Gabrielle Magee, Author at The American Optometric Student Association

Advice for Optometry School Hopefuls

What is the key to getting into optometry school? Networking!

Not what you thought I’d say, right? When applying to schools, I was in frequent communication with my top choice program’s admissions teams. I would pick up the phone, ask for informational interviews and use them as an opportunity not only to learn more about the program, but to build rapport with the admissions teams and help them put a face to my name. Doing this made me feel comfortable on interview day because I already knew some of the people that were there, as well as navigate the application process with better guidance to have the best chances of acceptance.

Another thing that I found useful was utilizing email communication. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was difficult to shadow in person in hospitals or clinics, I still made it a priority to network. I would get in touch with local practices and schedule informational interviews with doctors of optometry to learn more about the care that they specialize in. Eventually, when it was safe to do so, I was able to go in and shadow when other applicants may have still been having a difficult time. This also broke down geographic barriers and allowed me to connect with optometrists all over the country whose specialties I took interest in. Highlighting these experiences in my application showed that I was a resourceful and outside thinker, and these were qualities that often stood out on interview day.

While it is important to network with the schools themselves, I also found it beneficial to network with other optometry students. Just before my AZCOPT interview, I received an email from the program with the breakdown of how the virtual interview day would go. Included in this email were the names of the three student panel members and their emails in case us interviewees wanted to reach out to them beforehand. Being quick to seize this opportunity, I looked up the student panel members on LinkedIn to see if I had anything in common with them, and I found out that one of them actually went to the same undergraduate institution as I did. I emailed her to introduce myself and on interview day, I had the advantage of already being connected to a student panel member.
Being quick to create and seize opportunities gave me greater advantages as an applicant; however, these skills have carried over into my career as a whole.

I am still connected with the student panel member and she is currently in my top choice residency program which has further benefited me by allowing me to ask questions, get in touch with the right people, and set myself up for the best chance of being matched with them in the future. About a month after receiving the news of my acceptance, I toured AZCOPT and there was a first-year student ambassador who stayed with me for the entirety of the tour. I made sure to stay in touch with her all throughout the summer. She helped me in my decision-making process, and when I began school, she became my anatomy and physiology tutor. Furthermore, at the start of school, the assistant dean sent out an “AZCOPT Survival Guide” and provided the email of the student who had written it. Again, I was quick to take the opportunity to connect with her, and now she too has become a close friend of mine, as well as an amazing resource. These skills advanced my application and educational experiences, setting me up for success and excellence.

Overall, my advice for optometry school hopefuls would be to make your own opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to you! A quick phone call, a short meeting and staying connected goes a long way and you never know when those connections will come in handy!

Why I Took a Gap Year and What I Did To Remain a Competitive Applicant for Optometry School

By Gabrielle Magee 04.06.22

Taking a gap year was the best decision I’ve made during my application process. Instead of rushing to fit a certain timeline, I decided to take a mental break from school and spend more time expanding my patient care experience. This extra time before optometry school helped me become a better prepared and more confident applicant when completing my applications.

Before graduating college, I knew I wanted to spend my gap year before optometry school exploring different practice modalities. The idea of working in an OD/MD group practice has always intrigued me and I was lucky enough to find a job opportunity working as a medical scribe for an ophthalmology/optometry practice located in my hometown. I’ve had prior experience working in patient care, but this job expanded my knowledge of the optometry profession completely beyond an annual eye exam. I was exposed to a range of specialties in optometry such as pediatrics, low vision, ocular disease management and myopia control. The doctors of optometry and ophthalmologists worked closely as a team to handle many post- operative appointments for cataract and pterygium surgery follow-ups. This was a side of optometry I didn’t even know existed!

As time progressed, I became more comfortable interacting with patients coming from different age groups and cultures. I even got to assist with in-clinic procedures, such as punctal plug insertions, laser peripheral iridotomies and medical Botox® appointments! This would not have been possible for me if I didn’t decide to take a break from academics.

