The Importance of Our Profession

I’m excited and honored to write my first editorial for Modern Optometry! Being involved with Bryn Mawr Communications since the early days with Advanced Ocular Care and CollaborativeEYE and now MOD, it feels like I never left the BMC family.

When asked to join MOD as the third leg of the co-chief trifecta with my great friends, Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO, and Justin Schweitzer, OD, FAAO, I jumped at the opportunity. Seeing the growth of this publication from its onset has been impressive. Among the many exciting aspects of serving in this capacity have been getting to know you, our readers, meeting new contributors, and introducing new print and media content, which helps MOD to continually grow. And just wait until you experience the live meeting we have in the works—it will be like no other, so stay tuned!

After you read this and every issue, be sure to visit our website (modernOD.com) and check out the educational content and entertaining video series, including Collaborative Corner with Marc Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, who shows an informative yet humorous view of our everyday eye care encounters, and our newest video series, Medical Millennial, hosted by Emilie Seitz, OD, which is all about empowering young ODs to practice at the highest scope of their license. We love to get feedback, so please feel free to reach out to any of us about what you love, what you don’t, and things you’d like to see in future issues or online. Feedback is a gift, and, without it, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

This issue’s cover focus is on cornea and anterior segment disease, which makes up the majority of the ocular pathology we see in our clinics. From ocular surface disease to corneal dystrophies and degeneration to ocular surgery, our contributors provide up-to-date information to help prepare us for our everyday clinic adventures. Looking for a primer on corneal crosslinking? Roxanne Achong-Coan, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS, has you covered. Need a review on postoperative surprises and complications? You’ll get that in the article from Sean W. Smolenyak, OD. What about culturing the cornea and conjunctiva? Thankfully, we don’t have to do it often, but Inrava Khasnabish, OD, FAAO, provides some great tools for our toolbox. I could go on, but why not flip to the Table of Contents, check out the articles that interest you, and let us know what you think?

As optometry continues to advance in scope of practice, we can’t forget our roots. Recently, I met with one of my mentors, who practices at the highest level of our profession and who helped fight for diagnostics, therapeutics, and the scope of practice we have today. As we were discussing our great profession, he was excited to talk about the impact that we have, not only in helping our patients medically, but also in providing our patients with clear, comfortable, high-quality vision. He recalled a recent refraction he did on a young patient and the joy that he receives when helping patients see clearly for the first time. He also mentioned a recent scleral lens fit on a patient with advanced ocular surface disease and keratoconus that was truly life-changing for the patient. Reflecting on these stories helps remind us of the influence that we have on our patients on a daily basis. No matter the reason for the visit, we are judged by the comfort and quality of vision we provide and the compassion we have for the patients we serve.

I hope you enjoy this issue of MOD!