One to Watch: Mark Schaeffer, OD

Sponsored by:

Please share with us your background.

I went to undergrad at the University of Georgia, where I majored in marketing. I wasn’t planning on going to optometry school when I graduated, but I ended up running two clinical trials after graduation and fell in love with patient care. I took the Optometry Admission Test and applied to Southern College of Optometry, from which I graduated in 2011. I then completed a residency in ocular disease at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

Describe your current position.

I am the clinical field manager for Alabama for MyEyeDr. I am mostly involved in patient care, but I also help onboard new associates into the culture and patient care at MyEyeDr. My day-to-day is primary eye care, where anything and everything walks into our clinic, from refractive care with glasses and contact lenses to all things ocular disease.

On the professional side, I’m industry chair and a founding member of the Intrepid Eye Society. I do consulting and speaking on behalf of contact lens manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. I lecture on ocular disease and contact lenses at regional and national meetings.

Who are your mentors?

My father, Jack L. Schaeffer, OD, who works tirelessly for his patients and optometry as a whole, is first on the list. Because I’ve had a lifetime around incredible people whom I still look up to, I don’t think they’ll all fit in this space. I am continually learning from those around me, from experienced practitioners like Ben Gaddie, OD, FAAO, and from peers like Justin Schweitzer, OD, FAAO, and Selina McGee, OD, FAAO. They push me beyond my limits and challenge my learning each day in clinical cases and practical help.

What has been the most memorable experience of your career thus far?

Every year, my family (four ODs and a CFO … yes we are all involved in optometry) participates in a presentation for the first-year class at the University of Alabama School of Optometry with Kelly K. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO. We share our experiences within optometry and patient encounters that have meant the most to us, and we have a great time explaining why we love the profession.

What new technological advances do you find particularly exciting? Which advances in the pipeline are you most enthusiastic or curious about?

I’m really interested to see what happens when we get presbyopia-correcting drops approved by the FDA. This is a technology that will allow us to reach a large population of people who otherwise wouldn’t see an optometrist or who are self-prescribing in shopping aisles and on websites every day. Because we know the inevitability of needing near correction in middle age, this will give us more opportunities to make our patients happier and to provide a better experience each time they come to see us.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Most days I see patients. I get to treat any and all medical and vision conditions that walk through our door. The patients usually present for routine care, but we often uncover systemic or ocular disease processes, from dry eye to glaucoma to diabetes and everything in between.

What advice can you offer to individuals who are just now choosing their career paths after finishing optometry school or residency?

There are so many avenues to practice optometry. Find the path that makes you excited to come in each day. Find the patients or the position that engages your curiosity. Anything that makes you want to dig deeper, ask questions, or take a second look is a path worth investigating. And just as with anything else, don’t be afraid to evolve into something different that may not have been on your radar in the past.