International Optometry Experience

[blazenmadison]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This is for those wanting to make a change, explore new countries, and gain optometric experience:

Two years ago I went to Central America with a pre-health team, and I went back again this past winter. I was the sole pre-optometry student. It's an amazing experience and will definitely change your life. It's very similar to VOSH which some optometry students go through, but instead you do it at a pre-optometry level. They also need optometrists willing to help! Plus you get to explore other fields (dentistry, pharmacy, and medicine) as well. Programs run about 2 weeks and they fit well during summer or winter breaks.

http://www.islonline.org/optical/index.html

 

[xmattODx]

This is for those wanting to make a change, explore new countries, and gain optometric experience:

Two years ago I went to Central America with a pre-health team, and I went back again this past winter. I was the sole pre-optometry student. It's an amazing experience and will definitely change your life. It's very similar to VOSH which some optometry students go through, but instead you do it at a pre-optometry level. They also need optometrists willing to help! Plus you get to explore other fields (dentistry, pharmacy, and medicine) as well. Programs run about 2 weeks and they fit well during summer or winter breaks.

http://www.islonline.org/optical/index.html

Sounds like an interesting program. Would you be able to answer a few questions?

Do they only use a Focometer for refraction?
With cataract causing greater than 50% of global blindness and a large amount of low vision is cataract surgery performed?
With VISION 2020 calling for human resource and local infrastructure development how does that occur? i.e. who is the organization training locally? What infrastructure is being created?

 

[blazenmadison]

Sounds like an interesting program. Would you be able to answer a few questions?

Do they only use a Focometer for refraction?

Yes, we used the focometer designed by Dr. Berger.

With cataract causing greater than 50% of global blindness and a large amount of low vision is cataract surgery performed?

Unfortunately, surgical procedures were not performed. Another issue was pytergium.

With VISION 2020 calling for human resource and local infrastructure development how does that occur? i.e. who is the organization training locally? What infrastructure is being created?

Good question. I'm not familiar with the local development in the region. The agency does work with local churchs to help build community centers. We held our clinics at these centers.

 

[J.opt]

Do they only use a Focometer for refraction?

I'm curious about why you ask this. How widely is the phocometer used in mission trips?

 

[xmattODx]

I'm curious about why you ask this. How widely is the phocometer used in mission trips?

I don't think it's widely used. It requires very specific and detailed directions for the patient to use. It is easier to use an Autorefractor and loose lens retinoscopy/refraction.

 

[silviapoe]

Optometrists in many other countries especially in Asia do not undergo a separate 4 years of stringent trainings like in America. Just couple of weeks and perhaps a month of on-the-job training will get you qualified to prescribe lenses to the customers (patients) and no certification will ever be needed. If you happen to be roaming at one of the shopping malls there, you'll find many optical stores price-warring against each other... and guess what ... eye exams are all FREE!

 

[montrealrep]

when you applied for ISL, was it hard to volunteer in the field you wanted? Do they give you the opportunity to serve in whatever field you want pretty much?

 

[TommyGuns]

Waterloo has a group of around 30 people going to Costa Rica and Nicaragua through ISL, including myself. I'm really pumped! We are leaving May 1st. We had the option of either staying for 2 or 3 weeks. They do give you options to serve in whatever field you want, and you can help out with more than one field. I will post a message telling ya'll how it went 😎.

 

[blazenmadison]

when you applied for ISL, was it hard to volunteer in the field you wanted? Do they give you the opportunity to serve in whatever field you want pretty much?

No one wanted to do optometry, so you end up doing it most of time. It's more optician work than optometry.
Yes, you can explore other fields as well. I went to CR/Nicaragua both times. The only thing I regret is not learning enough Spanish.

 

[scvcstar]

I went with ISL too!! August 2005...to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. It was an amazing experience, and you don't just have to do optometry, you can try your hand at other things too. I did general medicine for about 2 days and pharmacy for 3 days, and obviously I always ended up liking optometry the most, even though we didn't do THAT much. I think I mostly put together a bunch of ugly glasses, recommended a LOT of [also ugly] sunglasses, and recommended a lot of home remedies such as putting chamomile tea bags on the eyes for allergies. Ptyergium was definitely a major problem.

We got a crash course (one-day) at the beginning of the trip to learn about major problems we'd be running into, it was mostly for the general medicine though...but we also got a list of useful spanish medical phrases. It definitely helped me brush up on my spanish and learn a lot of useful medical spanish. And it definitely confirmed my interest in optometry, especially for international outreach. =)

I highly recommend going on ANY kind of medical missions to develop your passion for serving people and social justice. =)

 

[xmattODx]

I highly recommend going on ANY kind of medical missions to develop your passion for serving people and social justice. =)

Social justice? Is it in the best interest of social justice for untrained students to provide care? Is it in the best interest of social justice for nations to depend on vision camps for care? Does this program work within the framework of VISION 2020? Food for thought.

 

[premeder]

so students in international service learning bring a phocometer and prescribe glasses? this doesnt sound like it does any good whatsoever. what about an eye doctor prescribing glasses? do you even know if people where the glasses being prescribed? what happens to people who dont need glasses but need surgery or treatment for infections? where is the eye doctor???????