Alumni Focus on Erica Shelton (OD/MS'18)

DR. SHELTON'S STORY

Hometown

Avon Lake, Ohio

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

University of Dayton. I majored in Biology.

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

OD/MS'18, and I am currently working on my PhD in vision science.

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

Karla Zadnik, Bradley Dougherty, Cayti McDaniel, Ann Morrison, and Mike Earley. All my mentors had and still have a positive effect on my education and career. Another person who had a positive effect on my education at the college is Freda Dallas in the BVP clinic.

DR. SHELTON'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY

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

The Ohio State University College of Optometry Columbus, Ohio.

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

Currently I spend my days doing research related to pediatric vision care. I spend time talking to community partners, writing my dissertation, and assisting as a teaching assistant (TA) in the Epidemiology Public Health and Environmental Vision course for the optometry students.

Which optometric issues concern you the most?

Pediatric vision care access and parental vision-related health literacy are two areas I am most concerned with.

Why did you choose a career in optometry?

I wanted a career in the health sciences where I could teach, provide care, learn more about the brain, and have a comfortable work/life balance.

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

I see myself doing research in pediatric vision care access and health literacy in the state of Ohio and teaching future optometrists.

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

Always be open to learning more and improving your practice. Good doctors are the ones willing to change as new innovations and new knowledge emerge. Also, be an effective doctor first and efficiency will follow.

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

To me, eye health and eye care mean that someone has the knowledge and resources to see what they need to see to live their life to the fullest.

DR. SHELTON'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE

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

Well, given that I am still part of the college today, you could say it means quite a bit! The college is where I grew up, learned to be a doctor, learned to be a researcher, and met my fiancé. It is the most important pillar to my professional career and shaped me into the health care and research professional I am today.

How do you stay connected with the College of Optometry?

I help out with alumni activities when needed and I am a SocialEyes mentor with my fiancé, Kevin Rodda (OD'18).

DR. SHELTON'S FUN FACTS

What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?

I like to go camping and spend time with my dogs, Karla and Olive.

What is your nickname? (Or another fun, random fact about you)

My family refers to me sometimes by my middle name, Rose.

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

Eye don’t know.

If not an optometrist, I would be …

an elementary school teacher or a summer camp director.