Zero to Five Pathfinder: Spotlight Joanne Han Qiao

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NewOptometrist.ca puts the spotlight on Zero to Five Pathfinders

Joanne Han Qioa UW 2021

PathFinder Spotlight:

Joanne Han Qiao

Undergraduate Studies
McMaster University in Biochemistry.

Post Graduate
Master of Science, UW, Centre for Ocular Research and Education 

Optometry:
University of Waterloo 4th year  –  2021 Graduating Class

Why did you choose Optometry?
As a child, learning to read the clock was a very challenging task to me, until I was fit with glasses to correct my myopia at the age of five. The ability to tell time suddenly clicked, as I was able to see the increments on the clock hanging on my living room wall for the first time.

However, my myopia continued to progress and I knew something was not right. My advancing prescription became one of my worst fears, and I would always ‘rest’ my eyes or do ‘eye exercises’ before visiting the optometrist.

Unlike most kids, instead of the dentist, I was scared to visit my eye doctor. A few years later, I was recommended to be fit with Ortho-K lenses as a new management for myopia, which acted as a source of tremendous hope and comfort to me.

All these experiences increased my fascination with the field of optometry and I am excited to be able to pay forward all the care that I was provided by my optometrist.

What are your future plans?
I would love to be able to return to academia sometime in the future. It would allow me to fulfill my goals to be not only a clinician, but also a mentor and researcher.

What is currently the most exciting thing in your field to help patients?
Along with the changing lifestyle of the 21st century, there is a growing need for dry eye management. It’s an exciting field because there are so many treatment and management options we have available now.

As my supervisor used to tell his patients “You don’t have to suffer”, because there are things we can do about it.

What is your definition of success or what habits make you a successful person?
Growing up Asian, I thought grades were everything when it comes to going down the right path to a successful career. I was very wrong. If you find your passion and meet the right people, then success will follow naturally.

Something that I started doing is to say ‘Yes!’ to every opportunity I get. I’ll know if I truly enjoy doing something only after I give it a try.

So along these lines I have a motto:  Know the best. Recommend the Best.   We try to pass that on to our patients. We try to tell them what is new in treatments, eye wear, contacts…etc.

What is your favorite TV show / Netflix series?
Typically, my favorite TVs shows are in the genre of sci-fi (Marvel) and fantasy (Game of Thrones). However, recently, I fancied a change from my typical taste and found myself binge-watching Bridgerton.

If you had a time machine what year would you travel to and why?
It would definitely be 20 years into the future, when I will become presbyopic. I really want to know if we would have found a way to overcome presbyopia by then.

Tell me something few people know about you?
I have a talent for lucid dreaming and I can remember most of my dreams when I wake up. As a result, I have created a world that I often return when I fall asleep. So, when I tell people I love sleeping, I mean it.

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Targeting – The Key to Marketing Spend Efficiency

Advertising & Promotion, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Resources

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Research suggests that around 39 percent of adults consult an eye care professional once a year. While an eye visit is a routine consumer activity, getting your share of the right types of patients is anything but ordinary.  And, doing so on a small budget is even more challenging.

Marketing your optometry business involves a careful analysis of marketing strategies and organizing a well thought-out marketing plan. Here is how you can attract and retain your ideal patient on a budget:

Benefits of Targeting the Ideal Patient
To make your optometric practice more effective and cover all your costs, it is imperative that you use relevant marketing tactics to attract the ideal type of patients. With the right patients coming in, you will be able to:

· Earn a higher return on investment

· Understand patient needs better

· Market your services in a cost-effective manner

Being able to target the right client base through better marketing strategies will enable your clients to have a better understanding of what services to expect. Having a good idea of what your customers want will also help you add value to your products and services.

There are 2 simple steps to identify the ideal target market:

1. Marketing Segmentation

Analyze the primary characteristics of your ideal patient. Start with segmenting the market intodemographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioural categories. Evaluate where your target market stands in order to move closer to achieving a holistic overview of your ideal patient.

2. Patient Persona

Once you have completed segmenting the market, you are bound to have a good idea about your ideal patient. Ask yourself what kind of patients you enjoy working with the most. List down some common attributes based on health attitudes, income, occupation, interests, habits, age and method of payment.

Figuring out the ideal patient does not mean you should refuse to treat those who do not meet your criteria. The goal is to make your business more profitable by prioritizing quality over quantity.

Marketing Tactics to Attract and Retain Your Ideal Patient
Good marketing strategies for your optometric practice do not have to be expensive; they just need to be efficient. You should aim to market your products and services in a way that they provide valuable information to your target audience while increasing brand loyalty.

