Several months ago, we were inspired by a fun Instagram post by O. Vanessa Avery, OD, FAAO (@theoptdoc), in which she shared a photo and description of the contents of her daily work bag and explained how the things she carried around had changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We thought it would be interesting to get a glimpse inside the work bags of some of Modern Optometry’s other contrib-utors. Let’s start, though, with Dr. Avery’s original photo and description, reproduced here with her permission.
O. Vanessa Avery, OD, FAAO
I keep the essentials in my work bag, which sometimes doubles as a mommy bag (just add in a few more snacks and baby wipes). The main thing that has changed since the start of the pandemic is that I carry multiple N95 masks and hand sanitizer wipes and spray.
Items I always have are: artificial tears (lubricated tears = happy eyes); a rose gold Swarovski pen a patient gave to me; a portable charger (my phone is always dying); and mace (you never know).
Lastly, I keep a laminated copy of vertex distance conversions and diopter-to-mm for RGP conversions—always helpful!
Solomon Gould, OD, MBA
I am infamous for always having a combination of what I like to refer to as “work and life essentials.”
My work essentials consist of my laptop and cables, an HDMI cord, a laser pointer, a pen, and a highlighter—yes, I still use them, both the manual and the digital version.
My life essentials consist of a pack of Trident gum (flavor varies), lip balm (Burt’s Bees, always), a combination corticosteroid-antiinfective (I’m an eye doctor, can you blame me for being prepared?), my cell phone battery backup jet pack (I’m a millennial), and my headphones (see previous comment).
Not shown here, but among my typical armory of life essentials is my Tide To-Go Pen, which inconveniently ran out from a weekend in Chicago. What does that say about my coordination? Good thing I am not a surgeon!
Lastly, the one object that does not fall into the classification of either work and/or life essential is my lucky eyeglass tie holder, which was given to me by an audience member and is my official lecturing good luck charm. You will almost always see me wearing it.
Christopher Lopez, OD
I keep my daily essentials pretty simple. You always have to carry business cards to maximize networking opportunities. I love my Wiley X sunglasses with the foam insert, which have been a game changer for my dry eye symptoms. I keep a gym bag with me because I try to hit the gym during lunch (working out with a mask is terrible!). It sounds cheesy, but the adage is true that leaders are readers. I’ve been reading everything that I can get my hands on regarding leadership, wealth building, and practice and business ownership. I was hesitant to transition to a notebook that allows for electronic files to be organized and stored, but my Rocketbook smart notebook has been amazing. No more losing paper notes!
Vittorio Mena Jr, OD, MS
My work bag is a lot like my book bag from when I was in school, and I bring it with me each day into the office. Here’s what’s inside: magazines and a book, which I read when I have downtime at work so I am always educating myself about new things; gummy candy, for whenever I want a quick snack; a football, just in case I want to have a catch with someone in the office or outside; sunglasses, because sun protection is something I preach to all my patients; artificial tears, because I tell my patients it’s like brushing your teeth every day—the more you keep your eyes lubricated the better they will feel; a pen and a highlighter to circle or highlight the things I read in either the magazine or book I’m reading; a small tool kit to repair eyeglasses; and a head lamp, in case I ever break down while driving in the middle of the night (too many scary movies, I guess).
Seema Nanda, OD
You made me clean out my bag, yikes! I have absolutely no clue how old those M&M’s are, but thank goodness for my reliable and trusted friends, granola bars.
Pre- or post-pandemic, I always like to be prepared for whatever may happen next. You never know when you may need a level with interchangeable flat or Phillips screwdriver!
Also, who doesn’t need an extralong Lightning USB cord with cube? (The battery life of both my phone and smart watch are nonexistent.) Wet ones, hand sanitizer, lotion, and artificial tears are always a must. Why a bottle of homatropine ... hmmm ... to break out that synechiae when no one’s looking. Wratten filter is part of the “nerd pocket protector program.” ‘Nuff said.
WHAT THE INSIDE OF YOUR BAG SAYS ABOUT YOU
According to a 2015 Good Housekeeping article, what’s in your bag reveals a lot about your personality.1 If we buy that article’s guidelines, then those who carry only the bare necessities fall into the camp of minimalists, whereas those who haul seemingly everything but the kitchen sink might be considered hopeless hoarders. Then there are those of us who can’t be without our sunglasses, sunscreen, phone, lip balm, perfume or cologne, etc. These individuals are referred to as beauty aficionados. You’re prepared for anything if you open your bag to find gloves, a wallet, gum, a book, a notebook, pen, pencil, phone, tissues, Tide To-Go Pen, baby wipes, keys, a charger, earbuds, or similar paraphernalia. Got your phone, watch, tablet, headphones, charger, and USB drive hanging out in the bottom of your bag? Then you’re always connected.
What’s in your work bag? Do any of the aforementioned labels apply to you? Are you now wondering what your other colleagues are carrying around? We thought so.
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