Student Life Blogs

12/22/14

Happy Holidays!

Well… another semester has absolutely flown by! I can’t believe my class is already halfway through our second year at SCO. This semester has been challenging but full of exciting new knowledge and skills. The most exciting part of this semester for me was the number of new clinical skills we learned in our Theory & Methods lab. We began the semester finishing up with our Fundoscopy skills that we learned over the summer mini-semester, and by the time finals rolled around last week we had learned to perform Binocular Indirect Ophthlamoscopy (the big kahuna!), Tonometry, Gonioscopy, and other various skills. Juggling learning and practicing these clinical skills along with keeping up with our seven courses was difficult, but we all made it through and now we are one step closer to being clinicians!

Now that we’re on Christmas break, there is only one more semester standing between my class and our first experiences as student doctors in The Eye Center. We start seeing our own patients in May and I could not be more excited! I can’t wait to start applying all of these skills we have been working so hard to master and to begin really thinking like a doctor. SCO has been providing us with every opportunity possible to prepare us for real-life patient interactions so I know we will feel ready and prepared (but still probably a little nervous!) when we’re finally in the clinic in May.

As for the next two weeks, I plan to do a lot of relaxing and catching up on sleep! I’m going home to Texas to visit my family for a week for Christmas then coming back to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl (Gig ‘em, Aggies!) and New Year’s Eve. I know by the time the spring semester begins on January 5th I will be recharged and ready to take on another busy and exciting semester. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and I’ll check back in in January with some spring semester updates! Happy Holidays!!

Posted by Amy Dunbar at 12/22/14

12/17/14

Fall in Rewind

Hello blogosphere!

You know it’s been busy, when I’ve been absent from the blog scene for a few months. CAN. YOU. BELIEVE. IT? In my last update I had just begun my externship rotation at Eye Care Centers of Kentucky–with eight office locations and six doctors. Fast forward to now, and I have received second-to-none clinic experience in ocular disease and cared for nearly 900 patients! My speed has definitely picked up (sayonara 1 hour exams!), and I’ve seen everything from newborns to 101 year old patients in a day’.s work! My preceptor was also very supportive in letting me shadow other doctors including a retina specialist, cataract surgeon, and dry eye disease specialist. Even more, I observed several optometrist preformed laser procedures including YAG-capsulotomy, Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI), and Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) in our office. As you may recall from one of my previous blogs, Kentucky has one of the best scope of practice laws in the nation. This affords optometrists and patients greater access to needed health care treatments in many rural towns. During my rotation, I saw optometry work to it’s fullest; I was even invited to attend a hearing at Kentucky’s state capital on a legislative bill that would protect optometrist’s role in telemedicine. Good news–it passed!

If all that wasn’t enough, I even was able to keep up my globe-trotting travels during my externship. I attended two new conferences this fall: COVD and FCO. The College Of Vision Development (COVD) Conference is focused on providing optometrists and students insight into the latest research on vision therapy and its associated conditions. There was also a poster presentation where residents shared their current research projects and an exhibit hall where I could test out the latest in vision therapy technology. COVD was held in sunny San Diego, and staying waterfront definitely didn’t disappoint! My favorite lecture was on slowing myopia (near-sightedness) progression with contact lenses in children, and I see myself incorporating this evidence-based medicine into my future practice.

The other conference I attended was the Fellowship of Christian Optometrists held in Nashville, Indiana (seriously, it’s a real place!). Actually, this conference was hosted at a lodge in a national park. It was absolutely stunning, and the lodge always had a warm fire going in the fireplace. The best part was hearing inspiring testimonials from missionary optometrists returning from the Middle East and as far as Papua, New Guinea. Of course I can’t forget the special ocular disease study session hosted by the one-and-only, KMK Kyle! It came at the perfect time as I was already in the midst of studying for NBEO Part 2.

Speaking of NBEO Part 2…I can check that exam off my to-do list (finally!). I took my last of three national boards in early December. Part 2 was completed at a computerized testing center with 150 patient cases that focused on the safe treatment and management of ocular conditions. The SCO clinic experience once again proved to be a great foundation for the materials I was tested on, with the combination of my prep materials, and my current private practice rotation, I believe I was prepared for the exam. Of course, now’s the waiting game—results won’t be released until the end of January so fingers-crossed and prayers said!!