You can easily minimize your budget once you figure out details regarding your ideal patient and optimize your marketing tactics and spending accordingly.

Both traditional marketing and online marketing strategies are likely to benefit your business as long as you ensure you pick and choose the right ones based on the clientele you wish to attract and retain.

Conventional Marketing
Although the internet is gaining popularity as a marketing platform, it has not yet eliminated the need for conventional marketing practices. Some vital tactics include:

1. Referral program

A patient referring your practice to other people is not only an efficient marketing strategy but is also a compliment as it assures you that you are doing your job well.

Start a referral program by offers such as a voucher, discount, gas card or lucky draw token. This is a good way to show your appreciation and promote your services.

2. Take out time for local charities

Strengthen your brand loyalty by joining charities. This will help build trust and establish the reliability of your optometry practice.

When patients notice your efforts to give back to the community, they will hold you and your practice in higher regard.

3. Broadcast or outdoor ads

An eye-catching advertisement or an infectious jingle will not fail to get noticed. Radio is an effective and reasonable medium to tap the local market.

A well-designed billboard ad is also likely to be retained by people. Whenever they will feel the need to consult an optometrist, they may recall your advertisement.

Online Marketing
In this day and age, the scope of digital marketing is growing tremendously. Having a noticeable online presence allows you to attract a large customer base and is easy on the pocket.

1. Email Marketing

Keep sending emails to your clients from time to time to reinforce their preference for your products and services. Ask people for their email addresses when they register with your services.

You can email people about new offers, newsletters, and reminders for yearly check-ups. Moreover, you can also market in subtle ways by sending out informative emails regarding eye health.

2. Website and SEO

Focus on developing a website that is designed well and provides visitors with valuable information about your products and services. When patients search for an optometrist’s services, they are bound to use a search engine rather than a traditional phonebook, which is why it is important to have an effective and professional online presence.

Make sure the visitors on your website enjoy a good user experience. In order to be visible to the right kind of users, your website must be optimized for search engines.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process that ensures that the site is structured in a way to rank higher on the search engine results page. It involves tweaking your website to increase its loading speed, making it mobile-friendly and placing visible calls-to-action to convert visitors into customers. Consider hiring an expert.

3. Social Media Marketing

The latest findings show that as many as 2.7 billion people are active on Facebook every month. The importance of maintaining your presence on social media cannot be overstated.

Make sure you are visible to your target audience on leading social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Routinely update your clientele about new offers and practices to keep them engaged.

Choose your marketing platforms wisely in order to attract and retain your ideal patient. Both conventional marketing and digital marketing avenues can be used in a cost-effective manner one you have a clear idea of your target audience and the way to reach them.

References:

1. Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/917000/optometrist-ophthalmologist-visit-frequency-among-adults-us/

2. Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/

MARIA SAMPALIS

is the founder of Corporate Optometry, a peer-to-peer web resource for ODs interested to learn more about opportunities in corporate optometry. Canadian ODs and optometry students can visit www.corporateoptometry.com to learn more.

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Is Big Corporate the Best Option?

Practice, Resources

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We live in a time of rapid change and dislocation that rivals any period in recent history.

Change is Everywhere and Accelerating, but…
Anarchists right and left want to dismantle something that has proven to work—flaws and all. The U.S. is in a state of flux politically with sweeping implications.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc globally. Big Tech companies provide many platforms where people can publish both their best and worst thoughts and actions—AND allows for the promotion or demotion of a current demagogue seemingly at will.

Businesses have been dismantled, diminished and destroyed by events beyond their control.

Big and corporate for some of us means better and necessary, while others lament over what happens to small, local businesses and entrepreneurs with long standing, often family-based, individualized values.

What is fair for the individual health care practitioner who wishes to continue the tradition established by sole practitioners over many years of personalized care centering on the aforementioned individualized service and care model?

Is Growth the Only Measure of Success?
Many professionals do not want to go the “corporate” route and watch their creation absorbed by a larger entity that pays no homage to tradition.

The value of passing the torch to a like-minded “pro” who may take care and service to a higher-level building on the sweat equity of the former doctor. This does and can happen.

Many economic gurus are now challenging the wisdom of never-ending growth as a measure of success. We all know that bigger is not always better—that many things get lost in this process.

Where to Draw the Line?
Practitioners accept that there is a time when “enough is enough”.

A time to “stick to your knitting” and perfect what you do best and measure success not just in the financial rewards but also in the smiles and gratitude of your clients/patients.

