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THE UNIQUE SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

Make ’Em Laugh

Comedy has helped me to keep and attract patients

RACHEL HOLDEN, O.D., WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

If patients don’t trust you, they won’t stick with you as their optometrist. Some O.D.s instill patient trust by focusing on showing patients they genuinely care about them when they ask about their well-being, outside interests and family members. Others zoom in on their clinical prowess and knowledge of technology. I’d like to think I do some of this as well, but primarily I use comedy to achieve patient trust.

Why comedy?

I find that injecting an appropriate amount of humor into my consults helps patients to relax, while creating an almost instant rapport. This translates into patient trust. I define “appropriate” as steering clear of religious and political statements and never acting like a clown. No one wants a clown O.D., except maybe children, and really they just want you to be able to juggle. (No kidding! One little kid said to me, “You know, my last optometrist could juggle.” I replied, “Wow. I can’t even compete with that.” But, my young patients love it when I ask, “How high will the chair go?” and/or share a funny story. Having two kids of my own helps me to relate to my young patients, too.)

Dr. Holden performing stand-up.

I stick with light-hearted humor, such as, “You get that big comfy chair, and I’ll have that other one,” when I walk patients to the exam room. I also often say, “I have to put these drops in your eyes. No one likes the drops. I have to do it. If someone were to tell me he likes the drops, I would think he was kind of weird.”

If I can get a patient to laugh or smile within the first four minutes, I’ve won him or her over. If not, I realize the patient just wants to get in and out, and I immediately get down to business. No harm. No foul.

Humor’s influence

I have had new patients say, “My mom (or friend) told me she really enjoyed her eye exam with you.” (No one ever says they enjoy an eye exam.) Also, new patients have told me they saw me do stand-up and wanted to get their eyes examined by me.

I have been performing as a stand-up comedian since I began practicing optometry in 2003. I’ve won some awards, and currently I do a lot of corporate and eyecare association gigs throughout Canada. (I’d love to come to the U.S., but getting a Visa is beyond difficult.) Many of my performances include optometry tidbits. For example, I once had a patient who presented with broken, wet glasses and asked whether I could fix them. I asked him, “Why are they all wet?” He replied, “Oh, they fell in the urinal, so I came right over.” Um, thanks for giving me the opportunity to look at them?

Smiles are worthwhile

“There is little success where there is little laughter,” famed businessman Andrew Carnegie once said. Why not try a little light-hearted humor in your practice? OM

Dr. Holden goes by Rachel Sommer for her stand-up performances. Her website is http://rachelsommer.ca. She is currently trying to sell “Hindsight,” a TV series she stars in about her life as an O.D. by day and comedian by night.

DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PRACTICE? E-MAIL JENNIFER.KIRBY@PENTAVISIONMEDIA.COM. OM OFFERS AN HONORARIUM FOR PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS.