Get an Early Start on Your Career
A new grad offers some eye-opening strategies.
By Kevin L. Gee, O.D., F.A.A.O., Temple, Texas

Are you preparing for the future? No, not tomorrow or next week. I mean the future, as in your career in optometry. I know you don't have any time, but I'm here to help.

Too often, in school we're so engulfed with studies, we lose sight of our goals and end up taking a "job" after graduation. Preparation can save you a lot of stress and help you find the opportunity you want rather than settling for what's left.

The day you proudly append O.D. to your name, you will have worked diligently for 4 years. You deserve to have exactly what you want. Whether you're just starting optometry school or in the last semester, you still have time to prepare. Here are a few tips.

1st YEAR

Congratulations, you've made it into optometry school! Now, study your schedule, figure out how much time you have to spare and contact local optometrists. Practicing optometrists realize that you are the future of optometry and most are willing to let you observe or volunteer. Some may even offer you part-time employment.

Realistically, it may be difficult to find employment that fits your limited time, but if you do land a position, you can take the opportunity to build vital time-management skills. You'll be exposed to real-world optometry, and you'll begin to form ideas of what you want to do when you're finally out of school.

How do you find these local O.D.s? Contact your state optometric association. Some state associations have mentoring programs; others may be able to put you in touch with optometrists who welcome students to observe their practices. And stay alert for networking opportunities.

At first, I worked on Saturdays, helping with filing and appointment scheduling. Gradually, the doctor gave me more responsibilities, such as teaching contact lens application and removal, optical sales, edging and dispensing spectacle lenses and conducting preliminary work-ups. He gave me the opportunity to turn my lessons into practical experience.

2nd YEAR

You often hear practicing optometrists talk about needing a business background to manage a practice. Before I continue -- and before you skip this paragraph -- I'm not just talking about O.D.s who own private practices. Management skills are invaluable in any practice setting.

For example, I practice in a hospital where I don't necessarily have to be concerned with managing finances to make ends meet. But I do supervise technicians, set up my clinic schedule and develop efficient protocols, all of which require management skills.

The point is, if you can find the time, take a business management course. If your undergraduate curriculum included business courses, you're ahead of the game. Too many of us have to learn these skills the hard way -- on our own.

If you don't have time for a formal class, at least check out some books that can put you on the right track. Some of the best are written by practicing O.D.s:

• "Optometric Practice Management" (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003) by Irving Bennett, O.D., is easy to understand and well-organized. This book presents strategies for hiring, interviewing and maintaining staff, as well as entry-level finances.
• For a more in-depth study of finances, plus guides for making mission statements and personal statements, "Eyecare Busine$$" (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001) by Gary Moss, O.D., and Peter Shaw-McMinn, O.D., is an excellent tool.

3rd YEAR

This is really when the rubber hits the road. No pressure, but right about now you should have some idea of the type of practice you'd like to pursue. Notice I said "pursue," not "lock in an offer." I think it's premature (and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone to commit) to accept an offer for a practice opportunity 2 years from graduation. Circumstances change. Better offers may come your way. But now's the time to consider seriously what type of optometry you want to practice.

One way to explore you options is to choose your external rotations wisely. While some of your classmates are planning 3-month "vacations" to exotic places to do their rotations, you may have to "sacrifice" getting a great tan in favor of learning what you want to do with the rest of your life. Here's what to think about when researching your external rotation opportunities:

1. If you already know what type practice you'd like to get into, choose a relevant externship site. If you prefer a multidisciplinary setting, look for an ophthalmology group or a hospital.

2. If you're still undecided, your externships will help you narrow your career choices.

3. If you know where you'd like to practice, do a rotation in that area.

This is the time to start preparing your curriculum vitae (CV). You'll need it as you enter your last year of school and begin your rotations. A CV is a resume that describes your education, work experience in the field, association memberships, licensure, honors, achievements and publications relevant to the profession.

4th YEAR

You've made it through your classes, and now it's time to show your stuff at your external rotations. Here are some tips to make the most of your experience:

1. Observe as many surgeries as possible. You'll be much more fluent when explaining procedures to your patients, and your patients will feel more at ease knowing that you're conversant with the procedure for which you're referring them. Do this now. When you start practicing, it's much more difficult to break away to observe surgeries.

2. If you're rotating with an optometrist, observe his practice habits, business decisions, and how he handles patient care and patient flow. Also, try to schedule some time to visit other practices and referral sources. You'll definitely observe different methods for managing a practice. Use this knowledge to formulate your own management style.

3. If your rotation is near where you'd like to settle, get to know the referral sources (the good ones and the bad ones) in that area. Investigate the optometric climate. Learn which ophthalmologists are "O.D.-friendly." Find out if that corner you have your heart set on for your practice has six other optometrists within a half-mile radius. Figure out what the opinion of the community is toward optometrists. And get involved with the local optometric society. Stay alert for great networking opportunities that could help you further your career.

GO FOR IT

All this said, I understand the prospect of looking for employment can seem overwhelming in a competitive and somewhat saturated market. Some experts advise promoting a quality that sets you apart from others, but it's equally -- if not more -- important to start early and gain an advantage by preparing for the challenges ahead.

Believe me, I didn't have it all together when I started school. I was relieved that I was accepted into optometry school, and I had to feel my way through the process that I've shared with you. These tips aren't hard-and-fast but just a guide to get you started and thinking.

If you take anything away from this article, I encourage you not to settle for a "job." When you can wake up in the morning and look forward to the day to come, that's not work, it's not a job, it's fulfillment for all you've achieved through your schooling. You've worked hard. You deserve it. Settle for nothing less!