When I was a student, we had a guest lecturer, Dr Robert Morrison, a renowned contact lens specialist from the USA who commented during the lecture that “it gave him great satisfaction driving home at night knowing that he had enhanced patients’ vision”.
One of the best things about providing a comprehensive optometric service is the privilege of being trusted to provide patients with clearer, more comfortable and efficient vision as well as in some cases preventing permanent loss of sight.
In my first year of practice I worked for Dr Derek Humphriss, a well-known optometrist in South Africa. I admired his expertise and was impressed by the way he was able to give advice on complex cases.
After being in practice for about six months, I began to become bored with some of the mundane repetitive tasks inherent in all occupations. I was surprised that having been in optometry for over 40 years, Dr Humphriss appeared to still be highly motivated and enjoying his profession. In one of our discussions, I asked him how he maintained his enthusiasm while after only six months I was starting to become disillusioned.
He told me he derived great satisfaction from solving patients’ problems and that the mundane tasks were simply a means to that end. He drew the parallel between a bricklayer who simply focused on laying individual bricks and another who saw the bigger picture of creating a beautiful building.
These words transformed my view of optometry which encouraged me to undertake further study, to solve more complex problems.
Since then, optometry and optometric equipment have evolved not only providing superior optical solutions but also treating a wide range of eye diseases.
Although “much water has passed under the bridge since then”, I can still echo the words of Dr Morrison that “I get great satisfaction driving home at night knowing that I have been able to enhance patients’ vision”.
In fact, patient satisfaction is the driving force underpinning our practice.
