Dr. Africano, far right, with two externs in his office. Dr. Africano says he wants to impart both clinical and professional skills to these up-and-coming optometrists.
Mentoring that boosts patient care and ODs’ careers.
Sponsored Content
By Robert (Rob) Africano, OD, FAAO
and Selena Chan, OD
August 21, 2024
Having the benefit of guidance from a more seasoned optometrist than yourself can be invaluable. It can show you where you may be overlooking opportunities and how you can avoid common missteps.
Likewise, taking the wisdom you acquire over the course of a career and sharing it with those new to the profession also can be greatly rewarding.
Two optometrists shared with Review of Optometric Business how they make the most of mentoring relationships in their careers. Both doctors were honorees of CooperVision’s 2024 Best Practices program.
Receiving & Imparting Lifelong Learning
Robert (Rob) Africano, OD, FAAO
North Carolina Primary Vision Associates (a practice within the National Vision Doctor of Optometry Network)
Charlotte, N.C., metropolitan area
Mentorship is essential to my practice, and I can say that it is as rewarding as it is impactful.
Within my practice, I work with student externs from four optometry schools: Salus University, New England College of Optometry (NECO), Pacific University and Illinois College of Optometry. Acting as a clinical preceptor for my student externs is immensely fulfilling. It allows me to both impact my students, as well as the future of our profession.
My goal is to provide broad clinical experience for my students, enabling them to experience and manage the wide spectrum of our great profession. I believe it’s important to cultivate both clinical and professional growth to ensure success after graduation, which is why I also want to be able to provide guidance and support for these students long-term.
I want every patient interaction—be it routine or immensely complicated—to act as a learning experience. I oversee clinical care daily with my students and provide thought-provoking case discussions between patients. This helps round out the clinical skills and knowledge they will need to be successful clinicians.
I also work with our externs to create a grand rounds presentation, which they will present at the completion of their rotation. Additionally, I enjoy public speaking and providing optometric lectures. Facilitating these case presentations gives my students a chance to discover if they too are drawn to public speaking and lecturing. The ripples of acting as a clinical preceptor are tremendous. I am able to impact my students and the patients they will care for, while helping to forge the next generation of optometrists.
My enthusiasm for mentoring is partly due the great mentors I had myself. As a student at one of my early externship sites, I had a simple interaction with my site preceptor that imparted a valuable lesson, one that I communicate with all my student externs and all doctors I train: We don’t know everything, and that’s OK.
I had a complicated case in which I was unsure how to proceed. I presented the case to my preceptor, expecting him to enlighten me and provide a straightforward answer. However, I was surprised to find that he was stumped as well.
He cracked open a textbook while I started investigating online, and we worked together to uncover more about this clinical case. This was an enlightening moment for me as a young clinician. I saw that our clinical education never ends. My mentor showed me that to be a successful clinician, and to provide the best patient care we can, we need to continue to grow and learn.
There is never truly an end to expanding our clinical knowledge and skills. A lifelong pursuit of knowledge is required to be a successful clinician. I took that early lesson to heart and made it my mission to pursue my own lifelong pursuit of knowledge and convey the importance of continued growth and evolution to my students.
Only through being mentored, and serving as a mentor to others, can we provide the best possible care to our patients.
Learning from Each Other to Deliver Advanced, Patient-Centered Care
Selena Chan, OD
Pacific Rims Optometry
San Francisco, Calif.
Mentoring is an integral part of my daily professional life.
As the managing doctor and owner of Pacific Rims Optometry, I regularly engage in mentoring activities with the optometrists and staff in my practice.
This includes providing guidance on best practices for comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings, dry eye treatment and myopia management techniques. I also offer advice on patient communication, workflow efficiency and staying updated on the latest developments in optometry.
Additionally, I frequently share my experiences and insights from my role as a consultant for Barti Software, particularly in relation to optimizing the use of EHR systems in clinical practice.
One significant lesson I learned from a mentor early in my career was the importance of providing patient-centered care. This mentor emphasized the value of truly listening to patients and understanding their needs beyond just the clinical symptoms. Inspired by this, I made a conscious effort to implement a more holistic approach in my practice.
I started by spending more time during my consultations to understand patients’ lifestyles and overall health, which greatly improved patient satisfaction and outcomes.
For example, I was teaching a young OD at my practice how to better manage dry eye treatment. This OD followed a standard treatment protocol, but encountered patients with persistent symptoms.
I introduced her to advanced diagnostic techniques such as meibomian gland imaging and customized treatment plans, including lifestyle change, the use of punctal plugs and prescription medications tailored to individual patient needs.
Other Articles to Explore
Through hands-on training and case discussions, she was able to adopt these methods, resulting in improved patient outcomes and her increased confidence in managing complex dry eye cases.
In addition, I provide training resources to young ODs, including access to professional development courses, webinars on the latest optometric research and hands-on workshops within the practice.
For instance, I facilitated a workshop on orthokeratology, which enabled a young OD to become proficient in fitting Ortho-K lenses, thereby expanding our service offerings and improving patient care for those with myopia.
Another example is providing access to clinical trials and research opportunities, which allowed a young pre-optometry student to gain valuable experience in clinical research, contributing to her professional growth and expertise.
Some of my new practice goals include expanding our services to include integrative therapies, enhancing our patient education programs and adopting the latest technologies in eyecare. Mentoring relationships will be crucial in achieving these goals.
I seek guidance from my mentors on best practices for integrating alternative medicine into a conventional practice, effective patient education strategies and insights into emerging technologies in optometry. Their expertise will help me navigate these new areas, ensuring that we provide high-quality, innovative care to our patients.
Hear more about Drs. Africano’s and Chan’s mentoring activities.
>>Click HERE to learn more about CooperVision’s Best Practices Program>>
