Midterms are almost here, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop.  Last weekend, my wife and I went to the annual Eye Ball at the Cadre Building.    It’s a beautiful building in downtown Memphis not far from the Peabody Hotel.  It had a floor for dancing, an area with refreshments, and an upper level with a balcony so you can look down on all the fun.

My wife and I got there right after it started because we have 2 kids that we needed to get back to.  Of course that meant that no one was there yet, but we were okay with that for a little while.  I used to ballroom dance in undergrad so I got to dust off some dance steps while the floor was still empty.  As more people showed up, we had a great time relaxing and dancing.  Overall, it was a good experience.  Just the thing to break up the routine of lectures, labs, and studying.

As far as school goes, things are ramping up for our debut in clinic.  Last week we were introduced to some of the technology that is found in The Eye Center.  We looked at a fundus camera, a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, and a Humphrey Matrix.  I’ve worked with the instruments before, but the experience was mostly exciting because of what it foreshadows.  Can’t wait for clinic!

In Front of the Cadre

I feel like all year I’ve been going on and on about how wonderful third year is. Well, sadly, I realize now why they gave us such a break last semester! As January trudges on, I steadily become more and more nervous for Part 1 of National Boards! It’s definitely a stressful process, but at least here at SCO they really do give us plenty of time off to study.

As of now, I get done at 10:30 three days a week. On these days I’ve been going to the library and trying to get in at least five hours of studying a day. The other two days a week I have clinic, so I’m still able to get some valuable patient encounters in. These days I just try to get a couple of hours of studying in. Every morning we have what we call “board review” which is where our past professors come in and give us a crash course on whats really important to know for boards from the subjects they taught. Aside from that, a lot of my classmates are taking a review course from a company call KMK which has proved to be very helpful.

Although studying is stressful, there’s definitely still fun stuff going on around the school. This weekend is our annual Eye Ball which I’m really excited about. They’re having it at a really fancy place down town so it’ll definitely give everyone a chance to wind down and just have a good time and a break from all the studying.

Well, I really thinks that about all I’ve been up to so far this semester. I better get going. Lots of studying to do! Wish me luck!

Well, I’m back from Christmas Break and in the full swing of things now.  No tests yet, but the quizzes are rolling in already.  Last semester got really busy there at the end.  Finals week has never been so hard, but it passed and this semester is looking really exciting.

All of my classes this semester are very eye related.  Contact lenses, Anterior Segment (front of the eye), Posterior Segment (back of the eye), and  Vision Therapy just to name a few.  Becoming a doctor is starting to feel so real now.  For instance, we now have a lab that is getting me ready to enter the clinic.  It gives me the time I need to practice various aspects of my exam sequence until they are flawless.  At the end of the semester, I’ll have to demonstrate that I’m good enough with my skills to be in The Eye Center.  They call it Clinical Checkouts.  It’s our “coming of age” as students.  It’ll be tough and I have a lot to work on before then, but it’s so exciting.

On a different note, ever considered doing a residency after optometry school?  I have and that’s why I went to Residency Night last night.  I have to admit that it was NOT what I expected, but turned out well nonetheless.  The presentation only lasted about 15 minutes and then we were free to mingle with residency supervisors and residents.  Surprise!  You’re not just here to listen!  I got the chance to talk to Dr. Daniel Eckermann and Dr. Slagle from the Salem Virginia Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Sounds like they have a great program that gives residents experiences with more than just ocular pathology.  For instance, their program also affords experiences in areas like radiology.  That’s unique and invaluable.

I also made sure to talk to Dr. Paul Harris because a vision therapy residency is primarily what I’m interested in.  He had a lot of great things to say and pretty much sold me on the idea. Now the question is where do I want to apply for my residency?  Close to home?  Maybe.   Best experience possible?  A must.  The search is on.

 Happy New Year blogoshpere!

