When Priti Patel, OD, was completing her residency after graduating from optometry school, “no way did I think I would switch gears to focus on anything other than direct patient care,” she says.

When Christina Murray, OD, a 2016 graduate of Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, was still in school, she skipped events hosted by large optometric corporations.

There is a world of difference between working in clinic while you’re a student and being alone as the optometrist in charge once you’ve taken on a professional position, says Kristen Burkholder, OD, of Columbus, Ohio.

Pamela Riedy, OD, MBA, loves to hear the questions that optometry students ask her.

When Nancy Solsaa, OD, decided to join America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses immediately after graduating from Illinois College of Optometry in 1995, she didn’t expect it to become the place she would spend her career.

When Grace Kim, OD, joined National Vision Inc. 17 years ago, she was initially attracted to the job stability provided. She has stayed because of the research.