Pupillary Pathways

Over the last twenty years, the delivery of healthcare has changed significantly in many ways: from the conversations doctors have with their patients in the exam room, to how information is exchanged and delivered, and to how insurance companies have placed more of a financial burden on the patient. As a result, both healthcare providers and patients alike have had to learn how to adjust to these changing times.

Fortunately, these changing times also bring about significant improvements in the way we deliver healthcare. As optometrists, we specialize in the delivery of eye care. Like other healthcare specialties, our industry has seen much advancement in technology that allows us to provide a significantly higher level of care to our patients. We now have tools to help evaluate the eye in more detail, with more accuracy, and with more confidence to detect diseases than ever before.  

Last Thursday night sparked an unexpected controversy for colorblind fans of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets football teams as they were unable to distinguish between the all-red and all-green team uniforms.

The Color Rush campaign is an initiative by the NFL (and designed by Nike) that “combines current and historic uniform colors and designs into one new uniform, honoring the franchise and energizing the fan base.” The NFL is piloting this new idea for four games this season and plans on unveiling the full line up for all teams in 2016. 

Photo Credit:  AP Photo/Seth Wenig

As many of you are aware, in several parts of the world, the beginning of November marked the start of a month-long series of activities aimed at raising diabetic awareness and calling for urgent action to tackle the ongoing diabetes epidemic.

I encourage you to use this month to educate your patients about diabetes more than ever before and join in bringing diabetic awareness to as many Americans as possible through community education and outreach events. As optometrists, you will find that diabetes is such a huge part of our practices and affects not only the lives of many of our patients, but also our friends, family, and colleagues. 

Image Credit: American Diabetes Association

I’m sure by now most of you have seen articles on social media about new eye drops that will dissolve cataracts and eventually prevent the need for cataract surgery in the future.

You have also probably had friends, family members, and even patients ask you if these drops really work. So… do they really work? Is cataract surgery really going to become obsolete? 

With Part 2 of NBEO coming up around the corner, many of you 3rd year optometry students are likely starting to feel the pressure. Studying for one of the biggest exams of your life can be very stressful and can take a toll on your mind and body.

During this time, it is very easy to slip into “zombie mode” and forget about your needs and your happiness when all you can focus on is studying, passing the test, and the consequences that will occur if you don’t.

This pathway can lead to a slippery slope of neglecting yourself, your health, and your well-being; all of which are counterproductive when it comes to trying to efficiently and effectively study.

Hello and welcome to Pupillary Pathways!

My journey to becoming an optometrist was a very long and winding road with many different obstacles, routes, and detours that I encountered along the way. Some days it seemed as though I was cruising along the freeway at 70 miles per hour on a clear, sunny day, while at other times, I felt as though I was on a dark, winding, two lane highway in an unfamiliar area with no end in sight. As an optometry student you will find that everyone has their own unique pathways that they took in order to get where they are today. 

INTRODUCTION:

Your “how to” blog post should teach the reader how to do something by breaking it down into a series of steps.

Begin your blog post by explaining what problem you are going to solve through your explanation and be sure to include any relevant keywords. Add in a personal story to establish your credibility on this topic. And make sure to end your blog post with a summary of what your reader will gain by following your lead.

Need some inspiration? Check out these "How-To" examples from the HubSpot blog:

• How to Write a Blog Post: A Simple Formula to Follow
• How to Do Keyword Research: A Beginner's Guide
• How to Write an Effective Meta Description (Yes, They Still Matter)