This means that your goals shift from money to professional competency and increased health care achievement—something you set out to achieve all those years ago in the midst and miracle of your training to do so.

There is an alternative to the corporatization of healthcare providers and suppliers.

History has proven this and will continue to do so.

Jackie Joachim, COO ROI Corp

JACKIE JOACHIM

Jackie has 30 years of experience in the industry as a former banker and now the Chief Operating Officer of ROI Corporation. Please contact her at Jackie.joachim@roicorp.com or 1-844-764-2020.

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Compensation

Human Resources, Managing Others, Talent Acquisition

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people management

This job would be easy if it wasnt for the the people!

Anonymous

by Maria Sampalis, OD

Compensation plans for optometric practices need to be executed carefully since they are a significant expenses for an optometry clinic.

You need to do is the right way to ensure that you don’t end up costing the clinic too much money. Here are five critical steps required to implement a proper action plan that will make the entire process more efficient.

1. Determining the Right Market Pay Rate for Every Position
Each position at the clinic will require a different compensation amount. You will need to use a salary survey to establish bands for salaries. These bands are basic groupings of existing salary rates based on the experience of the candidate or the employee. You will need to determine the amounts for senior, mid-career, and entry-level positions. This can help you make decisions about hiring and raises.

Publishers’s NOTE:  Published Salary rate bands are difficult to come by in Canada.  With a little bit of effort, data points may be available with minimal cost or even free of charge at PayScale.com.

2. Creating Comprehensive Job Descriptions for Every Position
You should think carefully about the responsibilities and duties of every position.

Having a detailed and proper job description that includes duties, required skills, educational levels, and working hours can help the candidates and employees understand their position in a better way.

The description should also have a summary of expected employee behaviour.

The more accurate you are, the more realistically the employees can approach the task. The optometrists should make sure that the employees do their tasks well, and the job description can help with that.

3. Explain the Entire Process to the Team
Making sure you are transparent is the most important thing.

You should answer any questions and make sure the employees know everything they can about the job.

You should also meet with every employee individually to make sure they have a clear understanding of the expectations and compensation plan. This process will pay off in the long run.

4. Ensuring Team Accountability
The performance standards and responsibilities need to be met, but don’t wait till the end of the year to update the employees on their standing.

You should give regular and clear feedback throughout the year to ensure that they are able to improve their performance. Frequent evaluations and reviews will help them, and they will definitely appreciate it too.

5. Reviewing Team Performance, Revenue, and Potential Raises
Evaluate who are the top performers for the year and reward them before anyone else.

Then, you should look at the employees who may not have met your expectations and consider other options.

For example, you can look for new hires or provide a chance for them to develop further. Offering formal reviews for all the team members can help.

Optometry compensation plans may not always be easy to execute, but only if you don’t follow the right steps. It doesn’t have to be such a complicated procedure if you have an action plan in place

MARIA SAMPALIS

is the founder of Corporate Optometry, a peer-to-peer web resource for ODs interested to learn more about opportunities in corporate optometry. Canadian ODs and optometry students can visit www.corporateoptometry.com to learn more.

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CRO (Clinical & Refractive Optometry) Journal and CE Online Service

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Clinical and Refractive Optometry online logo

CRO Online provides new Optometrists the opportunity to extend the intensive learning paradigm beyond academia through challenging case studies and comprehensive topic reviews  – all for CE credits as well.

Category:    Online Journal & Continuing Education

CRO is a  digital journal offering COPE accredited CE courses online. The journal focuses on a wide range of clinical and scientific topics of interest to optometrists and in everyday practice.

Articles are also presented as COPE accredited courses, which are accepted by provincial/state  regulators across North America. Current issues of the journal are available online.  View the Journal.

CRO Journal is open-access and peer reviewed.

CRO is a division of VuePoint IDS Inc., a Canadian owned and operated company.

Each CRO Journal article is also a COPE-accredited course. The articles are available in a companion website: CRO Online. Credit is earned by completing a 10 question quiz which is graded immediately. The accreditation certificate is available in your CRO dashboard, ready to send to your College.

The vast majority of course authors are ODs practicing in challenging and high patient volume clinical settings , such as university clinics and Veterans’ Affairs hospitals in US.  Cases are selected for their learning value to primary care optometric physicians.

All CRO (Clinical & Refractive Optometry) online courses are peer-reviewed three times: By the CRO Editorial board, by an independent review board at a bona fide school of Optometry in North America, and then finally by an independently assigned COPE reviewer.

