Staff Management

Update Your Optometric Skills–and Revive Your Professional Passion

By Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO

It is easy to look at continuing education as a chore rather than as an opportunity. But over the years, I have learned that keeping my skills current is part of what keeps optometry exciting for me.

I have always taken certification classes on minor surgery and laser procedures just to make sure I am trained as well as new optometry graduates. Learning new techniques reminds me of what I found interesting about optometry in the first place. The increasing ability for ODs to provide medical eyecare is one of the most exciting developments in our profession. Learning new minor surgical and laser techniques and other skills allows me to participate in the profession’s expansion of scope.

As you acquire new skills or build on the ones you already have, keep in mind what you can gain by sharing that knowledge with others. I am a firm believer that the best way to really know a subject is to teach it. You can do that by guest lecturing at an optometry school, getting on one of our profession’s speaker bureaus, submitting lectures at AAO or AOA, participating in research like clinical trials and writing articles. Another great way to stay current in the profession, share your skills and make connections with professional peers is by creating e-mail groups and groups in your community to discuss optometry issues.

We have a responsibility to offer our patients the best in care. We can’t do that if we aren’t up to date on the latest and greatest breakthroughs and techniques in our field. We also do ourselves a favor by proactively building our expertise and skills, as the more you know about what’s new in optometry, the more you realize how much the profession has to offer you as a practitioner. Optometry is a lot more fun if you find diverse ways to stay involved and keep learning.

How do you keep your optometric skills current? And how do you share that knowledge with others in the profession?

Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, is president of Lakeline Vision Source in Austin, Texas. To contact her: sorrenson@att.net.

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