In a few weeks, we will be launching our new KAIT8 commercial campaign. We were approached by the television station over a month ago to consider being the “expert” in eye care for the Region 8 viewing area. When contemplating that, I had to ask myself “what is an expert?”
According to dictionary.com, an expert is: a person who has special skill, knowledge or authority in some particular field.
I have been blessed to be able to practice Optometry for the last 29 years. It seems so long ago that I had just finished my degree and was seeing my first patient by myself. It was a little scary at first to think that I was ultimately responsible for the visual health of this person that was trusting me with one of the most precious gifts of life. I had been involved with diagnosing and treating numerous patients while in school. I had taken tests and passed with flying colors. Yet, there I was, seeing that first patient and realizing I was making the final decisions on what should or should not be done. I soon learned that patients didn’t come in, present you with a card with multiple choice questions, and then ask you for the right answer.
I was fortunate that I had colleagues to fall back on from the beginning. I started my career at Little Rock AFB. Being the doctor “fresh out of school”, I was supposed to be the one that had all the answers and all the recent knowledge of the latest treatments and technologies. I quickly realized that the doctors I had been stationed with, who had been doing this for years, had a lot of knowledge to teach me. The university was a great source of knowledge, but the experience of doing it day in and day out was a more thorough teacher.
After leaving the Air Force (guess I was 25 years too early for the space force but doesn’t that sound cooler!) I started my practice in Cherokee Village working with 2 wonderful ophthalmologists, Drs. McGaughey and Jones. Looking back, this is where most of my learning took place. If I ever had a question, they were always there to patiently give me an answer or direct me to it. Back then, we didn’t have google. I had books to look through, but many times resorted to “phoning a friend.” When patients come to me today, most of what I’m drawing from is the experience I’ve learned during this time.
“Just tell me what to do, You’re the expert”
I probably hear this line several times a week. People come into my office looking for answers to why their eyes aren’t acting like they normally should. I try to sum up what is going on and tell them the options of what I think we need to do next. When I hear this statement, I cringe because I feel I haven’t made my point like I wanted. You see, there are actually 2 experts in the room. I am one of the experts, but If I’ve done my job and correctly educated the patient, they are ultimately the final expert. They intimately know their symptoms, their health issues, their family issues and their financial situation. I try to educate the patient so that WE can both come to a decision. I have had times where patients have made a decision I wouldn’t have, but THEY are ultimately the one that has to live with the choice that they make.
I think this is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my career. Because of that, I have endeavored to make education and integral part of Progressive Eye Center.
Our mission statement is excellence driven, technology enhanced, KNOWLEDGE based care. One of our core values states that we will educate our patients to the highest level. I have tried to accomplish this by requiring all employees at Progressive Eye Center to be Certified ParaOptometrics. I’m proud to say that we have the most educated staff of any optometry practice in the state of Arkansas.
So, when KAIT8 talked to us about our commercial, I wanted to emphasize that the goal of Progressive Eye Center is to make all of our patients their own experts. I hope that this message will be conveyed through the commercial. I can’t wait to see it!