Multiple ways to purchase CE

At CRO Online CE you can create a free account and purchase CE when you want. Alternatively, you can pre-purchase course credits of 5 or 10 hours that can be applied anytime.  The best value is to purchase full access to any course at anytime with a full ANNUAL (365 days) Premium Package.

All prices are in Canadian $ 
(CRO is owned and operated by a Canadian Company, VuePoint IDS Inc.)

+Each course is purchased à la carte
+All courses available for individual purchase
+Membership never expires ( delete account anytime)
+Get email notification of each new issue of the journal

+Pre-purchase 5 x 1-hour credits
+Apply credits to any course in the catalog
+Can use credits anytime over a one-year period.
+Get email notification of each new issue of the journal

+Pre-purchase 10 x 1-hour credits
+Apply credits to any course in the catalog
+Can use credits anytime over a one-year period.
+Get email notification of each new issue of the journal

+All courses in the catalog are available at no added cost
+Annual membership is valid for 365 days
+Use credits at anytime to take any CRO course
+Get email notification of each new issue of the journal

View the CRO catalog of courses.
All courses can be previewed before enrolling

Frequently Asked Question

Course instructors are mostly from challenging clinical settings including Optometry School clinics and VA hospitals. They share their challenging case studies through CRO to further the education of the profession.  Course authors are not compensated for their manuscripts.

 

Yes.  In fact CRO is 3X peer reviewed:

  • By CRO Editorial Board
  • Independently by a COPE authorized School of Optometry
  • By a COPE assigned reviewer

 

There are a limited number of free courses that are “granted” by commercial interests.

 

Approximately $20 per 1 hour COPE accredited course.  There are a limited number of 2-hour courses.

 

Yes, you can upgrade at any time after signing up. You can create a basic membership for free. This provides access to the entire CRO course catalog.  You can upgrade to Annual Premium Subscriber which provides access to all CRO Courses at no additional charge for a 365 day period. You can take those courses anytime, any where.

 

The communication and upload of certificates to ARBO is a manual process which causes a delay – ARBO does not offer an API.  So, for the moment, we are not providing direct upload to ARBO. Your COPE certificate will be immediately generated for download in the dashboard.  Nevertheless, we have put this task on our development path.

 

Ready to Sign up to CRO?  Click one of the buttons below.
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Insight with Dr. Michael Nelson

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Dr. Michael Nelson was born and raised in Wetaskiwin, Alberta

After graduation from UW School of Optometry in 1994 he completed a residency in family practice and low vision at the University of Alabama School of Optometry.

He was past president of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists and
current president of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

Dr. Michael Nelson

Doctorate of Optometry from the University Of Waterloo (1994)

Co-awarded the Manitoba Optometrist of the Year.  (2014)

Current President of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (2019 – 2021)

 

Why did you choose your field?
I have a couple reasons.

I grew up on a hog farm in a small town in Alberta called Wetaskiwin. While I loved growing up on a farm one thing shoveling manure and castrating piglets taught me was that I wanted to be someone who grew up on a farm, not someone who lives on a farm.  So I was highly motivated to find a professional career. My dad encouraged me and said that he didn’t care what I did but he hoped that I would one day become a doctor….be it an MD, PhD or, I guess, an OD.

If you ask most ODs why they became an OD, they often have an inspirational eye story; like I had really strong prescription and my OD helped me or something like that.  Me, not so much, and it’s a little more superficial.  In Wetaskiwin, the optometrist was a guy named Dr. Don Martin. If you ask anyone my age or older if they knew who Dr. Martin was, they would say yes because he was the most eligible bachelor in town for 2 reasons. He made a very good income and he looked exactly like Mel Gibson!  I know Mel has had some PR issues lately but he was the Ryan Reynolds of the 80’s …..So, I thought, I got to be an eye doctor. LOL!

Where do you see your practice / eye care in 10 years?
I practice with my wife, Selena Friesen.  There are lots of optometry couples but I think most of them don’t work in the same practice. We work hard at it and we have different strengths, so it has worked well. Selena is awesome at planning and this is one question she always asks me and I sometimes have trouble with it. In 10 years I know I will still be practicing and hopefully still trying to challenge myself. Our daughter is in optometry right now and I don’t know what her plans are but that would be interesting to practice with your kid.

What is currently the most exciting thing in your field to help patients?
Myopia control:  The most common thing that optometrists deal with is refractive error. Optometrists are really good at prescribing for refractive error but we haven’t really had any options to affect it. Myopia control allows us the opportunity not only to correct refractive error, but also to slow it down that is an exciting thing.

