Hello again future colleagues!
It’s the end of June–which has flown by a little too fast–and although I am so excited for my first day of classes, I don’t want to forget about what I will be leaving behind: my boyfriend, my best friend, my comfort zone. Despite how much time I still have left before August 1 rolls around, I find my agenda book filling up quickly in an effort to tie up loose ends and visit friends and family before my departure. I really look forward to the third week of July when I’ll get a week off work to just relax and maybe go to the cottage.
One of my “loose ends” that I recently tied up was cancelling my gym membership, which was very sad. I really enjoy going to the gym, seeing the same people each morning in the fitness classes and knowing that we all share the same thoughts about doing another set of squats and lunges. Luckily, ICO has a gym conveniently located on campus for student use. I plan to be an avid user, but I take the laughter of my co-worker–a second year student at ICO–as a subtle hint that I may not have the time.
As I prepare for school, it seems my wardrobe is the most difficult thing to put together. It’s easy to imagine things I might need for my room, but when it comes to what I’ll be wearing every day, it seems to require more effort. And in terms of obtaining the required items, I keep having to remind myself that Chicago might possibly have much better shopping than Winnipeg. I found out about an outlet mall near Chicago that has countless stores where I am sure I could find anything that comes to mind.
Fendi 968 in red
This is about the time I would be due for my annual eye exam. However, I think we will be required to get one from the third year students some time in November–so I can wait until then to get my new prescription and hopefully that new Fendi frame I’ve had my eye on.
I have been making great use of the ICO Class of 2017 Facebook page and used it to connect with the other students from Winnipeg–I think there are six of us in total. Five us were able to meet for drinks at an outdoor patio on the most beautiful day I think we have had so far–weather hasn’t been too good this year. Aside from meeting my fellow Winnipeggers, I have been waiting patiently for my roommate assignment and look forward to connecting with her on Facebook.
Next week is my last week working in the optical dispensary; it is somewhat bittersweet. Bitter because I am going to miss all the wonderful staff and doctors there that have allowed me to shadow them and ask countless questions; sweet because I know that this is one more thing that needs to happen before leaving for school. Through working there, I’ve had the opportunity to shadow at our optical lab–they do the edging on our lenses imported from the Ontario office. The man I shadowed was very knowledgeable and showed me the whole edging process from start to finish. Now I finally understand why we pick small frames for high myopes. Another great trick I learned while dispensing is picking a square or round frame for people with a narrow PD–works like a charm for opening up their eyes.
I was born a planner, so I am always thinking one step ahead of myself and asking “What’s next?” Regarding my short-term planning, I’m pondering how I will spend next summer–our one and only summer vacation. I definitely want to participate in the private practice clerkship and I have arranged to do this at the optical dispensary where I have worked for the last year. The next question is, of course, do I want to spend the rest of it working my buns off to make some money, or do I want to take the time off to spend at the cottage or with friends? Maybe the best of both worlds would be to get a job out at the cottage–but because it’s only for two months, I doubt anyone would take me on.
Some long-term planning that I have been thinking about now involves considering doing a residency after graduation. From what I know about the programs so far, a residency in cornea and contact lenses interests me the most. I have also been thinking about what type of environment I would like to find employment in, be it a private practice, a partnership with an ophthalmologist, a hospital setting or even a large corporation. It seems there are so many options and avenues of opportunity available and unfortunately, I do not have the right experiences or knowledge under my belt to make these decisions yet.
Until next time, remember not to wish the time away and enjoy the summer because before you know it, it will be over.