As an Ophthalmology Technician, I received patients and performed preliminary tests required for most patient visits.  My primary and most exciting task was to perform an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan of patients' retinas.  The OCT machine, costing as much as a luxury SUV, maps the tomography of the retina displaying thickness, health and many other crucial pieces of data.  The maps and corresponding reports can be quickly printed and transferred to the Ophthalmologist for review before their visit with the patient.

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I gained a significant amount of applicable experience as an Ophthalmology technician.  A vast majority of patients who visit the eye doctor's office are elderly and/or generally unhealthy.  This poses challenges.

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On a healthy young adult, the OCT scan takes only a couple of minutes from start to finish.  Patient steadiness, eye control, and lens clarity are paramount to a successful scan.  All three of these variables are drastically complicated when dealing with elderly and/or generally unhealthy patients.  To add to the difficulty, many of the patients have communication impairment (hearing and speech).

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These challenges necessitated laser focus.  It was imperative to provide the valuable tomography information to the doctor before the visit.  The process could sometimes take upwards of a half hour for some of the more difficult patients.

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Overall takeaways from my experience as an Ophthalmology technician:

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• Lightning fast assessment of an individual's communication style and ability

• Adaptation to a large range of human interaction 

• A general respect and awareness for the complexity and importance of the medical field

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Another memorable learning experience came through my dad's invitation to join him in the sterile operating room to observe glaucoma surgery.  Standing for hours in full scrubs and surgical gear observing such a delicate and precise specialty was a jaw-dropping experience.  For a cherry on top, seeing the patient's adoration after going from years of complete blindness to full vision in the course of a single day is seemingly biblical. 

 

Doctors, nurses, and anyone involved with patient care are heroes and deserve our utmost respect and praise.    I am eternally grateful for the absolutely unique learning opportunities that my dad directly provided in this area.

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Last updated 12.10.19 - PJ