Prior to this year, I was certain optometry was the right profession for me. After taking a gap year to explore my specific interests, I have a clearer vision of what kind of optometrist I strive to be. Completing applications, finishing prerequisites and taking the OAT exam is an understandably stressful timeline to meet. Optometry school will have many challenges, both mentally and physically, so ensuring that you’re in the right mental state to prepare for its challenges is crucial. A gap year can be a wonderful opportunity to further your experience, maturity and character development, and I recommend it for every pre-optometry student!

The Fear of Finding Something

By Gabrielle Magee 04.06.22

It’s spring semester of your second year of optometry school; you’ve finally made it to the most exciting and important step in your optometric journey: clinic. On your first day, you gather all of your things — your lens set, retinoscopy handles, prism set, BIO and your trusty tonometer tip — and head into the University Eye Center. You find your room and clean your machines. Your classmate opens the EHR and, by the luck of the draw, you have a patient.

A 30-year-old, white female walks into your room, sits in your exam chair and is ready for the fun to begin. Upon a gross anterior segment examination, you find a resounding case of corneal neovascularization—and you panic. The fear sets in. You’ve only had two weeks of ant seg classes. Are you supposed to know what’s causing this? Does she abuse her contact lenses? Does she have limbal stem cell deficiency? Or could she have a severe case of Fuchs endothelial cell dystrophy? Your head is filling with possibilities. Your hands are sweaty; you’re visibly shaking— what do you do next?

I’ve found that this is a common fear among second years and newbie student clinicians, but with a little less of the drama. We practice on young, healthy, relatively normal eyes in all of our labs. Except for the few cases of strabismus or corneal scarring, most of my classmates are only battling varying amounts of ametropia and astigmatism. I so desperately want to learn how to be a good clinician, how to identify diseases and oddities on my first day in clinic, but the only way to succeed in achieving this is by seeing abnormalities in person. Pictures can only be so helpful. The eyes in them aren’t blinking or photophobic or constantly moving to find something to fixate on. It’s scary to find something even slightly different than normal on a real, paying patient.

As much as I was hoping to see something cool in clinic my first day, I also found myself hoping that I didn’t see anything at all. What if I misdiagnose them? What if I find something vision-threatening and they need emergency treatment? What if I see something so bizarre that I can’t even begin to explain it to my scribe? The fear can be all-consuming, but it’s comforting to know that everyone has been there, even the most well-renowned doctors saw corneal arcus for the first time and started shaking.

The most important thing to remember is that we’re not alone in the clinic. We have so many resources and minds to help us make the correct diagnosis and treatment plan for our patients. And when in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask for help — that’s literally what all the precepting doctors are getting paid to do. In the end, the fear will make us all incredibly knowledgeable and competent doctors of optometry someday very, very soon.

Staying healthy (and sane) in optometry school

By Gabrielle Magee 04.06.22

Optometry school can have a huge impact on both physical and mental health. For most of us, this is the most daunting academic task we have ever taken on and our past experiences may not have prepared us for the intensity of courses, exams and labs. Personally, the beginning of my optometric career was quite overwhelming, and I found myself wondering if I had gotten in over my head. However, I was able to eventually figure out a system that worked well for me. Once I completed my first semester, I haven’t looked back. As I approach the halfway point of my schooling, I would like to share a few strategies and tips that have helped me stay active and in a good mental state, most effectively use my day, and minimize the inevitable stress that comes with such a rigorous program.

Setting a schedule:

Whether it’s waking up early, or 30 minutes before lecture, create a consistent schedule making sure to include times for meals, study breaks and a decent bedtime. As someone who likes a detailed schedule, I like to plan my week on Sunday evenings of how I will budget my time outside of lecture. I also make time for something that interests me, such as going to the gym or watching an episode or two on Netflix before bed. Including scheduled breaks and hobbies helps me relax between studying and come back focused and ready to press on.