I’m currently applying for optometric residency. I’m excited for this next journey in my optometry career and can’t wait to share with you more about the residency application process. Of course the hardest part is asking for those letters of recommendations. Even though I’ve met many optometric mentors willing to support my residency application, I’ll be the first to admit I still hold my breath right before I click the send button.

I think that catches us all up a bit better for now. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving….I’ll save my other holiday wishes for my next blog post ;)

Carpe Diem,

Amy

Posted by Amy Dunbar at 12/17/14

12/12/14

American Academy of Optometry Meeting in Denver

As a third year here at SCO, the fall has been really busy with clinic! It has been so fun getting a better grasp on patient care at all of our different locations around Memphis! Even though we stay busy seeing patients most of the time this semester, I was able to attend the American Academy of Optometry’s meeting in Denver, CO last week. It was so much fun! As a student, I love that the school allows us to take time off to go to conferences and meetings like this one. They actually encourage it and give you a few conference days to take off each year to attend meetings like these. I have been to several other national conferences throughout my time here at SCO, but this was my first time attending the meeting for the Academy. I know you may think it is hard to attend these meetings as a “financially challenged” student, but they give away a ton of student travel grants to help pay for flights and hotels to make the trip.

At this meeting, optometrists and students come together every year for continuing education and to present research that they have been working on over the past year. Needless to say, there is a lot to learn whether you are a student or an optometrist. Students are encouraged to go to any of the educational lectures that are offered throughout the meeting, and can even become a Student Fellow if they attend the required events for it. Also there are many receptions and social events to network.

As students, we also had some down time to enjoy the city and sightsee for a bit before heading back to Memphis. It was so cold in Denver, as we were there for the first snow of the season! I’ve posted some of my pictures from my time in Denver below if you want to check it out! I am just so grateful for the opportunity to go to national meetings like this to learn more about our profession, network, see a new part of the country, and make some great memories with some of my classmates! As a student it is easy to get bogged down in school and studying, but I feel like attending these meetings is so important to our optometric education as well. I encourage everyone reading this to try your best to attend one!

The first snow of the season in Denver!

At the SCO reception with friends and classmates Brooke and Katie!

Before boarding our flight to Denver with one of our favorite staff doctors, Dr. Edmondson!

Enjoying lunch in our free time!

Exploring the city and enjoying the famous 16th Street Mall!

A picture looking down on the famous blue bear looking in on the Denver Convention Center where the meeting was held.

Posted by Amy Dunbar at 12/12/14

12/5/14

Chattanooga Chew Chew

The beautiful city of Chattanooga has long been associated with trains. There is a popular Glenn Miller song, after all, called “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” based upon one legendary locomotive.

Perhaps it is appropriate, then, that this entire semester has felt like riding on a passenger train in which the outside scenery whizzes by in a blur. It is already December, and you haven’t heard from me yet. I am already planning out my life in Wichita for next semester…my last semester of optometry school. Yikes!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too much! I have yet to tell you how things have gone here so far. In a nutshell, this has been a wonderful, wonderful semester. It has actually seemed like a dream at times – I have been learning so much, and then after clinic there is much to explore and rediscover here in my ole’ undergrad town. Work and play, in a beautiful balance.

My extern clinic is awesome: SouthEast Eye Specialists. This site is a large referral center consisting of five optometrists and six ophthalmologists, each in a different specialty: two corneal specialists, oculoplastics, glaucoma, retina, and pediatrics/strabismus. As you might expect, with this many doctors under one roof, I have been able to see more than a few eyeballs this semester! Diseases rarely seen at school, I have come across several times here. Having a surgery center downstairs and procedure rooms in clinic mean that I get to watch some cool techniques and procedures as well.

Truthfully, this site has shown me how optometry and ophthalmology have the potential to meld so beautifully. Everything works like clockwork, all in the name of the best care for patients as possible. No one has a big ego, and on a regular basis I hear from patients something to the effect of ”I am so satisfied with my vision after my cataract surgery” or “Thank you for saving my vision.” When optometry and ophthalmology work together, eye diseases and disorders just don’t stand a chance.

