Alumni Focus on Scott Pycraft

DR. PYCRAFT'S STORY

Hometown

Wooster, Ohio

Which institution did you attend for your undergraduate degree? What was your major?

Ohio Wesleyan University, Microbiology BS'07

Which degree(s), related to optometry, did you earn at Ohio State?

OD'11

Who were your mentors at the College of Optometry?

Dawn Goedde instilled a love of studying ocular disease. She was the type of professor who really cared about her students and showed me how to educate patients in terms that they will really understand. Aaron Zimmerman and Nicky Lai showed me that it is possible to change lives with contact lenses and how to have a personality while practicing optometry to create a memorable experience with your patients.

DR. PYCRAFT'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY

Name of your employer(s) and title, including location.

Pycraft Family Eye Care in Wooster & Orrville

Give us a glimpse of your typical day as an optometrist.

I've always been an early riser. I wake up and enjoy the silence of the day before the rest of the family gets up. I usually either go for a walk or for a lift before heading to the office. Once I arrive at work, I usually look through the electronic charts for the day to see what is coming. The best part of working in a small town, especially if it is your hometown, is that you get to interact with people who mean a lot to you. In one day, you may see your second grade teacher, your high school coach, and that cranky neighbor who now appreciates your medical advice. After I'm done with patient care I get to head home and switch to being a dad. I enjoy cooking, so a perfect night would involve something on the grill or some pan-seared salmon.

Which optometric issues concern you the most?

The constant battle with the dilemma of medical insurance vs. vision insurance. Patients are always confused, no matter how much education goes into it. The end result is that we want to take care of our patients and give them the best vision possible.

Why did you choose a career in optometry?

I fought coming to optometry; my dad Ronald Pycraft (OD'82) encouraged me to find my own path. I told him I was going to dental school, but I saw the light my senior year and applied to optometry school. I spent time in both fields and really felt like the optometrists had more fulfillment from their careers.

Where do you hope to see your optometric career in five years?

I love patient care. With the technology we have now, I look forward to seeing what we will be able to do for our patients. Newer tech like IPL and LLLT allow us to really change lives by improving outcomes for our dry eye sufferers. Old tech like scleral lenses that have come full circle are en vogue allow us to help create some of the most crisp and healthy vision for our patients.

What is one piece of advice you can give OPT-IV students as they prepare to graduate and begin their optometric careers?

Your first job may not be your last. Don't fear your student loans, but you have to prepare to dig deep to get rid of them. You are already used to living like a student, so embrace it for now. Great things are coming!

What do eye health, and eye care, mean for you?

The eyes are really a great window into a person's total health. Picking up small changes like early drusen, blood vessel crossing changes, arcus in the cornea can really help patients create a conversation with their primary care physicians. Ask any optometrist and they will tell you a story about how they picked up breast cancer, sleep apnea or diabetes, or identified someone who is at high risk for a stroke. Every day we get to impact our community.

DR. PYCRAFT'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE

What were your most memorable moments at Ohio State?

Going to the Rose Bowl with my brother during my fourth year was a great experience. It was right before I became an uncle for the first time, so it was a great last trip before our lives changed pretty drastically. Many tailgates at the Epsilon Psi Epsilon (EYE) house with my classmates would also be on that list. We worked hard, and when we got to just have fun, we made sure to make it count! To cap it off, being hooded by my dad at convocation and having him present me with my white coat at our ceremony meant a lot to me and the whole family.

What do Ohio State and the College of Optometry mean to you and your family?

As a second-generation graduate of the College of Optometry, Ohio State is a second home. Wear your Buckeye apparel anywhere and you receive and O-H; even in Honduras!

DR. PYCRAFT'S FUN FACTS

What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?

I enjoy coaching youth lacrosse and have been active in the Wooster youth football program. When I was in junior high we started a tuba Christmas program at Wooster City Schools and have now celebrated 25 years of this program! I love to cook, bake and grill. I have gone with Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO) on mission trips to Santa Rosa, Honduras.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I am a certified scuba diver.

What’s the best eye pun/joke/saying you’ve ever heard?

There is no eye in team!