What is something you have done in your practice to set you apart.
Primary Care: We do everything.

I know there is lots of talk of specialties in optometry and I think there is a place for that. It is great to be an expert in a particular area like VT or dry eye. However, sometimes, I hear optometrists say, “Oh, I only do this and so I don’t know how to do that anymore”,  and it makes me a little sad.

I think all of us studied like crazy to learn everything there is about the eyes and visual a system, but nobody studies more about optics/vision/the visual system and eye disease than optometrists. There are some that know more about a specific topic like the glaucoma specialists that can tell you everything about glaucoma but they don’t feel comfortable talking about a retina problem.

There is something that I admire about an expert in generalities. Why can’t an OD be proficient in dry eye, vision therapy, scleral lenses, glaucoma…..you knew it all for your boards…so why can’t we keep that up?   An optometrist that is an expert in everything impresses me. That is what I aspire to be; an expert generalist.

So along these lines I have a motto:  Know the best. Recommend the Best.   We try to pass that on to our patients. We try to tell them what is new in treatments, eye wear, contacts…etc.

What is your most effective marketing tool/platform?
Word of mouth….we always tell new staff or new students that come work with us that almost every single patient has come to see us because they feel some personal connection to us… perhaps from our street, sports teams, kid’s school, church, or golf course..

What is your favorite TV show / Netflix series?
Reality TV: I love reality TV! Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race.
Probably Survivor is my favourite…in all the years it has been on I don’t think Selena and I have missed an episode.

Last time you laughed?
I laugh all the time. I am not the class clown or the life of the party but I absolutely do not take things too seriously. In school, I think there was more than one occasion that teachers told me to stop smiling so much. I am thinking it made them think I was up to something.

Favourite past-time/hobby?
I really enjoy golf…just wish I was better at it.

YouTube.  People sometimes talk about their COVID hobby, and since we didn’t stop working throughout the pandemic I always said I didn’t have one. One thing I did start during the pandemic was an optometry YouTube channel –  Good Optometry Morning.

Tell me something few people know about you?
I am pretty sure I am one of the luckiest guys in the world.There are a couple of things a lot of people don’t know about me.

One I’m a cancer survivor. About 10 years ago I developed testicular cancer and went through chemotherapy.  I don’t like to share a lot of personal stuff with people so some people still comment…hey remember that summer you shaved your head?  I consider myself lucky because if someone was diagnosed with this is the 1980’s the 5 year survival rate was less than 5%…but now the 5 year survival rate is over 95%.

Another thing is that I have a rare eye condition called Birdshot Retinopathy… It is pretty rare…like maybe one in 30,000 have it. Many people that have this are really scared and confused about it but I’m lucky because I have trained for all my life to learn about the eyes and so I understand it better than most that have it. And, like testicular cancer, the prognosis with Birdshot used to be pretty grim, but with current treatments they are actually pretty good.

I mentioned earlier that many eye doctors talk about having an eye condition that inspired them to become an optometrist;  I got an eye condition when was an eye doctor that inspired me to become a better optometrist.

Listen to Dr. Nelson discuss the national role that the Canadian Association of Optometry (CAO) plays in advocating for the profession on our Eyes Wide Open Podcast. 

 

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First Impressions Count

Practice, The Patient Journey

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“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”
Will Rogers

While our workplaces are a place of collegial congeniality and comfort, eye clinics may not always invoke positive feelings among your patients.

People rarely look forward to eye tests, especially those who are squeamish about someone getting close to their eyes. While this may seem like dramatization, the prudent thing is to recognize this reality and act.

By creating an inviting eye clinic reception area, you can appease apprehensive patients. Creating a comforting atmosphere to welcome patients can make a great first impression. The first impression will dictate how they feel about the rest of the experience too.

Here are some ways to create an inviting eye clinic reception.

A Welcoming Environment
Generally, eye clinics rarely radiate warmth. The cold clinical colours often used may not provide a feeling of comfort.

By adding more color to the reception area with soft furnishings, you can easily add a degree of friendliness and warmth in the reception area.

You can even have some gentle music playing in the ground or add some games or toys for kids and magazines for adults. You might also consider providing free Wi-Fi so folks can use their phones in peace while they wait. It can set patients at ease.

Welcoming and Warm Staff
A lot of patients may be on edge, so they don’t really need the extra burden of a non-empathetic staff.

Some kind words from welcoming staff at the reception can be crucial for setting the patients at ease. It can also create long-term, loyal patients if they feel welcome in your clinic.