Eating healthy:

As future health care practitioners, we all know the importance of having a well-balanced diet to help us function to the best of our ability. Eating healthy, or even remembering to eat at all, can be especially difficult with the seemingly never-ending cycle of midterms and proficiencies. I suggest meal prepping the night before a busy day, or even a few days in advance when possible. I am always less inclined to order fast food when I have a fridge full of leftovers. This can also turn in to a group meal prep/study session to maximize time. Eating healthy also goes hand in hand with drinking water, so I always bring a reusable water bottle with me to campus.

Staying active:

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in optometry school is the amount of time spent in front of a screen studying. Between classes and studying, you should expect to spend at least 10 to 12 hours a day doing schoolwork. The intense workload can make it difficult to do much else. That being said, finding time for physical activity will be beneficial for physical and mental health. Some of my classmates and I get together a few weekends of every semester to play basketball at a local gym to de-stress after a tough week of exams. Even small things, such as going on a walk between classes or reviewing notes on a treadmill, can be great for breaking up the monotony of constant studying.

Develop a support system:

Mental health is just as important as physical health and getting to know your classmates better will help you realize everyone is dealing with their own stress and anxiety. Having someone to talk to and provide reassurance and a new perspective when dealing with a difficult class, or just life in general, is just as important. This has been especially true for me during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was taking classes remotely. Without the friends I made at school, I would have had no one to help me review material for exams, or vent about a difficult course or professor. I would have had no one who understood the hardships we face on a daily basis as students in such a challenging field. Having a network of like-minded people to talk to was crucial for my mental health and allowed me to get to where I am today.

Getting situated into optometry school can be very challenging and finding out what works for you is crucial for good academic performance. The sacrifices and hard work you endure now will pay off exponentially in the future. By following these tips now, you can get the most out of your day and set yourself up for success in optometry school.

When the Student Becomes the Doctor: Maintaining Knowledge and Skill After Graduation

By Gabrielle Magee 02.17.22

As a new graduate, keeping up with the ever-changing world of optometry can be a daunting experience. After years of seemingly non-stop lectures in school, I personally was tempted by the idea of coasting by with online continuing education that required minimal effort. It quickly became clear to me, however, just how fast things change in healthcare. There is a lot more value to staying up to date than just getting enough credit to maintain a license. Keeping up with new available drops, surgeries, and research has helped me offer quality care to my patients far beyond the basics I learned in optometry school and externships. I have come to learn that there are many ways to expand clinical knowledge outside of direct clinical experience.

For me, continuing education was the most obvious method of keeping up to date with new developments in the field of optometry. This comes in many forms including in-person vs. online, local vs. national level, and OD-only vs. combined OD/MD. I found local meetings to be particularly enjoyable. These are often offered through state associations as well as local clinics. They are a great way not only to get some credits but also to socialize with optometrists in the area. I also really enjoy getting to know local ophthalmologists who often lecture or attend these local meetings themselves.

Another great source of continuing education is national meetings. American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and American Optometric Association (AOA), for example, host annual meetings in different locations each year. One perk of this is the opportunity to visit another part of the country – I personally will take any excuse to travel. It can also be a great way to meet up with classmates following graduation. Online continuing education is a convenient method to stay up to date without having to leave home – this has become more prevalent in the times of COVID. Some meetings may even offer the option for an in-person or online course, which allows you to have some flexibility when case rates are high.

One way to build more hands-on clinical experience is completing a residency. Truth be told, I was initially reluctant to consider residency. The idea of taking a reduced salary for a year was especially painful after seeing the final total of my student loans. However, I found the experience to be invaluable and would recommend it to every student I meet. The opportunity to see a high patient volume while under the supervision of experts in the field increased my clinical decision-making skills tenfold. I completed my training in corneal and refractive surgery and was amazed by the type of cases I was exposed to. Conditions I now see maybe once a year in private practice became routine for me during residency. At many sites, you also have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials – I was involved in nine different studies just by being at a research-heavy clinic! Plus, with only 26% of optometry students pursuing a residency, it is a great way to set yourself apart from other applicants when it comes time to look for a job.

