Weekly Report #12 (11/24)

This week in ISM I have completed a research assessment, call log, guest list, and research speech self-evaluation. Through my research assessment, I was able to learn about the causes of vision loss. Apparently, vision loss occurs because either our cornea, lens, optic nerve, or retina becomes damaged. In class, we did a team building activity in which we passed around notecards. Each notecard had the name of a movie title or TV show, and it was up to us to guess what movie it had based upon the pictures our classmates drew. Through this activity, we learned about the importance of communication and how oftentimes miscommunication can occur. This week in ISM, I also made a guest list to invite people for our upcoming research showcase which will be in December. The research showcase will be an opportunity for me to showcase what I have done in ISM so far. The last thing I did was evaluate how I thought my speech went. Overall, I felt my speech went well and I just need to work on making my movements more purposeful and reducing my filler words. Next week, I will be working on finishing up my last two interview assessments and may even start putting my display board together. 

Weekly Report #11 (11/17)

This week in ISM I have given a research speech on optometry, made comments on other student’s speeches, and have also thought about who I want to be my mentor. Through my research speech, I was able to share with my class what I have done in ISM so far. I shared with them the research I have done on LASIK eye surgery as well as on eye dilation. I also talked about my research interviews and my experience at the business symposium. Overall, I really enjoyed giving the speech. The things that I need to work on are polishing my movements, using more inflection, and using less fillers. By watching other student’s speeches I was able to see the good things that they did and hopefully include them in my future speeches. The third thing I did this week was think about who I want to be my mentor. I really want to find a mentor who is patient and willing to teach me about optometry.  I would consider this week a success as I was able to complete all tasks and deliver my speech. Next week, I will be working on completing another research assessment and interview assessment. As well, I will finish my interview visit log.

Weekly Report #10 (11/10)

This week in ISM I have completed my third research assessment and have continued to prepare for my upcoming research speech. In class, we have mainly been watching other ISM student speeches and learning about what they have done during their time in ISM. From watching other speeches that were given, I will make sure to practice staying within the 12 minute time limit for my speech. I will also make sure that the text and pictures for my PowerPoint show up well on the projector. On my interview assessment, I reflected on my experience interviewing with Dr. Sylvester from Crystal Clear Image. Through the interview, I learned a lot about what a typical day of an optometrist is like, what optometry school is like, and what technological innovations are being made in optometry. I would say I was successful this week in ISM in that I was able to learn more about optometry and complete all my assessments on time. Next week will be the end of the second six weeks and I will put together my portfolio of the work I have done this six weeks in ISM. As well, I will be giving my research speech on Wednesday and share with the class what I have done for so far in ISM. 

Weekly Report #9 (11/3)

This week in ISM I have completed my fifth research assessment and second interview assessment. In class, I have received feedback for my display board plan and have also reviewed the mentor handbook. For my research assessment, I researched how to conduct an eye exam and learned about the different tests that optometrists perform. This information will be useful as it will help me understand what my future mentor is doing during an eye exam. For my interview assessment, I reflected on what I learned from interviewing Dr. Amy. From that interview, I learned about the essential qualities an optometrist, the pros and cons of optometry, and advice for what I should do in college. In class, the advice I received for my display board plan was extremely helpful. In order to make my display board standout, I will try to include a large 3D prop in the center of my board. As well, I will change my color scheme to something more optometry related. Overall, I would consider this week a success as I was able to learn about eye exams and also reflect on my second research interview. Next week, I will be writing another interview assessment and will be preparing for my research speech that is coming up on Wednesday (11/12).

Weekly Report #8 (10/27)

This week in ISM I have completed a research assessment, interview assessment, and display board plan. Through my research assessment, I was able to learn about the parts of the eye and was fascinated by its complexity. By doing this assessment, I was able to establish a better foundation in optometry so it will be easier for me to understand what optometrists are referring to. Through my interview assessment, I reflected on my experience interviewing with Dr. Christa Kim. Through the interview, I was able to learn about how the typical day of an optometrists is like, what the pros and cons of being an optometrist are, and the difference between working in a private practice vs. hospital setting. In class on Tuesday, we learned about the importance of creating a display board and how it is one of the only representations of our work that other people will see. Therefore, I worked extremely hard on designing a layout for my display board and thought carefully on what work I want to showcase. I would consider this week a success as I was able to learn more about the eye and also create a plan for my display board. Next week, I will be preparing for my research speech, and complete a research assessment as well as interview assessment.

Research Assessment #2

Research Assessment #2

Subject: LASIK eye surgery

Source: BoxerA, Brian S. "A Complete Guide to the LASIK Procedure." The LASIK Procedure: A Complete Guide. All About Vision, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/lasik.htm>.

Assessment:

            As I prepare to conduct research interviews in the near future, I want to learn as much as I can about the surgeries that eye doctors perform. One of the surgeries I am most interested in is the LASIK eye surgery as I plan on having one done on me in the future. Based off my research, in a LASIK eye surgery a small flap on the surface of the eye is cut, and then a laser is shined into the eye, reshaping the cornea and correcting the patient’s vision. The whole operation is painless and can be complete within 15 minutes.