Christmas break was here and done before I knew it. After spending the holidays in the Bluegrass, I went up north to Grand Rapids, MI to visit family, and hopefully catch sight of a few snow flurries (really winter, where was the white Christmas this year!?). The break was definitely needed, and it was nice to spend time with family and friends. And while I was certain I could go for another two weeks off, now that classes have resumed, I can tell that any more time away from school and I just might have forgotten everything I learned the first semester. Yet after diving back into Theory Lab on Friday, I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anything anytime soon.

Now that I’m back in Memphis you’d think it was anytime but January here. I was welcomed back to school this week with 60-degree weather and sunshine. Talk about starting the second semester off on a good note.

Speaking of the second semester…wow, I can’t believe it’s already here! Now that we’ve sifted through the course basics in the fall, my classes this semester are much more focused on the mechanics and optics of the eye. The class load is heavier than the fall, so that’s a bit daunting. In the end I know the hard work will pay off as I broaden my understanding of the eye and gain the academic foundation to be a good clinician. Oh, let the studying begin!

Amongst the busyness that comes with starting classes after the winter break, there are two highly anticipated upcoming events this month too. The first is State Day on January 11. This is a neat event that’s organized at SCO to allow students and optometry professionals to network and discuss recent developments in optometric legislation pertinent to each students state. The second event comes towards the end of the month and that is the “Eye Ball.” This is an annual formal dance hosted by the student government association and will be a nice break from classes to catch up with my classmates after the first round of exams take place at the end of the month. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to share with you what I learned from State Day and the fun had at the Eye Ball in my next couple posts.

So here’s to another semester together, first-years!

Carpe Diem,

Amy

Season’s Greetings to All..

After six finals in seven days, the fall semester has finally come to an end, and I can finally relax and breathe for a few weeks until the spring semester starts. It has been a very long semester, but I battled through. The studying for long hours and practicing technique for long hours has paid off.

Up next in the spring are Anterior and Posterior Segment, Vision Therapy, Contact Lenses, Theory & Methods IV, Ocular Pharmacology, and Clinical Internship. After talking to the third year students, this semester will by far be the most challenging as a student here at SCO. Not to mention we have the added pressure of passing pre-clinic checkouts toward the end of the semester which then deems us ready to see patients all by ourselves.

For now, I can honestly say that I am getting more and more confident with my abilities and technique in the exam room, but for now…. I will worry about that come January 5^th, when the new semester starts. Until then, I am relaxing and enjoying the break. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Until next time, Later~

Can it really be true…did the completion of my Theory and Methods final exam today really mean my first semester of optometry school has come to a close? You betcha!

I leave in the morning for my old Kentucky home and can’t wait to catch up with the Bluegrass state. I’ve definitely grown as a person these last few months, and I’m excited to share all the budding knowledge I’ve gained from my first-semester at SCO.

I know time will fly in this short break, so I plan to take full advantage of rest, relaxation, and Christmas cheer. Soon enough, I know I’ll be once again knee deep in classes, practicals, and exams.

To SCO, my professors, and the Class of 2015– thanks for making this such a memorable first-semester.

Cheers to a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until 2012…Carpe Diem,

Amy

Finals have arrived and I’m actually almost done! Over a week ago, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get everything done  before packing up and heading north. Besides practicals, which mostly finished at the end of November, we’ve taken 6 exams and have just one more tomorrow. As a class, we are able to pick our own exam schedule. In order to avoid having two exams on the same day, we had a Saturday exam. In the past 6 days, we’ve had 5 exams. Yikes. Needless to say, it will definitely be a much deserved two weeks in Northern Michigan. It’s been the kind of week where I keep telling myself, like little lost Nemo, to “Just keeping swimming.”

It’s weird to think that another semester of optometry school is over (almost!). I’m 3/8 of the way done!  Second year has been a blast with learning new skills in lab, as well as finally getting time with patients in the eye center and school screenings. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of great first years and become more familiar with the 3rd and 4th years. It’s also been really fun to meet prospective students and their guests on interview day.