Board certification through the American Board of Optometry (ABO) is an excellent avenue to keep current with best practices and guidelines once you are out of school and in practice. This not only serves to differentiate yourself from other new graduates in the field but also to expand clinical knowledge. The first step to becoming board certified involves completing an application to ensure eligibility. In order to sit for the exam, three years of clinical experience or a residency are required. If residency has not been completed, additional activities such as fellowship, AAO diplomacy, and continuing education can be used to meet the requirements. The test is very similar to part two of national boards – it tests on clinical knowledge and skills, not didactic details. Upon passing the exam, you are awarded the title of Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.

To maintain certification, ABO members complete maintenance of certification activities throughout the year. This includes self-study assessments, self-assessment modules, and continuing education. Personally, I have found the mini-assessments, given three times per year, to be even more helpful than traditional continuing education. They involve reading a provided set of articles on a particular subject (i.e. anterior segment disease) and completing an online 25-question quiz. The subject changes every time and ranges from binocular vision to contact lenses. The knowledge is all very clinically relevant and a great refresher on current standards of practice. Another big perk of ABO certification includes quarterly, top-notch online continuing education courses offered for free.

Whatever your mode of practice, I think we can all agree that lifelong education is crucial to providing quality care for our patients. Whether you are one year out of practice or fifty, there is always more to learn as medical providers. Fortunately, there is no shortage of excellent opportunities to keep growing as clinicians and provide top-tier care for our patients.

Lauren Bruehl, OD
Diplomate, American Board of Optometry

Advice for Optometry School Hopefuls

By Gabrielle Magee 01.21.22

For all of you optometry student hopefuls reading this: If you are like me, then you are currently scouring the internet for any and all information that you can find on optometry school, what to expect, what it’s like, how to improve your application, etc. While it may not be what you are looking for at the moment, I hope I provide you with some valuable tidbits on how to find success in the program. I have compiled a list of resources that I believe will assist you in your optometric journey and I encourage you to use all of them.

Use your peers.There is an entire class of people who are learning the exact same content at the exact same time as you. Working together, sharing resources, giving and receiving advice and encouragement—these things will help you immensely as you grow together throughout the program. The friends I’ve made in optometry school are some the best friends I’ve ever made, and I wish nothing less for any of you.
Use the upper years.They have been through what you are going through, they have struggled with what you are struggling with and you have the advantage to learn from their experience. The best part about it is that they want to help! One day we will all be colleagues and will all be representing the wonderful profession that is optometry.
Use your profs.Believe it or not, they, too, have gone through what you are going through, and they wish nothing more than to see you succeed. The professors I have met in optometry school are some of the most understanding and compassionate people. Ask them questions, attend office hours, arrange meetings—anything that you think will help you. If you are unsure of something, they will be more than willing to clarify it for you and help you gain a deeper level of understanding on the topic.
Lastly, use your time.I am the king of procrastination and have very poor study habits, so trust me, this is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Review your notes daily, discuss the material with your peers, and if you have a spare minute don’t convince yourself you’ll do “it” later, whatever it may be, because no you won’t. Also, all of the time you will spend in the pre-clinic is a gift; make sure you capitalize on it. I can’t speak for each school, but at my school the pandemic severely limited our opportunities to practice and time in the pre-clinic is not something I will take for granted. If you get the chance to practice, use it.

Optometry school is not a smooth ride to the finish line. I wish I could tell you it is. I wish I could say it is like driving a Tesla down a freshly paved highway, but a more accurate depiction would be like sitting in the back of a school bus on the pothole-ridden streets of Winnipeg (go Jets!). However, while there may be a lot of bumps on your journey, at least you will have some good friends beside you along the way.

