Eye Care Personal Statement

“Letto diciassette!” I froze at the sound of “bed seventeen,” and watched with horror as the Italian nurse ran into my grandmother’s hospital room. The monitors were beeping out of control, yet my heart seemed to be beating even faster and louder. I stood at the end of the dimly lit hall, shaking and unable to move. A health care provider spotted me standing there, desperate, alone, and vulnerable, and made her way over to comfort me. The feelings I experienced next were what I remember most when I look back on that dark and gloomy day in Italy. ***The feelings of hope, reassurance and genuine kindness. The feeling that a missing piece of my heart had been put back where it belonged. That is what I remember most and that is the role I want

My first exposure to the healthcare field was in the United States Army, Medical Corps as a Healthcare Specialist (68W). This occupation is more well-known as a Combat Medic. My military occupational specialty (MOS) turned me into a proud healthcare provider and fostered an environment where I developed a passion for medicine and helping others. My experiences and training prepared me to provided treatment to patients and aiding the directing physician.

I have always been fascinated by the idea of assisting others, especially from a young age. In order to fulfill this goal, I have participated by volunteering at various places. I volunteer at the library annually for the Summer Reading Program, tutor children and assist them with their homework, and volunteer at Kaiser Permanente. In order to further achieve this goal, I aim to help others by becoming an Optometrist: I believe sight is one of the most essential things needed in order to survive.

What began as mere admiration for my childhood optometrist quickly evolved into a fervent aspiration when I began working as an optometric technician at Eye & Vision Care. Having been myopic since the age of 6, I have always had an interest in the inner workings of the eye and decided to apply to this job, without any concrete career plans in mind.

Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals. Your essay should be limited to 4500 characters.

The desire and passion and the strong interest I have for a profession in the care industry derives from my role as a care assistant, which I have enjoyed for the past nine years .The role has been challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time, I am genuinely a compassionate individual but my role has also taught me to be more patient and empathetic when assisting someone. Growing up I never thought that I would one day be so passionate about something in my life. I did not really think much about the future nor what I wanted to do with my life. From where I come from it is normal that after finishing school girls marry, have children and become housewives for the rest of their lives.

An eager interest in the workings and anatomy of the eye has stemmed my interest towards a career in optometry. My fondness for science came from reading the book ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for His Hat', which recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders, this drove my passion past the scope of the curriculum, engaging with ideas independently to follow a career in optometry.

Optometry is the perfect fit that blends my professional goals, my interests in science, and healthcare with individual strengths of compassion, relational service, and leadership. It is affirming when passion meets purpose, and for me, the optometry profession is just that. My passion in life is to serve others and to improve their health and well-being, while my purpose is to reach my full potential as a medical provider. My inspiration to pursue a career in optometry arises from a combination of my natural strengths, my life experiences, and my triumphs over life’s hardships.

Before being introduced into the medical field, I had always seen myself as an engineer. Growing up I was fascinated by how everything worked. When something would break down I would be the first with a screw driver in my hand ready to take it apart. Of course being at such a young age, I would often worsen the situation than fix it, but the thrill and excitement from fixing a broken object meant the world to me. I thought becoming an engineer was my lifelong passion.

What drew me to the field of optometry specifically is the fact that our eyes can be considered one of our most precious gifts. Growing up my siblings always needed some sort of corrective lenses, leaving me in the dark so to speak. When I was younger I suffered a corneal

Science and medicine has always fascinated me and has been interesting to be since my education started as a child. All my cousins used to play video games, playing house, playing cards, but instead I always forced everyone on pretending my patients and me treating them and caring for them as a doctor. I also wanted my family members to act if they were sick and they needed help. As time passed, I no longer had to play as it was the reality now and they really now needed help. I have witnessed my family members, my grandmother who passed away due to heart attack at an early age, my other grandmother who currently is sick, my grandfather who passed away also due to heart attack.

I was intrigued by the profession of a Nurse at a young age. However, what truly sparked my interest in this thriving career was when a close friend of mine was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Ever since she was diagnosed I wanted to help to create an encouraging, loving and supporting environment around in her time of need and sorrow. Since then I have always been fascinated and interested by the scientific and academic side of nursing along with the caregiving duties of the profession. Because of this, it has lead me to study Level 3 Health and Social Care programme. I am particularly enjoying my Level 3 Health and Social Care programme as it allowed me to carry out the theoretical side of my course in a real life environment as I have a work placement with a care agency. Now I am striving to further my knowledge and proficiencies through taking a university level course in Nursing.

The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend a series of changes in current routine vision service policies of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The U.S. population is aging at a rapid speed, it is projected that by 2030 the population of adults over the age of 65 will be 72 million (Hooyman, N. R., & Kiyak, H. A., 2011, p. 15). Even more appalling is that adults over the age of 65 have a higher than normal risk to develop eye conditions, one in three of these adults have some form of vision-reducing eye disease such as glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration (Quillen, 1999, p. 99). In spite of this increase and possibility, vision healthcare restrictions persist. Currently, there is no service plan that is comprehensive and inclusive to everyone, despite health status. The lack of coverage holds many people back from acknowledging symptoms and seeking services. I propose that (CMS’) and (ACA) provide a 20/20 commitment by covering two annual routine eye examinations for all recipients to address preventative health care. In addition, prescribing eyeglasses, eye disease testing and two pairs of eyeglasses are to be covered per visit.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been interested in the field of medicine. Specifically, I want to be a Physician Assistant and work in a Pediatric Hospital. My Mother is a huge influence on my choice to pursue this career. She was a Firefighter and a Paramedic but recently decided to go back to college for a Bachelors in Psychology to become a Physical Therapist. An area of specialization in medicine that interests me is Emergency Pediatric Care. This area interests me because I love children and want to be able to help kids who have been ill or injured. When I was younger, I went to the hospital with my younger cousin Kylie. She suffers from cerebral palsy and I remember watching the doctors taking care and making sure Kylie was comfortable

A couple of months ago I took time off work and flew to Baltimore to shadow Dr. Eghrari at the Wilmer Eye Institute. Here I met a patient who was going blind due to crystal formations on his cornea. From his demeanor it was evident he was frightened. We talked about his days in the navy and his love of the open ocean. His present condition had taken so much from him. His ability to work. His independence. When the doctor came in, I sensed the calming