Career Symposium 2022

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS Networking 101​ Networking is a term that students hear all the time, as a tool to find mentorship, to collaborate, and to advance one’s career. In this session, Drs. Corbin-Simon and Hosford will go over the basics of what networking means to them and share examples where it has helped them in their respective careers. Attendees can expect to learn about the various avenues that one can use to develop professional networks as well as learn how to be an effective networker for the job search and career advancement. Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic Everyone (in eyecare) thought that 2020 would be the “Year of Vision” and... it did not end up being that way. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted life as we knew it, from everything personal to professional. In this panel, we hope to draw from the lessons learned from three optometrists working in three different modalities of practice: private practice, community health center, and retail. In this panel, we hope to discuss topics ranging from telehealth and new technologies usage, policy adaptations, and practice changes from the dispensary, to the way patients are scheduled and examined. Attendees are encouraged to participate and ask their own questions in the panel. The goal would be for attendees to walk away from the discussion learning about the thematic changes that have taken place and how they may utilize that information to be the best eyecare provider they can be. Panelists: Renee Yearwood, OD, ’93 , Juanita Collier, OD, ’09, Nikita Shah, OD Moderator: Richard Soden, OD, ‘79 Pathways to Optometric Ownership Owning a private practice is a big career aspiration for many students and young ODs. It’s easy to visualize starting a practice from scratch or just buying the practice from an owner. But what most people don’t know is there are a lot of combinations in between. In this engaging session, Dr. Wianecka will discuss the various options one has at their disposal when considering to own a practice. She’ll explore the pros and cons of each path, and help you decide if owning a practice is for you, and if so, which pathway may work best.​ Speakers: Ray Corbin-Simon, OD, ‘94, Michael Hosford, OD

The Essentials of Contracts & Negotiation Every young professional will have a contract in front of them at some point in their career, and it can be daunting. We recognize this is a new territory for most new graduates, so in this session, we will break down the process of interviewing, receiving a contract, and negotiation. Our speakers will go over some of the legal parts of an employment contract, discuss fair salary ranges and benefits, and help you navigate this process better. Traditional vs. Non-traditional Career Paths When we think of “traditional” OD careers, we think of seeing patients 9-5. But in 2022, ODs are doing so much more, including seeing patients while pursuing a range of other professional interests. If you are interested in learning more about how ODs are enjoying their work in both traditional and non-traditional careers, come hear from three optometrists, with very different backgrounds, discuss how they got to their current positions, what other options there are out there, and how you can pursue other interests while seeing patients! Panelists: Huy Tran, OD, ’05, John Gelles, OD, Charissa Lee, OD, ’02, FAAO, MBA​ Moderator: Behrad Garmsiri Unique Approaches to Practicing Optometry While there continues to be new opportunities with each passing year in the eyecare industry, many of us still want to practice optometry on our own terms. Some questions an OD may face when thinking of starting a practice are, “What are my hurdles? What are the ways I can lower my overhead and my operating costs? How can I make this work, despite all the challenges?” We invite you to hear from two optometrists who made their dreams come true, starting their own practices, practicing on their own terms, and being very happy doing so! Attendees can expect to learn about these ODs’ unique ideas and how they made it work for them! Speakers: Georgina Tsakrios, Esq, Quy H. Nguyen, OD, ’13, Ashliegh Dumont

Speakers: Sara Dawson, OD, ’12, Rajat Shetty, OD, ‘13

Speaker: Aleksandra Wianecka, OD, ‘02