Make sure the person who manages the phone is also warm and kind. An abrupt or cold approach can dissuade a patient from even attempting to book an appointment with the clinic in the first place.

Flexible Payment Methods & Transparency
Healthcare is definitely expensive for a lot of people. If you provide patients with plenty of options to make payments it can make them feel much better about visiting your clinic.

It’s also important to be upfront about costs and have transparency in the billing.

Effective Scheduling and Appointment System
One of the biggest mistakes is to make patients wait around particularly when they are on time for their appointment.

In rare cases, it may be inevitable, but you should still keep a strict check on time.

An inviting eye clinic reception is one that operates on time so that no patient gets frustrated.

You can automate the scheduling system to send patients text alerts for any schedule changes or delays.

Creating an inviting eye clinic reception is more than just doing the bare minimum of adding furniture. You have to consider the needs of the patient and design your work culture and clinic accordingly.

As the saying goes, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”. Take a fresh look at your reception area.  Can you do better?

MARIA SAMPALIS

is the founder of Corporate Optometry, a peer-to-peer web resource for ODs interested to learn more about opportunities in corporate optometry. Canadian ODs and optometry students can visit www.corporateoptometry.com to learn more.

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Becoming an Independent Practice Owner – My Story

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Growing an Independent optometry pPractice Toronto

Jaclyn Chang graduated from UW School of Optometry in 2018. In 2019, less than two years after graduating, she took the plunge and purchased an existing independent practice in an urban setting with plans to grow. She shares her story below.

 

By Jaclyn Chang, OD

I bought the practice in the middle of November, 2019. It was not a decision I made lightly.

The owner of one of the clinics that I was working at as an associate, in mid-town Toronto, was ready to retire and offered me the opportunity to buy the practice from him.

He had been working as an optometrist for over 38 years and had been in the office’s current location for the last 18 of them.

The equipment was original to the practice’s current location and was in need of an update; this meant that I would essentially be taking over an existing patient base, paying one lump sum for the patient records.

The office sold contact lenses but there was no dispensary or any auxiliary testing available.

Considerations
With a deadline, I had to consider my options and get back to the owner with my decision.

Because I had been working in the practice a few days per week over the previous year, I knew the patient demographic, staff, schedule, and location very well – a huge advantage as I was making my decision.

I liked the idea of building on a smaller existing practice as opposed to starting from scratch or paying a higher price for a larger practice.

There would be patients walking through the door on day one but I would still be able to put my stamp on the practice and really make it my own.

Ideally, I wanted to provide patients with more technology, including a retinal camera, OCT, and visual field. With this equipment, I would be able to continue to grow my skills as a practitioner in treating and managing disease.

Difficulties
Eventually, I would also want to give patients the convenience of having access to a dispensary in my own clinic – something which would not be possible at the current location.

As a newer practitioner, I was also limited financially and by the amount of business knowledge and experience I had.

I would have to figure out what equipment to purchase, how to finance it, and decide on the new fee structure for patients.

I would have to go through the process of creating a dispensary and hiring and training staff.

By adding new revenue streams that previously did not exist for this practice, there was no reference as to how the patient base would respond.

I worried about how long it would take to get to the stage I wanted and whether or not I would be able to afford it.

An Opportunity
Then, another opportunity came up for me to move the practice into a nearby clinic with the technology and dispensary that I was looking for.

As with any practice purchase, patients would experience a doctor change, but if we moved, we would also be putting patients through a physical location change and switching to a very different way of practicing suddenly.

However, it would also mean that I would be able to practice the way that I wanted to, with the equipment I wanted, immediately.

My Decision
I knew there was extensive work to be done on the practice and a steep learning curve to becoming a practice owner, but this was an opportunity that I could not turn down.

By December 2nd, 2019, I had moved the practice into the new office and had officially seen my first patients as a new independent practice owner.

This process did not happen the way I would have ever imagined, but now that one year has passed, I look back on it proud of the progress we have made and am excited to continue sharing my story with you!

JACLYN CHANG, OD

Editor NewOptometrist.ca

Dr. Jaclyn Chang graduated from the University of Waterloo (UW) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences before continuing at Waterloo to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree. She is currently a practicing optometrist in Toronto.

