Written by: Vicky Shah and Nicholas Shin
We had the opportunity to virtually speak with Dr. Laura Dwernichuk in late October 2024. We spoke about her practice Stoney Plain Eye Centre in Alberta where she works alongside her husband. Dr. Dwernichuk graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1993 and worked in Edmonton for eight years before settling in Stoney Plain and Spruce Grove.
Dr. Dwernichuk had great advice for new graduates looking to grow a patient base and stand out as practitioners. She highlighted the advantages of starting in a rural setting, with it being much easier to establish a patient base, compared to urban areas where advertising is often necessary. She also recommended exploring specialized fields such as myopia control or vision therapy to help broaden our knowledge and make our skills stand out.
Dr. Dwernichuk spoke of the importance of connecting with patients and making them feel comfortable, sharing stories about assisting patients outside of regular hours and being on call. She stressed the importance of patient education in combating noncompliance as it often stems from a lack of understanding treatment plans.
This led to a discussion of the advancements of optometry and the introduction of telehealth. Dr. Dwernichuk spoke highly of the use of telehealth in rural communities and how it can be very useful in scenarios such as the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent clinic exposure. This was very interesting to learn and gave us a new perspective on the uses of telehealth.
Moreover, Dr. Dwernichuk gave us great insights for running a private practice. She discussed the importance of balancing administrative responsibilities and clinical work, stressing the need to delegate tasks effectively. She also recommended joining cooperatives like Eye Recommend or OSI, which offer discounted supplies, training opportunities, and business support. With Optometry being a field with constant innovation, Dr. Dwernichuk highlighted the importance of continued education programs through partner groups.
Thank you CAOS and Dr. Dwernichuk for giving us this great opportunity. It was very eye opening and insightful. We really learned a lot from speaking with Dr. Dwernichuk and look forward to implanting her suggestion into our careers going forward.
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