This semester has been incredibly eventful, and I apologize for not telling you about it sooner. I’ll just list off a few things that come to mind, stream-of-consciousness style, like a chugging, churning train. All aboard! I returned to Memphis for Convocation/White Coat Ceremony and surprised my third-year girlfriend and fellow fourth-years. Go Grizzlies! I got addicted to stand-up paddleboarding. SouthEast Eye celebrated 30 years of co-management in Tennessee and threw a gigantic masquerade ball at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga. Having passed Parts I and III, I took Part II just a few days ago. Hopefully it went alright. Nature has been my friend, and the mountains my playground. Also, I am thankful for being here with Linh, the ocular disease resident at SEES and old SVOSH pal of mine. Attended the Academy meeting in Denver and had an amazing, amazing time (but cold – temperature dipped down to -8 degrees at some point!). I have not particularly budgeted well this semester, but I regret nothing (yet). Never before have I appreciated Fall in Chattanooga as much as I have during this one. All the colors just seemed to be more spectacular than my memory can recall. I also have a greater appreciation for my time at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. I’ve realized that many of my college friends will truly be lifelong friends, though distance and circumstances may separate us in the future. Likewise, during Thanksgiving break, I realized that it will be more difficult in the future for my whole family to be in the same place all at once, especially as my siblings and I uncover our futures. Cognizance of that fact just makes my time with them even more important. The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much left to learn, and I’m okay with that. My love for Chattanooga truly equals my love for Memphis, but in a different way. Oh, I attended the TAOP Fall Congress in Gatlinburg and climbed a mountain with some SCO friends. I do not regret skipping CE lectures for that or for exploring the Colorado Capitol the Friday of Academy week, especially when it became a tropical 46 degrees in Denver. Life is short. Speaking of Gatlinburg, and exiting this exhausting train of consciousness…

…while in Gatlinburg, an opportunity for employment presented itself to me, which has added quite a bit of intrigue to this Fall. I have given it serious thought and continue to chew on this possibility. Likewise, slowly but surely my classmates and I are putting together the puzzle pieces of our futures. I admit it’s not the most stress-free decision making paradigm of my life. Everything else has seemed simple in comparison. Residency? No residency? Private practice? Commercial? Who? What? When? How? Why? $? (: ?

Where? Where! Maybe that’s the biggest question I’ve personally had to grapple with. Where should I be, and who do I want to be wherever I should be?

I have remind myself to relax, and to just be me. Everything is going to be fantastic.

Posted by Amy Dunbar at 12/5/14

11/15/14

One Year Later

Exactly one year ago today, I was in Memphis for my interview and tour of SCO. I honestly had no intentions of choosing this school; really I just wanted some interview practice and a chance to experience a new city. As soon as I left the campus that day, I knew my feelings had changed. I was so impressed with the entire community, and immediately felt comfortable here.

Obviously, things are not always the same as they appear on tours, but overall I have been extremely happy with my choice. All of my classmates are great, and I really feel like we are an entire community. There's not so much competition as there is support, and this was huge for me. I am not a very competitive person, and I don't like comparing myself to others. Here, I feel like I am able to focus on my own work and not worry about how anyone else is doing. If I have a question about a concept, I'm never worried that I will seem stupid to my classmates.

Optometry school is not anything like I expected it to be. I never thought it would be so challenging and all-consuming, but I also never knew how rewarding it would feel to be here. It's so different than being in undergrad; everything we learn is going to contribute to my future career and my future life, and that is very exciting and fulfilling.

Memphis is very different than what I had imagined it to be as well, but I'm slowly finding my way here. The Memphis Farmer's Market has absolutely been my favorite thing, and I try to get there as many Saturdays as possible. They just started their winter season, which is pretty much like the summer season but colder, but I am loving that I'll be able to keep this as part of my Saturday routine. Downtown Memphis is also very pretty, and I've been having fun exploring some of the local restaurants and shops. I feel like there are definitely some charming places, it just takes a little bit of work to find them. What I like about Memphis is the overall feel of the city. It really has its own personality. I absolutely love living on Mud Island and seeing the the Mississippi River every day, and I am especially excited for the huge new Bass Pro Shop to open up in the pyramid this May. Some specific plans were released this week and it definitely seems like it will be worth the wait!

I also love being in the South in general and having access to so many nearby states. As someone from the Northeast, I had never even travelled to many southern states and have had a ton of fun with road trips to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. There's definitely a charm to this area of the country and I am thankful to be able to experience that.

Above all, I am very happy with where I've ended up for school. I never would have imagined a year and a half ago that I would be sitting in Memphis reviewing Anatomy notes, but I'm very happy that this is the case. As I head into the last part of the semester, I am feeling very positive about my optometry journey so far, and I can't wait to see what the next few months (and years) have in store for me!

Posted by Amy Dunbar at 11/15/14