First Year Obstacles

By Gabrielle Magee 01.21.22

Your first year of optometry school can be intimidating. New professors, new classes, new classmates from all different backgrounds and living in a new place can easily become overwhelming. Like any other student, I was both excited and anxious about starting my first year of my optometry program. It’s exciting to finally start your professional career as an optometrist but all the steps in between can become demanding.

In the beginning, I felt that my transition coming right out of my undergraduate studies made it easier to go directly into my graduate years. Despite the smooth transition, the workload and curriculum of optometry school is very different from undergrad. Although I already had adequate study habits throughout undergrad, learning to adopt new study tactics became one of my biggest obstacles during my first semester. Throughout my first few months of school, I realized that studying on my own was the most effective. As much as studying on my own was my go-to method, collaborating with other students and professors is what pushed me toward my full potential of being a successful student.

On top of starting a new program at a new school, moving to a new state and adjusting to a whole new lifestyle during the peak of COVID made my first year more challenging. One of the biggest difficulties I faced was not being able to be surrounded by my peers. Not being around your classmates makes the experience more individualized instead of collaborative. When you are surrounded by other classmates facing the same difficulties, it makes it feel as if everyone is working together to get through it. This challenge pushed me to reach out to my peers to feel as if my class was more of a community.

Throughout my second semester, I continued to improve my study methods and started to learn that taking care of my mental and physical health correlated with my success in school. Activities such as working out, hiking, and time with my friends and family gave me the mental breaks I needed throughout my first year. These outlets gave me a way to find a balance between my studies and life outside of school. Taking these mental breaks and knowing I have a support system behind me encourages me to keep going, even when I am faced with substantial challenges throughout school.

The ups and downs of optometry school is what makes the experience memorable. It is easy to get tied up in the weight of the workload but reminding yourself why you are here and allowing yourself to enjoy the process is key.

The First Thing You Learn as An Optometry Student

By Gabrielle Magee 01.21.22

It seems like yesterday I was accepted to Salus University (PCO). It was the only Optometry school I applied to, and I was so excited to begin. Back then, there was no COVID yet, and we had a week-long in-person orientation. This was where I learned the very first thing about the field; Optometry is a legislative profession.

But what does this really mean? It means that our entire scope of practice is based on bills that are passed both locally and federally. It means that our entire patient base is dependent on which conditions those bills say we are allowed to treat. It means our entire livelihoods are contingent upon people working around the clock to advocate for Optometry.

And what does all of that mean? We have a duty to advocate for our profession so that we and those who come after us, are able to practice to the fullest extent of our abilities and knowledge.

On May 25th, 2021, I was fortunate to be able to participate in the AOA (American Optometric Association) on Capitol Hill. This was my second time attending an advocacy event and I highly recommend attending advocacy efforts like this as an Optometry student, even if you are nervous about it! It has been a wonderful experience each time. These events are the reason that our profession can grow. Since I began Optometry school in August of 2019 many legislative bills have been passed to expand the scope of practice for Optometrists. To name a few:

Prescribe codeine and hydrocodone, administer life-saving epinephrine auto injectors for anaphylaxis, order and interpret noninvasive angiography through the use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) – Pennsylvania
Prescribe oral steroids, perform injections, excise and remove chalazions, remove growths in and around the eyelid, and perform laser capsulotomies – Mississippi
Prescribe oral and therapeutic agents for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of glaucoma – Massachusetts

Massachusetts was the last state holding out, this is now true for all 50 states!

These are some amazing big steps that Optometry has taken during the 2 years I have been in Optometry school. The AOA on Capitol Hill event is yearly, and I encourage you all to jump next year when you hear about it. Take a chance and sign up, I know you will not regret it.

Even though this year’s event has passed there are other ways to get involved! These include attending local optometry society meetings in your area or going to Optometry’s Meeting, which is at the end of June this year in Denver, CO. These will help keep you up to date on current issues and legislation. Additionally, read your emails from your schools AOSA (American Optometric Student Association) and State Association Student Club (for example, the POSA – Pennsylvania Optometric Student Association). They are a wealth of information and being involved in school activities is important for a well-rounded education!

