Reflections on Fellowship So Far

With half a year behind them, current glaucoma fellows share their favorite pearls to date.

Viviana Barquet, MD; Gio Campagna, MD; Teresa Horan, MD; and Timothy Truong, MD

Glaucoma Today

VIVIANA BARQUET, MD Glaucoma fellowship is an exciting and challenging time that goes by faster than some may realize. As I embark on the second half of my fellowship, I am armed with several useful takeaways from my experience so far. Ask Questions During fellowship, you work very closely with your attendings, whether in clinic or the OR. Knowing the reasoning behind their preferences, treatment paradigms, and interpretation of glaucomatous disease will influence your own reasoning. Do not be afraid to ask questions or discuss challenging cases. Mix It Up Each attending has their own surgical approach, and, as a fellow, it is important to learn their different techniques. Not only will this allow you to curate your own preferences, but it will also be beneficial if you are faced with a case in which you must deviate from your standard approach. Additionally, familiarizing yourself with various surgical instruments and materials is important, as you may have different equipment available to you in practice. Developing a toolbox with a variety of skills and techniques will help you manage unexpected situations. Hit the Books Study and prepare for a case by reading operative reports or pearls you have jotted down, watching videos, or practicing in the wet lab as if you were going to do the case on your own.

Prioritizing Ocular Wellness and Hygiene

Joseph J. Allen, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO

Eyetube

Joseph J. Allen, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, describes a trend in eye care that models routine exams after those that take place in dentistry (ie, beginning the eye exam with an ocular surface cleansing procedure, then educating patients on everyday ocular wellness and hygiene practices, before performing the actual eye exam). Dr. Allen also shares ideas for incorporating such cleansing procedures into your own practice offerings.

Tips for Retaining Staff and Keeping Them Happy

A solid team is at the core of any successful practice. Here’s how you can do your part as a leader to ensure employee satisfaction.

Michael J. Cymbor, OD, FAAO; Mila Ioussifova, OD, FAAO, CNS; and Caitlin Morrison, OD, FAAO, FSLS

Modern Optometry

Having trouble with employee turnover, or just want to be proactive so you (hopefully) never have to deal with it? We spoke with three established practice owners and asked them to share their secrets to building and maintaining a strong optometric team in today’s world. Read their insights for retaining staff and keeping them happy and productive. — Alex Brodin, Associate Editor Modern Optometry (MOD): Tell us about your practice. Mike Cymbor, OD, FAAO: Nittany Eye Associates has five locations in Pennsylvania. We employ 12 optometrists, one ophthalmologist, 18 technicians, and more than 60 staff members. Mila Ioussifova, OD, FAAO, CNS: South Waterfront Eye Care is a full-scope optometric practice with a boutique optical. We provide medical eye care with a special emphasis on dry eye disease management, offering advance treatments such as intense pulsed light therapy, radiofrequency, TearScience LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System (Johnson & Johnson Vision), TearCare System (Sight Sciences), and MiBo ThermoFlo (MiBo Medical Group). We perform in-office procedures, including blood draws for autologous serum and platelet-rich plasma eye drop preparations, and offer aesthetic services. As a certified nutrition specialist, I offer personalized nutrition counseling tailored to enhance ocular health.