Ophthalmologist Personal Statement Examples

My interest in the eye began when I thought I would lose mine. At 10 years old I suffered from a corneal abrasion at my elementary school playground. It was not too serious, but not being able to see out of your eye - even for a short period - can be scary at that age. It was the first time I was forced to consider how important my sight was to me. I was cared for by an ophthalmologist, who I immediately took to because of his calming reassurance. It was the presence and comfort I needed, an experience that stuck with me to my time in college when I had to decide what type of healthcare professional I wanted to be.
When I followed my interest in the eye, it led me the Eye Institute of Southeastern Michigan. Dr William Shaheen gave me the opportunity to shadow his daily routine so that I could better understand what it meant to be an optometrist. I have been fortunate enough to witness several procedures, including punctal plugs, lacrimal dilations, and my favorite the application of amniotic grafts for ocular surface issues. I learned to obtain photos of the macula and optic nerve using a Fundus camera and scans using an OCT machine. I also learned to administer both VEP and Pattern ERG Electrodiagnostic tests. Although I know what I have been exposed just scratches the surface in the field of optometry, I am
excited more than anything as to how much I have learned in such a short period of time.
After my shadowing experience I was offered a permanent position at Dr Shaheen’s clinic. My responsibilities entail managing the practice’s medical billing and administering VEP and Pattern ERG tests. I also helped the practice transition from the dated ICD-9 to the current ICD-10 which gave me a preview as to how CPT codes and diagnosis codes relate to one another. Overall my experience has been overwhelmingly positive and has grown my passion for optometry.
One part of the practice in particular that I enjoy is working with our patients. I believe that in order to become an effective health care professional one must have the ability to transcend the medical jargon and communicate on a more personal level to turn the patient’s experience into something more than a “checkup”. This patient-doctor relationship, or lack thereof, drives not only business to the practice but also the comfort that my ophthalmologist shared with me after my accident on the playground.
I can not give that ophthalmologist all of the credit -- my mother, who has volunteered across the globe and worked for over 30 years as a nurse, first instilled this compassion in me at an early age.
She would tell me stories about her patients (with no HIPPA violations, of course!) and about the lengths she would go to ensure her patients were comfortable during their stay in her care. Day after day, week after week, I heard from (who I think is) the best, most caring health care professional in the world. It made going into clinic and working with patients with Dr Shaheen feel so natural -- and it is why I am so excited to do this on my own one
day.
I take a lot of pride in being “the best me”, and my career goal is simple: be the best optometrist possible. I do not have any thrilling story to tell you about how I plan to develop a new technology or start a lucrative practice -- I just want to build a reputation as a detail oriented and sharp doctor that my patients are excited to see. I want to be able to provide the highest level of care for patients and their eyesight, whether it be through refraction or ocular disease prevention/management. Being a trusted source of advice and care will give me a chance to play a part in many hundreds or thousands of people's’ lives, and I do not take that lightly. It is the very thing what keeps me excited and motivated to pursue this career. I hope to have the chance to continue this journey at the Illinois College of Optometry.