The Cowra Guardian recently caught up with Cowra optometrist Geoff Day in a continuation of our series talking to locals in business.
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What made you pursue a career in optometry, it's not a job kids often growing up thinking about?
They did vocational guidance at school and handed out pamphlets depending on what your marks were. I'd never been to an optometrist when I was a kid.
Did you need high marks like you do today to enter optometry?
Not as high as today. The marks, probably over the past 15 years are way higher, they have skyrocketed. Ours was probably about the same as dentistry and pharmacy. Medicine was right up there and optometry was a couple of levels down but now it is about equivalent.
Has the job changed a lot?
Yes, certainly. It's now a digital age with imaging available. When I first started here a lot was (diagnosed with) what you could see with the naked eye. The equipment is always improving, it can be a little overwhelming when you go to a trade show.
Are you still required to complete study to keep up to date?
Yes, I guest most professions have to do continuing education. They're all pretty much lined up, certainly the medical health services. There is a format you need to complete either online, through seminars, conferences and interactive hours either at conferences or online.
Do you have to do this every year?
Yes, that's been the case for a while. It's mandated, you can't not do it. You have to do the work, reflect on it and make some sort of assessment on how it's going to help the practice, if it has worked for you. At the start of each year you have to develop a plan which may involve study in eight or nine subjects, you might decide on diabetes, cataracts or glaucoma and say what your aims are, how it is going to work and what you're going to do to achieve your goals and targets.
Are more people coming in with problems related to increase screen time?
Yes somewhat, I guess more people are noticing problems because of that. It's not causing the problem but if they've got a slight problem and they're on their screens and phone, probably too close a lot of the time, they will have problems.
Do you wear glasses yourself?
Yes, I'm short-sighted.
What are a couple of things people might not know?
I grew up in Wagga and later this year I'm going to be a grandfather (in August).