Part-time Doctor, Full-time thrill-seeker

Dr. Vaishnavi Raghuram

For someone who dreamt about becoming a Fashion Designer all her life, Optometry as a career choice came as a shock to both my parents and me. Besides Fashion Designing, I also had Interior Designing, Celebrity stylist, even Law (the other extreme, I know!) on my mind for career options and, yet, somehow Optometry happened and I am glad it did. 

I would like to believe I was a decent student in school (scholarships 3 years in a row means ‘decent’, correct?) but the real thrill to me was when things moved from theory to hands-on practice in the 4th year of my Bachelors program. Training at the world renowned LVPEI under the highly qualified, well established Ophthalmologists and experienced Optometrists with a large variety of cases being presented to you on a day-to-day basis was quite overwhelming, but exciting at the same time. Although I am not a morning person getting served corneal ulcers for breakfast felt oddly satisfying and motivated me to keep going. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience; however, what I was craving for was a little more freedom with diagnosing and managing eye conditions. And, this is what prompted and urged me to study further and work towards my goals. That is when I flew to this far-away land – Boston, MA, USA – to enroll in Doctor of Optometry program. After being presented with the ‘Outstanding clinical performance’ award in school and graduating with distinction, my confidence reached a new high. I knew exactly what my next few steps were going to be. Immediately, I applied for Florida state license, had a job in hand within a few weeks of passing out of school and started working before I knew it.  And boy, did I love and enjoy it! It was all rainbows and unicorns. I was in my dream world. I love meeting and interacting with 20 different personalities each day, I love being challenged with clinical decisions, I love learning from my more experienced colleagues. My patients love me and I love them. While all this felt ideal, exhilarating and joyful, my life couldn’t be just about work. Hell, no!

Watching a lot of movies (the ones with super picturesque scenes) and going on annual vacations as a young, curious child had instilled a serious wanderlust in me. I always looked forward to going to somewhere new, understanding different cultures and meeting new people.  And lucky for me, I met my husband who shared the exact same sentiment and fondness for travel, only 10 times more! Together, we’ve set up a schedule for ourselves that allows us to go exploring places to our heart’s content – we work 2 weeks a month and take off to some breathtaking destination on the other two.  Work hard, play hard, right?! We’ve covered parts of North America, Central America, Europe, Africa and Australia so far, each experience unique from the other, each country more awe-inspiring than ever.  I’ve learnt more from traveling than from anything else.  While exposing you to the beauty this world has to offer, it shows you your place; tells you how small a particle you are and teaches you to be appreciative of everything around.  It inspires you to chase your dreams while keeping you adventurous enough to test new waters and push boundaries. Makes you brave and helps you embrace change. It is the best education one can receive and those who get to travel are truly fortunate. Travel also is a great fodder for my husband’s love for photography. He enjoys being behind the lens and I in front. Like, obvi! Together we have a travel page on Instagram (@travelandmagic) where you will find us chasing sunsets, enjoying some great wine in exotic locations, flirting with rainbows, climbing mountains, rolling in green fields, walking on glaciers, frolicking in the bright sun, dancing under the northern lights, playing with waves and twirling in lavender fields. Sometimes, it could be as simple as backyard finds. All you need to do is cross that doorstep. The world is NOT small and we hope to continue to explore,experience, cherish and learn from our adventures. My ideal job would be to work as a traveling Optometrist and to make this world my office.

Through this article, I am hoping to have inspired at least some of you to do a lot of what you love and understand that inspiration can be found anywhere. Optometry as a profession gives you the power to not only help one see but also the opportunity and freedom to help you see things from a different perspective. I am currently a Consultant Optometrist and Optometry team leader at Living Well Health Center in Microsoft, Redmond, WA. I manage refractive errors, corneal ulcers, glaucoma and screen for diabetic retinopathy. Less than a year ago, I was awarded ‘Doctor of the year’ and I sincerely feel I couldn’t have achieved so much in less than three years of practice without hard work, determination, my husband’s support and the freedom, energy and positivity I derive from travel.

From my experience so far, what I would suggest to people out there is, find what makes you happy and never let go of it. Optometry to me now is a way of life. I do not see it as a means to earn money but as a means to keep me happy. To keep me busy. To keep me alive.

Dr. Vaishnavi Raghuram is a Consultant Optometrist at Living Well Eye Center, Redmond, WA since October 2017. She had her initial training in Optometry and graduated from Bausch and Lomb School of Optometry in the year 2011 where she received annual merit scholarships for three years in a row. She, then went onto do her Doctor of Optometry from the prestigious New England College of Optometry (NECO), Boston. At NECO, she was given the 2014 ‘Ocular Instruments Award’ for demonstrating outstanding performance in clinical skills. After graduation, she worked at Gulf Coast Optometry, Tampa, Florida where she was awarded the ‘Excellence in Professionalism’ for providing outstanding care in October 2016 and ‘Doctor of the Year’ in February 2017.