Hi Everyone!
We survived another week of midterms! At this point, it seems like we've been through this so many times that it should be easy, but somehow it never is. I'm enjoying the few weeks before the next test week though! I love the weekend after test week, and this time I was fortunate enough to spend it in Colorado Springs! My boyfriend just moved there (thank you, Army), and our schedules both worked out so that we could spend a couple of days together. There's a chance that we'll end up in that area so it was great to get a chance to explore, and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. I find that one of the best ways for me to deal with stress is to get out of town, not think about school for awhile, and remember that there is a life outside of Optometry. I love what I'm doing and I could not be more confident in this career path, but sometimes we all need a little break :)
It still feels great to be a second-year. I think about all of the things we have learned and how far we've come, and I feel like we've accomplished so much already. We just had our first BIO (binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy) practical this morning and I am so thankful to have that out of the way. Another new thing this semester is our Clinical Communication and Patient Care course. Basically, this is our first introduction to the clinic, and as daunting as it is, I feel like it will be one of the most useful courses we take. We do a variation of things each week from school screenings to shadowing at the Eye Center to mock patient encounters. It's crazy to be doing the chair skills that we worked so hard on last year on real patients (even if they are 6 and 7 year olds) and it really has me looking forward to next year when we'll be in clinic. I also volunteered at a sports vision school screening for Christian Brothers University a few weeks ago, and got to again practice some chair skills while also learning about concussion and vision therapy as related to sports. I have no doubt that this year will be full of challenges, but I'm so happy to be learning so much more about optometry and optometric medicine. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel after all!
For now, I will continue to enjoy fall in Memphis. I'm looking forward to the Cooper Young Beer Festival this weekend, and am still somewhat paying attention to SEC football. Roll Tide!