Written by Halina Li and Liana Liu
We had the pleasure of spending a thought-provoking afternoon with Dr. Joseph Chan at Queensway Optometric Centre in Mississauga.
Dr. Chan welcomed us with a tour of the optical, exam rooms, and diagnostics room of the clinic followed by a discussion of some interesting cases he had seen in the last few months. His passion for being a part of the Queensway Optometric Centre really shone through with his investment in including staff to make company decisions and his enthusiasm for putting the patient first to form long-term relationships. We were thankful Dr. Chan shared honest advice on how important it was for any optometrist to explore a clinic’s company culture before deciding where they wanted to work. We discussed the growing branches of optometry into binocular vision/vision therapy, contact lenses, and dry eye to help practices differentiate from primary care optometry.
As an optometrist who completed an M.B.A. as well, Dr. Chan brought a unique perspective to the important fundamentals of being a small business owner which included reading and understanding financial statements, human resources, and practice management. Although he felt that an M.B.A was not necessary to purchase an optometry clinic, he encouraged us to develop a good background in these topics before we started working to optimize our relationships with our future accountants and future practice owners.
It was so valuable to have a conversation with Dr. Chan on how he learned to combine hard work with his passions to pave the path for a successful optometry career.
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