Now it’s time to clean my apartment, pack up my sweaters and mittens and get ready to go back to the mitten state! Alright, I need to study a little bit too. Happy Holidays and safe travels to all over the break!

Hey everyone! Last week I took the final written portion of the National Board Exam (Part 2).  I’m so glad it’s over.  I studied really hard so all I can do now is keep my fingers crossed until we find out our scores at the end of January!

Now for some GREAT news… I found out yesterday that I PASSED the Clinical skills series of the National Board Exam (Part 3)!!!  That’s the exam I had to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to take back in October.  I was pretty confident about that one but it’s still a relief to see that little “P” next to my score on their website haha!!  I’m another step closer to being an Optometrist!

I’ve had a busy couple of weeks since Thanksgiving with NBEO and a few Christmas parties already.  Also, a group of us 4^th years went to see “The Nutcracker” last weekend at The Orpheum, featuring the Memphis Ballet and the Memphis Symphony. It was amazing!  All these years I’ve lived in Tennessee and that was my first time to see a show at the Orpheum, it is beautiful!  And this week we had to give a presentation for our Contact Lens rotation based on a patient encounter we have had this semester.  It’s always good to learn from your colleagues about their experiences.

I’ve only got 2 more weeks at SCO and then it will be off to my next (and final) rotation outside of our Clinic.  I’ll be spending the next 4 months at West Tennessee Eye, here in Memphis.  I am looking forward to a change of pace but will also miss everyone at The Eye Center and SCO.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a great start to the New Year, 2012. THE YEAR I GRADUATE WOOHOO!!!!

December is a month many people look forward to all year long. Snow, Christmas songs, and holiday cheer seem to surround us. There’s only one problem. FINALS! I seem to have to force myself not to think about all the fun and exciting times break will bring because when I start to, it’s so much harder to study! This Friday we have our final in Posterior Segment Disease. A whole 90 pages worth of notes!

Luckily, as this semester’s finals near, I’m realizing I have it pretty good. During third year we have a lot less classes than previous years so therefore, less finals! We only have three tests during actual finals week, therefore we actually get out a whole two days earlier than the first and second years. Just another perk I guess you can look forward to!

Unfortunately, with the closing of this semester brings the opening of next that much closer. The semester I have to take Part 1 of national boards. Students have already begun studying! I know it’s gonna be a lot of hard work but it’s just one more chapter in the life of an optometry student that we all must face. Wish me luck and have a wonderful holiday!

That’s exactly what the last 3 months of my 3rd year have involved-a little of this & a little of that!  Classes, clinical duties, and wedding planning have kept me busy!  In addition, I now have to add studying for national boards to this list.  

As a 3rd year, classes don’t take up as much of my schedule, and I get to spend more time in clinical rotations.  I must say the life of a 3rd year is GREAT, with less tests and more patient care!  I’ve been seeing more ocular disease in clinic this semester.  Some of my attending doctors allow me the freedom to make important management decisions on my own, but under their guidance, of course.  I can definitely see my growth in providing vision care as I progress  through my 3rd year. 

Aside from clinical duties, I’m also enjoying the increase in free time I’ve had this semester.  I’ve had plenty of time to plan my wedding and get some major things done before I begin studying for boards.  Some things I’ve gotten done are finalizing my colors, getting bridesmaids’ dresses ordered, and ordering my wedding gown!  We’ve met with the caterer, ordered our wedding cakes, and taken our engagement photos.  I’m now in the process of mailing save-the-dates.  The more I get done now, the less I’ll have to do during my preparations for national boards.

I plan to start studying for national boards during Christmas break.  SCO is great in helping us prepare for the exam (which is in March 2012).  We’ll have boards review classes beginning at the start of the spring semester, and our class load is lightened so that we have ample amount of time to prepare. 

As you can see, the last 3 months have involved a mixture of things!  I’ll keep you posted as the semester comes to an end and we begin a new year!