Dr. Chang is committed to sharing information and bringing new resources to her colleagues. As a student, she sat on the Board of Trustees for the American Optometric Student Association, organizing events to connect students with industry. She was the Co-Founder/Co-President of the award-winning UW Advancement of Independent Optometry Club, the first club at UW dedicated to private practice optometry. Dr. Chang is also a passionate writer, who aims to make information accessible and easily digestible to her colleagues. She has published in Optometry & Vision Science and Foresight magazine and contributed to Optik magazine. She is excited to bring valuable resources to Canada’s next generation of optometrists with NewOptometrist.ca.

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Be Prepared for the Future: A Resource for New Optometrists

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EyeCareBusiness Canada is pleased to introduce a new contributor. Dr. Jaclyn Chang, a UW School of Optometry 2018 grad, will be providing contributions within the “NewOptometrist” section of the website. Dr. Chang’s introductory post follows below.

by Jaclyn Chang, OD

I have always wanted to be well prepared for the future. I chose my career at an early age and have known since then that I wanted to become an optometrist.

Throughout high school and my undergraduate studies, I researched the application process, programs across North America, and even the cost of tuition.

Later on, when I was in professional school, I spoke with practicing optometrists at various events to find out more about what my immediate future had in store.

I often received the same unprompted comment: The first five years after graduation were the most challenging – there were clinical uncertainties, employment issues, and questions about the future.

After Graduation
I graduated from the University of Waterloo just over two years ago. According to many experienced optometrists, I am right in the middle of the most challenging time that I will go through as a practitioner.

When I first graduated, I realized how different being my own doctor was from having clinical supervision.

After my first day of work, I walked my boss through every single thing that happened that day over the phone. She assured me that I would be fine…and that this was probably unnecessary to do after every day of work.

As I continued practicing, I started seeing repeat patients – a very different situation to having several short rotations as a student, where I was not always able to find out the results of a particular treatment.  Now, if there was ever a problem, I would be the one to hear about it.

Staying Connected
As I continued to adjust to the clinical differences between being a student and a practicing optometrist, I was simultaneously attempting to figure out other aspects of being part of the profession from administrative responsibilities to taxes as a self-employed person.

I heavily relied and continue to rely on my friends and colleagues to get the latest information and reminders. I discuss interesting cases, variations in practice management, and my everyday frustrations and excitements in these small circles.

I have been lucky enough to get guidance from truly great optometrists that have made it past this initial difficult period in all our careers. Additionally, I did seek online resources and support from our College and Association.

I am sure that many new optometrists have their own small circles, mentors, and use the same resources I did. With my support system, I navigated through my first two years of optometric practice mostly unscathed.

I worked as an associate at various private practices in Toronto and became a practice owner. However, as prepared as I had tried to be, there were still things that I could have done better, and it is these details and subtleties in my experiences that I would like to share amongst our demographic.

Our Unique Challenges & Opportunities
We have unique challenges as a distinct group. As a new graduate, I was an idealist. In school, I was given access to the latest in technology and a wide selection of equipment. I was given lectures by doctors and researchers aware of the latest clinical developments in every optometric specialty.

I was taught to go above and beyond to treat every one of my patients as a family member, sometimes over a three-hour appointment. Two years later, my appointments are a little bit shorter, but I still want to provide that same high level of care.

I want to soak up as much information as I can. I am open to new brands, products, and ideas, and the next few years will be critical in determining my individual practice style and ultimate career path.

Your Invitation to Engage
I hope that you can relate to some of the experiences I have shared, and with that, I welcome you to NewOptometrist.ca: a platform dedicated to the unique challenges and experiences new optometrists in the first five years of practice across Canada face. This website is a place where we can collect relevant materials for reference and share our stories.

We are the next generation of optometrists that will grow to become seasoned practitioners, loyal associates, practice owners, and leaders in the eye care industry.

The way I see it, the more prepared we are, the better.

 

New ODs, in their first five years of practice, are invited to join the New OD e-newsletter.


Click here to sign up now.

JACLYN CHANG, OD

Editor NewOptometrist.ca

Dr. Jaclyn Chang graduated from the University of Waterloo (UW) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences before continuing at Waterloo to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree. She is currently a practicing optometrist in Toronto.

Dr. Chang is committed to sharing information and bringing new resources to her colleagues. As a student, she sat on the Board of Trustees for the American Optometric Student Association, organizing events to connect students with industry. She was the Co-Founder/Co-President of the award-winning UW Advancement of Independent Optometry Club, the first club at UW dedicated to private practice optometry. Dr. Chang is also a passionate writer, who aims to make information accessible and easily digestible to her colleagues. She has published in Optometry & Vision Science and Foresight magazine and contributed to Optik magazine. She is excited to bring valuable resources to Canada’s next generation of optometrists with NewOptometrist.ca.

