Written by: Jaclyn Chiu, Kiana Wong, and Sophia Huang We had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Allan Bernardi at his clinic, Dr. Allan Bernardi Optometry, in London, Ontario. He provided us with an in-depth tour of his clinic, which he designed himself. As some of us are interested in opening our own practices in the future, he provided valuable insight from his own experiences regarding clinic layout considerations and managing a business. We had many discussions regarding private versus corporate practice, how optometry has evolved, as well as what he thinks is in store for the profession in the future. Dr. Bernardi shared his experiences and described his collaborations with ophthalmologists and other health professionals when providing care for patients. He was also very open to all our questions about his most interesting cases, advice for fresh graduates, and his life as an optometrist. Dr. Bernardi showed us the OCT machine in the clinic, and the advantageous impact it has had on his patients as well as on the profession. He also showed us the Optomap, which is a digital retinal scan that allows for a greater view of the back of the eye. The clinic also has its own edging machine, which Dr. Bernardi highly recommended as a patient can quickly get their lenses and glasses. As the clinic is normally closed on Saturdays, we didn’t get to meet the staff of the clinic, however, Dr. Bernardi described the close-knit work environment and the amazing front desk staff and optician that help him provide high-quality care to his patients. After the clinic visit, Dr. Bernardi graciously took us to an amazing lunch where we further discussed optometry and our own interests. It is clear that Dr. Bernardi truly cares about his patients and wants the best for them. His 35-plus years of patient care have provided us with valuable advice and insight into the profession. We truly appreciate Dr. Bernardi for this opportunity and for coming in on his day off. Thank you to CAOS for connecting us.
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