What is the proudest moment of your career so far?

With this theme in mind, OT canvassed the views of contributors to our Life in practice section on a key theme: what is the proudest moment of your career so far?

Jas Bahra, domiciliary optometrist and owner of Southern Optical

Featured in: Decoding domiciliary

Jas Bahra

“There have been several moments throughout my career where I’ve felt incredibly proud, but they’re almost always followed by gratitude. As optometrists, we have the privilege of making a genuine difference to people’s lives every day.

“One case that has always stayed with me involved a patient undergoing cancer treatment. She had visited several practitioners but felt that nobody had really listened to what she was experiencing. Her case wasn’t straightforward, and what she needed most was someone to take the time to understand her concerns.

“We worked through her symptoms together, discussed her treatment and the impact it was having on her vision, and developed a plan she felt confident in. At the end of the appointment, she became emotional because, in her words, she finally felt heard.

“She has since chosen to return to me for her ongoing eye care, and that trust means more to me than any award or milestone. It reminded me that while clinical knowledge is essential, listening is often one of the most powerful tools we have.

“For me, that’s what great optometry is about – combining clinical expertise with genuine human connection.”

Read Jas’ Decoding domiciliary reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.

Sonia Jethwa, optometrist and director at Specsavers Home Visits in Nottingham, Derby and Leicestershire

Featured in: How I got here

Sonia Jethwa

“Maybe because it’s fairly fresh, but I’m extremely proud to be the first supervisor nationwide to have taken on a pre-registration optometrist in a domiciliary setting. She is doing so well, and I’m so proud of myself that I didn’t give up on trying to achieve this.”

Read Sonia’s How I got here reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.

Mohammed Asghar, locum independent prescribing optometrist

Featured in: Locum lessons

Mohammed Asghar

“I remember locuming at at quite a busy multiple, when a colleague mentioned that a patient with intermittent visual loss in one eye had walked in. She was over 50, and had only one good eye.

“I took it upon myself to evaluate her symptoms and examine her eyes that day, and concluded that she may be suffering from giant cell arteritis (GCA). I referred her that moment to the local hospital eye department as an emergency.

“The optometry practice team contacted me after a few days, letting me know that GCA had been confirmed and that the patient was grateful, as we had managed to save her sight in her only good eye. She left a large box of chocolates and a thank you card for me to pick up next time I was locuming there.

“That was a proud moment for me, as it goes to show how important our jobs as optometrists are in providing time critical care to prevent potentially permanent sight loss.”

Read Mohammed’s Locum lessons reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.

Sarah Gibson, optometrist and owner at SG Eyecare in Wincanton

Featured in: A day in the life of a business owner

Sarah Gibson

“I am very proud of the fact that we survived the COVID-19 lockdowns, as so many small businesses sadly did not.

“That experience taught me to be proud of the fact that, somehow, I had built a genuinely resilient business, despite feeling like I was flying by the seat of my pants most of the time.

“We came out of lockdown with some partly formed plans for what we wanted the business to look like moving forwards, and we are now realising a lot of those plans.

"That is one thing I'm proud of. Another is watching my staff celebrate our recent award wins, and realising that I created the environment and culture for that to happen.

“I am my own worst critic, so having pride in my achievements is not something I really do. Maybe I should do it more often?”

Read Sarah’ A day in the life of a business owner reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.

Katie Smith, service lead for core optometry at Bristol Eye Hospital

Featured in: You had me at hospital

Katie Smith

“My proudest moment has been my promotion to a service lead role at Bristol Eye Hospital. It was something I worked really hard for. Completing additional management training and the transition into that management role has been difficult sometimes – it is very different to a clinical role. I’m enjoying the challenge and the ability to implement change in the department.”

Read Katie’s You had me at hospital reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.

Matthew Chan, optometrist and senior lecturer at Cardiff University

Featured in: A conversation about...

Matthew Chan

“I’m not sure I have one moment. I’m proudest of the people I’ve worked alongside: Lynn Hansford, Ed Farrant and Peter Hong early on, who were kind and gave me a huge amount of support when I had no idea what I was doing, through to Simon Epps, Clare Bailey and Gwyn Williams more recently. I’ve picked up a bit of knowledge since, though not enough to stop me asking them questions all the time.

“I’m also proud of the Teach and Treat clinic I run with my brilliant colleague Jeenal Shah. It makes a real difference to the local population it serves, and to the optometrists and students it trains.”

Read Matthew’s A conversation about... reflections in The Eye care success stories edition, online now.