Alumni Focus on Emily Benson (OD/MS'24)

DR. BENSON'S STORY

Hometown

I’ve lived in so many places, I can’t choose just one! I was born in central Georgia but have also lived in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, and Virginia. I currently live in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

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

Lafayette College – Neuroscience major, Government & Law minor

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

OD/MS'24

Who were your mentors at the College of Optometry? Who had a positive effect on your education?

The people who shaped my career in optometry the most from the college are Dr. Mike Earley, Dr. Tim Fries, and Dr. Nick Fogt. Dr. Earley was the one who inspired me to become involved in the AOA and OOA, starting from the first time I stepped foot on campus on my interview day and continuing throughout school and beyond. Dr. Fries offered me my first job in optometry as a tech at one of his practices during school, and he has been a fantastic mentor ever since. He was the first person I called when I had job offers after residency, and his advice helped me become confident in my decision making and negotiations. Dr. Fogt was my master’s advisor, and worked countless hours helping me organize, write, and publish my thesis. We had some great times in his lab!

DR. BENSON'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY

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

Senior Clinical Instructor at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.

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

I work in a very disease-heavy practice alongside many amazing optometrists and ophthalmologists. I see a lot of ocular disease, primary care, dry eye, and specialty contact lenses. Every day is extremely different, so I’m always on my toes and wanting to learn more. Perhaps my favorite part of my day is when I work with our fourth-year externs from many schools (including Ohio State!). I love helping them build their confidence and enhance their clinical decision-making skills. This is my first job since finishing residency this summer, and I’m super excited to see where it takes me.

Which optometric issues concern you the most?

Insurance reimbursement, public awareness of optometry, and access to care.

Why did you choose a career in optometry?

After having heart surgery my sophomore year of high school (and maybe watching a little too much Grey’s Anatomy that year as well), I knew I wanted to go into healthcare. I shadowed many different types of doctors, but I didn’t love any of the specialties I shadowed. Then I shadowed my local optometrist and fell in love with optometry instantly! I was lucky that my small liberal arts college has a professor who does eye research, and I was able to convince him to teach a course he wouldn’t normally teach that year, Anatomy of the Eye. I’m grateful that Dr. James Dearworth at Lafayette was able to change up his schedule to help me learn more about eyes and solidify my decision to apply to optometry school.

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

I hope to grow within my role at University Hospitals, continue and expand upon my involvement in the OOA and AOA, and become a fellow of the AAO.

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

Two hills that I’ll die on are AOA membership and the importance of residencies in optometry.

Stay a member of the American Optometric Association and get involved in your state affiliate right after school! The AOA does so much more than you may realize. During school, you have access to every resource you could possibly need, but a lot of that access goes away after you graduate. The AOA and your state affiliate are your source for everything you need after school, including practice guidelines, billing/coding help, and more. Plus, the advocacy part of it is kind of like an insurance policy for our profession, so who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Residency education gives you experience and mentorship after school that’s hard to find otherwise. Having someone to walk you through all those big “firsts” is important in your growth after school. Having a mentor there to help you through your first medical emergency, your first specialty lens fitting, or whatever your big “first” may be, makes you more confident the next time around and throughout your career.

What do eye health and eye care mean for you?

When fitting specialty contact lenses, I’m able to give people their sight back when they thought it was lost forever. One of my favorite moments from residency was working with a patient whose only goal was to be able to see her daughter walk across the stage at graduation, and we were able to dispense her final lenses just in time! She left the exam room in tears of joy, so excited to be able to see her daughter’s big day. Sight is our most precious sense, and the emotion patients feel when they can finally see 20/happy again is worth everything to me.

DR. BENSON'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE

What were your most memorable moments at Ohio State?

EYE tailgates, late night study sessions at 1444 (the house I lived in during school with four of the best roommates), and travelling to Optometry’s Meeting and Academy with all my friends!

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

I truly believe my life and career would look completely different if I didn’t attend Ohio State. The culture at Ohio State encourages you to not only become a great clinician, but to also have professional interests outside the exam room. It was my professors at Ohio State who encouraged me to become involved in the AOSA and AOA, helped develop my leadership skills, and continued their support while I was National President of the AOSA. Being at Ohio State opened so many doors that I would have never imagined when I decided to pursue optometry.

How do you stay connected with the College of Optometry?

I always attend the alumni events at Optometry’s Meeting and Academy, plus the OSU CE conferences when I need some extra CE. I also participate as a clinical preceptor in the externship program. Of course I try to go to Ohio State football games and tailgates when I can!

DR. BENSON'S FUN FACTS

What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?

I enjoy swimming, watching sports, and (right now) playing fantasy football. Some volunteer work I’m involved with include the OOA YoungOD committee, AOA Membership Development committee, and AOA Opportunities in Optometry grant committee. I also recently adopted two kittens, a brother and sister named Freddie and Scottie, and they’ve been keeping me pretty busy as well!

What is a fun fact about you?

A fun fact about me is that I played two Division I sports in college. I was on swim team all four years (Captain my senior year) and on the fencing team for two years! I was also on the club equestrian team if you want to count that as a third.

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

Sorry, I can’t tutor anyone else on eye puns. I already have two pupils.

If not an optometrist, I would be …

Either a swim coach or a pilot! Swimming has always been part of my life, but I’ve also more recently become a little bit of an aviation geek, and I’m considering getting my private pilot license!