Final Reflections

For our final assignment, our mentor had us reflect on our mentorship experience for the last time through the following questions:

1.   What impact did this experience have on my personal growth?

~ This experience has allowed me to mature at a very pivotal point in my life through experiencing the professional world. I believe that this has given me an advantage when compared to other students. I am prepared at an early stage in my life for what my future will bring me. 

2.  What was my greatest accomplishment?

~ My greatest accomplishment through my mentorship was my community presentation. I believe that through extensive research and help from my mentors, I was able to put together a concise guide on eye health for the general public. 

3.  What did you find most challenging about the mentorship?

~ I worked in a mentorship that involved the medical field, and with the medical field comes a boatload of privacy rules. So I found these rules particularly difficult: finding the right balance between simple curiosity and crossing that HIPAA line. 

4.  What did you discover about yourself?

~ I found that I really enjoy patient interactions. Last year, I worked with a pathologist, and that experience involved work in a laboratory. This year, working with people showed me the more community-oriented side of medicine, which I enjoyed greatly. 

5.  What influence will this experience have on your future academic and career choices?

~ This definitely solidified my future career plan and made me even more optimistic and hopeful for my future. 

6.  What did you learn from people you admire in the organization?

~ Working with my mentors gave me valuable and practical insights into the medical field. They have inspired me to keep on the path that I am on, and pursue my dreams of becoming a physician. 

Thanks for reading. And wish me good luck!

Joanne

A Short Video

I uploaded a short video about my mentorship experience to YouTube. I hope you enjoy!

Joanne Jacob

The End is Near

The final presentation approaches!
     As it does, our advisor has asked us to look over our experiences, look at our successes and failures, what we liked, and what we didn’t. 
     Starting with positives, I have greatly enjoyed working with each and every employee at my mentorship. They have all been very accepting of me and eager to teach me what they do. I have also been able to see a great variety of things, and learn from them about eye health, and what working in the health professions would be like. I believe that I have succeeded in really delving into the opthalmology world, and preparing myself to educate the community on eye health. 
     On the other hand, I have been disappointed in some regards. Because I can only attend my mentorship after school, I am limited in the surgical procedures that I can sit in on. I also have been struggling even more this year with time management, especially with all of the toils of senior year and applying to colleges. However, I believe that though exhausted, I have learned how to go through the fire. I have learned much this year, and I know that it will definitely help in college, and in my future in the professional world. 

Joanne 

Is This What I Really Want to Do?

        Working in a mentorship means that you are faced with the real job-force everyday, not a controlled environment like school. But I find this inspiring as well, a foreseeable result of my hard work and long years of education. 
I work with a variety of people, at various stages of education, at various levels of training, but all related to the same field: eyes. I most commonly shadow optometrists, but what I truly aspire to become is an ophthalmologist. While optometrists do the traditional four years of undergraduate, followed by four years of optometry school, ophthalmology is more intensive. Four years of undergraduate, followed by four years of medical school, and then more years of fellowship if you so desire. But I think the result, the ability to help people and benefit humanity, is worth the hardships. 
In my workplace, though, I find that all of the employees and doctors work together seamlessly. The technicians do the simple labors, the optometrists perform refractions, and the ophthalmologists perform laser procedures and surgeries. I find that each group is set aside work that matches their training, but blend seamlessly to create an environment that best suits the patient. I personally enjoy the work that deals with the patients in-person, that doctor-patient relationship is invaluable in the practice of medicine. 
My mentorship has not only pushed me to evaluate my future, but also appreciate the little things, like a genial handshake or genuine concern. 

What do you like most about visiting the doctor?

Joanne  

Update: My Experience

I have greatly enjoyed my experience at my mentorship so far and that mostly stems from the interpersonal relationships that I have developed with my mentors and “co-workers.” 

Throughout the office, every employee I have come across is not only kind and caring, but are also incredibly enthusiastic to teach me and share their expertise with me. For a student seeking to learn, this is the perfect environment to grow. The “culture” within my mentorship is one of compassion, good-natured banter, and genuine care. It is truly the “ideal employer” for their understanding and patience for their employees and co-workers. 

In addition to this, the organization that I mentor with is strongly rooted in their community. Not only do they care for their community members, but they take the time to truly get to know them. The doctors and technicians greet the patients, ask them about their families, and whether they’ll be at church that Sunday; the extent to which they are involved with their patients is inspiring. Also, I can recall numerous occurrences when a patient would try to recall a certain diabetes specialist who referred them, and the doctor would list numerous individuals until they inevitably name the correct one. I believe that this is merely and indicator of how involved they are with both their local community and the medical community. 

Finally, as a mentorship, my organization is superb. They are eager to teach me and allow me to see and experience a variety of medical procedures. But what I also see is that the concept of “mentorship” is prevalent outside of my own experiences. I see a weathered optometrist offer advice to the trainee. I see a technology expert help out the surgeon with the laser cataract tools. I see a technician showing a receptionist how to properly organize a procedure chart. 

I am inspired by my mentorship to not only delve deeper into medicine, but also give back to my community, my peers, and those who may look up to me. 

I Ask Some Questions

To further my exploration into the pathway of my mentorship, I conducted an interview with a technician that I work closely with. These technicians are heavily trained in eye health issues, and are very knowledgeable. The question I asked is bolded, the response italicized, and my reflection both bolded and italicized.

1.       What are some of the most common eye problems that are easily avoidable?

a.      Well, just getting your eyes checked, through refraction, is the best way to maintain good eye condition. Letting your eyes focus the way they are meant to can help avoid vision impairment or loss.

b.      This makes sense. If your eyes can focus correctly, this should avoid stress on the retina, nerves, or muscles surrounding the eye.

