Dr. Eulau’s Path to Optometry
Dr. David Eulau began working at his local LensCrafters while in high school. After several months of working in the lab, cutting and fabricating lenses, he was offered a promotion. He was given the chance to work hand-in-hand with the Optometrist as a technical assistant. It was in this role that he noticed the passion and energy put forth by the Optometrist, which inspired Dr. Eulau.
When deciding his post-high school path, Dr. Eulau brought this into consideration, as well as the growth prospects and financial aspects of the job. He knew that if he became an Optometrist he would be offered a secure future. And so he began his journey.
When completing a bachelor’s degree as a pre-Optometry student, there are many course requirements. One must complete classes such as Biology 1 & 2, Inorganic Chemistry 1 & 2, Organic Chemistry 1 & 2, Physics 1 & 2, Statistics, and Calculus 1 & 2. In order to meet these requirements, students commonly major in Biology or Health Sciences. Upon the completion of a bachelor’s degree, you attend a four-year optometry school.
During Dr. Eulau’s fourth year at SUNY College of Optometry, he entered into actual patient care environments. It was during this that he realized just how much he enjoyed working with patients and getting to know them on a more personal level. He found that these interactions suited both his personality and personal aspirations. He also felt immense gratification from legitimately helping his patients to see better. This gave him confirmation that he made the right career choice.
It is important to note that after completing Optometry school, some Optometrists will complete a residency, although it isn’t required. The purpose of a residency is to give the individual more experience and training in a more specific area of eye care, such as pediatrics, vision therapy, or ocular diseases.
Dr. Eulau’s day-to-day operations begin around 8:00 am and run until about 4:30 pm. During this time, he sees between sixteen to eighteen patients. A large portion of his patients come for routine eye care, allowing them to get new eyeglass and/or contact lens prescriptions. However, this is not all he does. Dr. Eulau also treats patients with corneal abrasions, patients with eye infections, and patients with eye diseases like glaucoma. In addition to this, he also manages patient care post-operatively following cataract surgery or LASIK.
While Dr. Eulau enjoys many aspects of his job, his favorite is ultimately interacting with his patients and their families. Seeing how the eye care and vision improvements he provides them can significantly improve their lifestyles make his job worth all the hard work and effort.
Dr. Eulau recalls one patient in particular that made a significant impact. A sixty-year-old woman had previously been in a car accident, leaving her with a damaged cornea and in need of a corneal transplant. Following her successful transplant, she was only able to see 20/100 in that eye and came to Dr. Eulau for some help. He was able to fit her for a scleral gas permeable contact lens, which improved her vision to 20/25. The woman was so happy and thankful for the clarity Dr. Eulau was able to provide for her. Helping this patient so significantly was incredibly moving for Dr. Eulau. It is an experience he will never forget.
Although Dr. Eulau loves his job overall, his least favorite part is the administrative tasks. This is staffing/training, health insurance issues, and technical/software issues. The reason Dr. Eulau doesn’t necessarily like this part of his job is that it takes him away from the patient care.
Ultimately Dr. Eulau feels that Optometry is a well-appreciated job that pays well, has excellent job security, has both part-time and full-time opportunities, and isn’t too physically demanding. It is because of this, as well as location flexibility, that Dr. Eulau thinks that Optometry is a great career for any high school student to consider.