SOCIAL

  THE WAY I SEE IT

“YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?”*

TAKE LESSONS FROM THESE GEMS FROM THE SILVER SCREEN

MARC BLOOMENSTEIN, O.D., F.A.A.O.

LIFE LESSONS can be learned with any situation. A Bojangles’ biscuit at 5 a.m. seemed like a good idea — your colon disagreed. Lesson learned. I find most life lessons can be gleaned from the cinema.

The movies are a microcosm of our environment. They teach us how to be frugal ­— yes I will use that popcorn refill for all of us now — and how to be patient — really, Facebook during the movie. However, the real beauty is in the dialogue. Too often I am reminded, “Don’t move until you see it” † or “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” ∆. I like it a lot.

CINEMATIC OPTOMETRY

When I walk into the exam room, the movie of our profession plays out as if in a large theater. What often comes to my mind is the speech that Jim Young gave to a rag tag group of brokers in “Boiler Room,” “And there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can’t. Either way, a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that’s it, I’m done.” (I actually get chills and a small, undetectable tear wells up in my left eye when I read this quote.)

My fellow O.D.s, gnaw on this tasty morsel of verbiage and how perfectly in sync it is with our role as eye care professionals. You have spent many dollars and years to achieve your ophthalmic acumen. When a patient sits in your chair, harken back to Dr. Jed Hill’s answer in “Malice” when asked if he has a God complex. He reminded the questioner that when a patient is in his chair, it is he who is providing care — and he alone.

MAKE THE SALE

Patients present to us for a myriad of reasons; oftentimes the diagnosis is not commensurate with the patient’s perception, and the treatment may be circuitous. How many times have you written a prescription only to find the patient did not fill it? Advise your amblyopic patient how important a polycarbonate is, only to find he opted for something cheaper? Tell your patient to return for a follow-up, only to find he did not come? Pause to ruminate the countless times you have said, “Well, my patients are not compliant!” As if that is reason to not treat.

I have considered the possibility that a temperament gas is pumped into optometric institutions inducing passiveness pertaining to enforcement of treatment plans. I have written about my disdain for the O.D. who “recommends” as opposed to mandates. Moreover, when I use my experience and training to diagnose and treat a patient, I go all Dr. Hill knowing I know I am doing what is in my patient’s best interest.

Optometry is inherently selling and as Mr. Young said, “Who is gonna close?” The goal in any patient encounter is to provide patients with tangible treatment. Another goal is to ensure patient compliance. Do so through confidence, authority and good clinical knowledge. Make the sale. Your patients need it from you.

Now my O.D. brethren, I want to know if you like apples?% OM

* “Taxi Driver”
† “Searching for Bobby Fischer”
∆ “The Godfather: Part III”
% “Goodwill Hunting”

DR. BLOOMENSTEIN currently practices at Schwartz Laser Eye Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is a founding member of the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology. Email him at mbloomenstein@gmail.com.