Optometry Miranda Engels Good afternoon/evening. My name is Miranda Engels and I am a senior at Castlewood. to gain a better understanding of the career I was interested in perusing, I chose to shadow Melanie Weiss, an optometrist at Weiss Eyecare Clinic in Watertown, SD Miranda Engels

Overview Introduction of Project Overview of Shadowing Experience Presentation of Product Closing Questions During my presentation, I will explain my project, I will share with you some of the experiences I had while shadowing, I’ll present my product, and then conclude the presentation. After the conclusion, there will be time for questions.

Choosing an Area of Expertise What interested me Optometry Challenging Something new everyday Good pay I have very poor eyesight as do many people in my family, which makes choosing Optometry an interesting and meaningful subject for my project. I started wearing corrective eyewear at 11 years old and ever since I have had an interest in Optometry. I wanted to gain better knowledge on vision and the health of eyes. Optometry, although very challenging, is also very exciting and rewarding, with new people to help every day.

Choosing a Research Topic/Writing an Essay LASIK Eye Surgery Pros and Cons Pros Convenience and cost saving of no longer requiring prescription eyewear Cons Not covered by many insurance companies May result in dry eye, glare, over/under correction, short term vision correction, or worst case scenario, vision loss. I’ve often wondered what it would be like if I never had to wear prescription eyewear again. While shadowing, I had the opportunity to observe Dr Weiss perform PRK, or Photorefractive Keratectomy. This was the first LASIK procedure that was performed and is still used today. This peaked my curiosity, which helped me decide that this would be a great subject for my essay. Successful LASIK surgery can offer you a world of convenience by no longer requiring glasses or contact lenses. Although there are cases of READ THE CONS, LASIK may still be right for you

Shadowing Experience

Who, where, why? Melanie Weiss Weiss Eyecare Clinic, Watertown, SD Professional Quality Service Good results for vision I shadowed at Weiss Eye Clinic for 20 hours where I observed Dr Weiss. She is a licensed optometrist and ophthalmologist. I chose to shadow here because I am a current patient at the clinic and I receive personalized and professional care at every appointment.

What I Observed Wide range of patients Children through adult Patients with: Hard contact lenses Eye injury resulting from metal Dilation for upcoming procedure LASIK checkup Sore eye check PRK procedure My observations were varied. I had the opportunity to observe a lady who had hard contact lenses. (slipped down her eye). Another patient had metal stuck in his eye from work, and Dr Weiss had to remove it. A staff member got her eyes dilated in order to have PRK done the following week, which was performed by Dr. Weiss. PRK is an older type of LASIK procedure that corrects the eyesight. A lady had LASIK back in 2003 and was having a 2 year checkup. She still had 20/20 vision. Man had sore eye recheck.

Reflection Initial reason for choosing Weiss Eyecare Clinic Discovered how much work is put into each patient’s visit Very kind and professional staff Overall an enjoyable experience My initial reasons for shadowing here were based on my own experiences as a patient. I discovered that there’s a lot more preparation that goes into patients’ appointments than I originally thought. Each patient has health histories, medications, and past procedures that need to be reviewed prior to their visit. The staff made me along with the patients feel very welcome and comfortable in their care.

My Product

Overview and Purpose An alternative to corrective eyewear Researched LASIK and its associated costs and risks Demonstration of Chapter 2: What To Think About When Considering LASIK I wanted to create something that a patient could look at to see the risks, advantages, and important parts of LASIK eye surgery. I have developed an E-BOOK. I narrowed it down to 4 things that I thought were the most important, and they’re showed in chapters in my product. In order to develop an informational source for those who are interested in LASIK surgery, I researched the procedure, cost, and risks associated with it. I will be showing you just one chapter of my book and walking you through the cost, risks, and important things you should be sure to ask your surgeon.

Conclusion What I took away from my Shadowing Experience My plans are to attend DSU and pursue a degree in Biology While at Weiss, I did get to see a few people who had LASIK done and who were interested in receiving LASIK. The staff were knowledgeable about the options for patients and provided information and/or care as necessary. I gained a lot of respect for the staff at Weiss. They demonstrated professionalism and gave personal care for everyone that walked through the door. After researching LASIK and my shadowing experience, I feel as though I may consider trying LASIK in the future.

Special Thanks To… Mr. Rudebusch Melanie Weiss and the ladies of Weiss Eyecare Panel Members