I want to leave you with this… We are so blessed to have had OD’s before us forge a path. We are lightyears ahead of where this profession was even just a decade ago. We are in school learning and working hard for a long time. We have earned the right to practice at our full potential. We have earned the right to have a seat at the table and make decisions for our future. We have earned the right to move our profession in the direction that will benefit us and our patients. So, let’s advocate for our patients, let’s advocate for ourselves, and let’s advocate for optometry!

Peer Advice: Ways to Help Prevent Burnout

By Gabrielle Magee 09.22.21

As many of you may already know from your previous experiences as undergraduate students, there are many moments throughout our academic journey where we may begin to feel burnout and exhaustion. This feeling is completely normal, especially during graduate school. Do not worry! I am here to help share some fun activities that have helped myself and other students prevent burnout.

Activity No. 1: TAKE BREAKS!

I know many of you have already heard this saying from peers, parents, faculty and now from me, but it is so important to take breaks! The phrase “take a break” can be applied in many different ways. Some examples include:

Taking a 15-minute break after every lecture
Taking a day off to give your brain a rest
Taking the afternoon off after a long day of lectures and labs

Take a break every 2 hours

The bullet points listed above are only a few examples of the many different ways one can take breaks. I know taking time off from school can make one feel guilty at times, but it is crucial. Taking a break from schoolwork has definitely helped me and other peers prevent burnout. I use this time to keep my mind off school, even if it is only for 15 minutes. On days that I felt that I needed more time to study, my breaks were smaller. I would take a break maybe every 3 hours. During my breaks I would watch a movie, call a friend or scroll through social media. On the other hand, on days that were very heavy on lectures and labs, I would come home and take the afternoon off. These are just some examples that have helped me that may help you, too. However, this may not work for everyone. I recommend that you take breaks as needed. Many of you will need more breaks a day or a week and some of you may not need as much, and that is okay.

Activity No. 2: Exercise

Implementing exercise into our schedule is a great way to help de-stress from schoolwork. If you are like me and do not enjoy going to the gym, but would rather sit on a couch and snack, do not worry, this activity can still apply to you! Whenever I felt overwhelmed with school, I would take my dog on a 30-minute walk around my block. Going for a walk would help me take my mind off school and spend some time with my dog. I really enjoyed this exercise because during those 30 minutes, I would forget about all the assignments that I had to complete, all the exams I had to study for, and I would just focus on me. After my walks/ runs with my dog, I felt more energized, focused, and motivated while doing my schoolwork. However, walking is not the only way one can de-stress. Listed below are different ways one can use exercise to relieve stress from school.

Lifting weights

Running
Going to the gym
Yoga
Playing a sport
Home workout videos via Youtube

Activity No. 3: Spending time with friends and family

This activity is by far my favorite! Throughout your academic journey as a graduate student, there will be moments where you may feel that you have no social life or cannot spend time with friends or family because you have to study. However, I am here to tell you that it is very possible to have a social life and excel in graduate school. It is so important to spend time with the people you care about. During my first year at SCCO, I would take one day off a week and spend time with my family and friends. Some of the activities I would plan would be going to Disneyland, a nice dinner, watching a movie, cooking dinner or going to the beach. Spending quality time with friends helped me prevent burnout because I would use this time to enjoy life. I would distract myself and focus on the things I enjoyed doing outside of schoolwork. Hanging out with family helped me recharge my spirit and give my brain a break. If spending a whole day with friends and family seems too much for you, you can always start by taking half a day off. This activity is very flexible, but highly recommended.

There are many other activities that can be done to help prevent burnout. One of the most important key factors to prevent burnout is spending time and energy on you. Whether that be exercise, hanging with friends or watching a movie, it is important to take time for yourself.

Do not feel guilty if you are not doing schoolwork every hour of the day. Enjoy life, enjoy school and have lots of fun!