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A CE Primer for new Ontario ODs

NextGenOD, Perspectives

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By Jaclyn Chang, OD

One of the mandatory requirements of maintaining your membership with the College of Optometrists of Ontario is completing a specific number of continuing education (CE) hours every three-year period.

The new three-year cycle begins on January 1, 2021.

There is an auditing process following each three-year cycle, so it is important to make sure you complete your hours and receive credit for them. Keep reading for a quick summary and visit the College website for more information (Members -> Quality Assurance -> Continuing Education).

For New Registrants (New Graduates)
If you just graduated, you first need to register with the College as you can only claim continuing education hours completed after registration.

Then, you can set up your online account with the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO), using this link: https://www.arbo.org/. ARBO will assign you an OE Tracker number; OE Tracker is the system the College uses to store CE data for optometrists.

The subscription for ARBO was paid for by the College for the previous cycle (To clarify, once you have paid your College fees, you do NOT need to pay anything additional).

When you get your OE Tracker number, you are ready to start uploading your CE certificates to ensure you receive credit for the hours you have completed.

Some CE providers will upload the certificate for you and will ask for your OE Tracker number (sometimes this can take a while to show up in your account!).

Certificates can be uploaded using one of the following methods (~5 business days to show up in your account):
-Mobile App: https://www.arbo.org/oet_app.php
-Website:  https://www.arbo.org/oetracker_login.php
-Email: arbo@arbo.org – ARBO is usually pretty responsive and it is easy to email in your certificate!
-Fax: 1-888-703-4848

For more information, visit:
https://www.collegeoptom.on.ca/members/quality-assurance/continuing-education/oe-tracker/

For new registrants, the number of CE hours required are prorated based on the number of complete years left in the cycle following the year registered.

Here are the number of CE hours required based on your graduation year/year of registration:

-1st year of the cycle (2021) – 47 total hours, 34 COPE (14 disease), 13 other
-2nd year of the cycle (2022) – 24 total hours, 17 COPE (7 disease), 7 other
-3rd year of the cycle (2023) – 0 hours

After Initial Registration – 70 Credit Hours/Cycle
Members of the College are required to complete at least 70 credit hours of continuing education every three-year cycle. *There have been changes since the last three-year cycle in which CE hours were previously classified as Category A and B. Please see the new information below.

Of the 70 hours, 50 hours must be Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) accredited.

Of the 50 required COPE accredited hours, a minimum of 20 hours must be lecture-based in ocular disease and management or related systemic disease. Fellowship or Diplomate in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) or Fellowship in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (FCOVD) counts as 30 COPE accredited hours.

Members need a participation verification certificate for COPE accredited CE. This is to be submitted to OE Tracker by the member or CE provider.

The other 20 hours can be COPE accredited or other learning activities.

Other learning activities can include organized events and distance learning activities that are not COPE accredited, graduate studies, residency, publication in a refereed journal, clinical supervision, CPR certification, and others.

Members are required to complete the ‘Continuing Education: Other Learning Opportunities’ form to claim credit for other learning activities. This is to be submitted to OE Tracker.

Members are required to report their CE hours in their Annual Report to the College. This is then verified through OE Tracker.

For more information, visit:
https://www.collegeoptom.on.ca/members/quality-assurance/continuing-education/

Click here to view the new 2021-2023 COO Policy on Continuing Education. 

CRO (Clinical & Refractive Optometry)  Journal (www.CROJournal.com)  will provide  one free COPE credit for any new OD signing up to the NewOptometrist.ca e-newsletter before  Feb 5th, 2021.  The free credit can be applied to any course in the CRO Catalogue.

Click Here to Sign up Now.

 

JACLYN CHANG, OD

Editor NewOptometrist.ca

Dr. Jaclyn Chang graduated from the University of Waterloo (UW) with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences before continuing at Waterloo to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree. She is currently a practicing optometrist in Toronto.

Dr. Chang is committed to sharing information and bringing new resources to her colleagues. As a student, she sat on the Board of Trustees for the American Optometric Student Association, organizing events to connect students with industry. She was the Co-Founder/Co-President of the award-winning UW Advancement of Independent Optometry Club, the first club at UW dedicated to private practice optometry. Dr. Chang is also a passionate writer, who aims to make information accessible and easily digestible to her colleagues. She has published in Optometry & Vision Science and Foresight magazine and contributed to Optik magazine. She is excited to bring valuable resources to Canada’s next generation of optometrists with NewOptometrist.ca.

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