare industry.

Tyler is known for turning digital trends into practical, actionable insights, making him a trusted voice for anyone looking to grow their brand in a competitive market. He also shares his expertise on his own platform, TyTalksMarketing, where he offers tools and tips for thriving in the digital space.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How the most recent updates to the Google algorithm affect your business
• How you can optimize your SEO to improve your ranking
• The difference between awareness campaigns and lead generation
• The importance of training your staff to optimize marketing

Connect with Tyler - https://www.instagram.com/tytalksmarketing

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/