            What surprised me most about LASIK eye surgery is the fact that the patient is awake the entire operation. Only a few eye drops are used to numb the patient before a surgeon uses a small blade to cut a flap in the patient’s eye. One thing I am still confused about is how the surgeon can get the patient to stay still enough for him or her to cut out the flap. Any small movement the patient makes could be catastrophic and could cause the surgeon to damage the patient’s eye. This made me realize that even though technology has advanced rapidly, manual dexterity is still required from eye doctors. Many parts of the LASIK eye surgery are still physically done by the eye doctor, and even the most advanced technology can’t make up for a lack of manual dexterity.

One thing I found slightly discouraging about LASIK eye surgery is its cost. On average, LASIK eye surgery costs $2000 per eye while the entire operation only lasts for 15 minutes. I personally think this may discourage some people from undergoing a LASIK surgery as they will opt for cheaper solutions such as glasses or contacts. However, in the future as technology improves, the price of such a surgery will go down, and more people will enjoy the benefits of undergoing a LASIK.

            My research on LASIK eye surgery has also enlightened me about how optometrists and ophthalmologists work together. Patients typically see their local optometrists when they have problems with their vision and are often informed by their optometrist about potential treatments such as LASIK. However, optometrists themselves do not carry out such operations, but rather refer their patients to ophthalmologists who specialize in eye surgery. This is relevant to my field of study as I need to know what duties each eye doctor is responsible for and how different eye doctors work together in the grand scheme of things.

After reading the website and learning more about Lasik eye surgery, I feel I have a much better idea of what is required of eye doctors. In addition to being knowledgeable about the eye, eye doctors must have a lot of manual dexterity as any mistake they make could cause permanent eye damage to their patients. As well, even though optometrists and ophthalmologists have different duties, they must work closely with one and another if they are to give their patients the best experience. Lastly, I feel I will be able to use the information I learned about LASIK eye surgery to conduct deeper and more thoughtful research interviews.

Research Assessment #1

Research Assessment #1

Subject: Qualities of a good optometrist

Source: Wong, Andrew. "Berkeley Optometry Focus." Berkeley Optometry Focus. University of     California, Mar. 2005. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://optometry.berkeley.edu/focus_magazine/focus02_wong.html>.

Assessment:

In order for my ISM journey to be successful, I need to know what qualities and skills are present in a good optometrist. As I researched, I came across many of the same characteristics and skills. Almost every site said that good optometrists are compassionate, caring, attentive, and have high scientific aptitude. But, one article in particular, written by Andrew Wong, stood out. Wong emphasized that everyone has different ideas of what makes a good doctor, and rather than let others dictate the doctor we become, we should “recall [our] personal vision of a good clinician and aim to become that kind of health care professional.”

After reading the article, I began to think and recall the first childhood image of what I thought was a good doctor. In my mind, the first image that appeared was one of my optometrist. I remembered the day when I entered her office and how I was extremely anxious as I didn’t want to get glasses. Yet when I finally met her, she was immediately able to calm me down and understand my worries. Instead of simply telling me to get over my fear of glasses, she actively worked with me to come up with a solution and prescribed me ortho-k contacts. One other quality I liked about her was how patient she was. Even though my ortho-k contacts didn’t fit right at first, she kept working with me and after three or four revisions they fit perfectly, giving me 20/20 vision. Thus, she never gave up on me, and kept trying until everything was perfect. To me, she represented the ideal doctor I one day hope to become.

Reminiscing on this encounter immediately made me realize the qualities I have and the ones that I need to work on in order to become a good eye doctor. While I think I have the scientific aptitude and work ethic to become an optometrist, I think what I need to work on most are my communication skills. I want to be able to make personal connections with my patients and make them feel like they are in good hands. As well, I want to make my patients feel like they are welcome and want them to enjoy coming to me. In order to achieve this, I will pay more attention to the subtle things I do such as how I use my body language to portray my feelings. As well, in my everyday life, I will try to hold more conversations with people and practice making connections with them.

One other thing I learned from reading Wong’s article was that student’s often try to impress their teachers or mentors and often find themselves, subconsciously or not, conforming to the qualities their teachers value. To make sure I develop the qualities I think are important in an eye doctor, I must choose carefully who I want to be my mentor. When I am choosing my mentor, I will be sure to look for someone with good communication skills. I want my mentor to be someone who is patient and compassionate so I can develop the same qualities he or she has. I will also be looking for a mentor who is not afraid to point out my flaws and tell me when I am wrong. I understand only through recognizing and learning from my mistakes will I be able to improve and work towards my goal.

In the end, the article made me realize that I didn’t need to spend the time searching for what qualities make a good eye doctor. The truth is everyone has their own ideas of what makes the ideal doctor and no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to impress everyone. Rather, I simply need to pursue and work on the qualities I think will make me a good eye doctor.