2.       What are some general tips to maintain good external eye health?

a.      Cleanliness is key. Whenever you handle your glasses or contact, or anything near your eyes for that matter, it’s always best to wash your hands. You never know what kind of germs you pick up throughout the day. Even small particles can irritate your eyes.

b.      More people should adhere to this rule. Eye infections can be easily prevented by washing your hands before handling things that contact your eyes.  

3.       How often should someone get their eyes checked?

a.      The general rule is every two years. If you have preexisting conditions or present troubling symptoms, immediate visit to your ophthalmologist is recommended.

b.      Does it change based on age?

                                                               i.      Oh yes, it does. Your first exam should generally be at three, but that is generally conducted through your general care provider. After that, there is need to get your eyes checked unless problems arise. But after the age of 20, the two year rule is fine.

c.       I remember getting eye exams in school. It is great that the school system is getting involved in maintaining their student’s well-being. Better start young!

4.       What are common symptoms that alert a patient to visit an eye specialist?

a.      General symptoms that we see or patients come in with are excessive dryness, pain, inflammation, difficulty reading, or difficulty seeing at night. However, eye health is very delicate, so anytime a problem arises, it is always best to come in to be safe.

b.      I visited the eye doctor when I couldn’t read the board. People should make their vision a priority. Do not take it for granted!

5.       If a patient is diabetic, what are some possible eye health complications that could arise?

a.      A patient with diabetes definitely has serious risk for problems with eye health. However, with regular check-ups progression of these conditions can be prevented. Some diseases that can arise include glaucoma, cataracts, and retinopathy.

b.      Because diabetes can cause damage to nerves, it makes sense that it would affect the nerves of the eyes as well. I was surprised to learn that diabetic patients are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma as the regular population.

c.       What is retinopathy?

                                                               i.      That is a general term for conditions that affect the retina. This can damage eyesight greatly.

6.       Does electronic use damage the eyes?

a.      It definitely has an effect on the dryness of the eyes. We have found that when using electronics, your eyes tend to blink less, exacerbating the natural dryness and preventing the natural lubrication of the surface of the eye. I’m not sure of concrete data that supports the idea that electronic use damages your prescription.

b.      I do find that using electronics is incredibly taxing on the eyes. It’s curious that our eyes blink less when looking at an electronic screen. I wonder why?

7.       Does reading damage your eyes?

a.      Once again, it depends on the type of screen you are reading on. But in general, reading in poor light does not damage your vision, but can cause eye strain, which can be painful, or cause blurriness.

b.      This is actually a common myth. Reading in dim light was believed to damage your vision, but in fact doctors have proved that wrong!

8.       Does ultraviolet light damage the eyes?

a.      Definitely! The wavelength of light that comes from the sun, that you and I are regularly exposed to, can damage your eyes. It can cause macular degeneration, dystrophies, or solar retinitis. But this is usually associated with excessive UV exposure.

b.      Can the use of sunglasses prevent this?

                                                               i.      If the sunglasses have UV radiation block tint, they can definitely reduce the harmful exposure on your eyes. It’s always best to keep sunglasses on hand.

c.       I never knew that ultraviolet light was so damaging to the retina. However, we use sunscreen for our skin, to prevent the UV from manipulating the cells of our skin. It is only logical that we make a screen for our eyes as well.

9.       How are migraines and eyes connected?

a.      Usually what we consider migraines are really tension headaches. If you feel these headaches around your eye areas, it is usually caused by the straining of the muscles surrounding your eyes. The cause of ocular migraines, in which you experience blindness or eye spots, is not concretely known. It is thought to be caused by damage of the blood vessels on the retina.

b.      I was particularly curious about this because I have ocular migraines myself. But I did not know that these are closely related to tension headaches. It is often best to focus on relaxing for face muscles. We often involuntarily strain these sensitive muscles.

10.   What is the effect of make-up on eye condition?

a.      It’s always best to avoid makeup around your eyes when you have eye complications. If you have an infection, just throw out your eye makeup because it could all be infected. But if the condition is not too serious, make sure you avoid makeup with large particles,  glitter, or residue that could run into your eyes.

b.      This was another personal curiosity. I often found that eye makeup really irritates my eyes. Now I will make sure to avoid large particles.

What did you learn?

Joanne

Halftime Reflection

My first-half of the school year has been well-spent at my mentorship. This experience has been very different from last year, partly because it is a private practice clinic, rather than a hospital lab. This means that I am immersed into a large community of fellow workers, and have face-to-face patient interaction on my every visit.

                Curiously, my most memorable experience has NOT been a patient interaction, although those are unique. My favorite experience has been working down in the surgery center. I had the privilege of shadowing the doctor on duty as they go around their morning surgeries. I was struck by the immense role of technology and precision.

                However, while surgery has been very interesting to watch, I have learned the most from patient interactions. One day, a patient came into the office and was uncooperative, rude, and overall unpleasant. I noticed how the workers handled the situation, no doubt something they had experienced before. That day, I learned that patience is a key characteristic that a successful physician must possess. This will allow them to do their job, but also provide a secure and trusting environment. I will definitely integrate this idea in my own future practice. I have learned that being a physician and working in the medical field involves more than just medications and surgery. Being a doctor also means treating the patient wholly (mentally and physically), and ensuring that their well-being is put first.

                If anything, it has only driven me further down the path towards being a physician. Now I can set down this path with a more well-rounded idea and educated approach.

Joanne