Up Close With Hardeep K. Kataria, OD, FAAO

Tell us about your journey toward becoming an optometrist. How did you know this was the right career path for you?

I was originally on a premed track when I entered undergrad. I discovered my love for optometry when I rotated at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center Optometry Clinic in Gainesville, Florida, and eventually established the pre-optometry internship there. I especially loved working in the low vision rehabilitation service. Now, I love that although we are eye doctors primarily, we actually treat the whole patient, from diagnosis to management.

You were born and raised in London, England. Do you have any family still there who you go back and visit? Do you miss it?

Except for my parents and siblings, my entire family still lives in London. I definitely miss it, mostly the junk food and street food! My fondest memories involve eating “Mr. Softee” ice creams by the Thames River and feeding the swans with my parents. I visit often and even manage to see friends from middle school, with whom I am still in touch.

Tell us about your travel and community service involvement. What has been the most memorable experience or project for you so far?

I have been on many vision health mission trips through Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) International, including two trips to Nicaragua, and most recently, one to Panama. I also founded and established a nonprofit vision clinic in conjunction with my local Rotary Club and Salvation Army, where I was able to provide free eye examinations and other vision services to residents of my county. My favorite part of the project was seeing how local members of the community donated their time and resources to pitch in, including non–eye care professionals.

You were named as the first optometrist to the Speakers Bureau for FemInEm, an organization dedicated to the journey of women working in emergency medicine. How would you say eye care professionals can promote gender equity in the workplace?

Gender bias in health care is a complex issue. It occurs on many levels, ranging from employers, to vendors, and patients. Female eye care professionals can promote gender equity in the workplace by doing the research and being educated on the salaries of their male counterparts and negotiating the equivalent; speaking with other women and men about their experiences with gender bias to raise awareness; speaking up when they are victims of micro- and macro aggressions; and advocating for other women when they witness gender bias and aggressions. Lastly, female eye care professionals can lead students and mentees by example, so they have resources when they need to reach out for help.

What led you to become interested in managing patients with glaucoma and dry eye disease? What advice would you give to ODs looking to build successful comanagement relationships?

My external rotation at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and my residency at the Baltimore VA Medical Center were heavy on ocular disease, and I especially fell in love with the complexity of managing glaucoma. After graduation, I focused my energy on finding a position that would allow me to practice and build on my glaucoma management skills. From there, a desire to treat dry eye disease was born after years of listening to patients complain about the side effects of drops.

For ODs looking to build successful comanagement relationships, I would say that treating ocular disease in your practice first, rather than referring the patient right away, creates an opportunity for integrated care with outside doctors. In other words, sometimes we talk ourselves out of managing ocular disease in house even though we have the education, knowledge, and tools to do so ourselves.

What three items would you want to have with you on a deserted island?

I would bring a long book—I love a good historical fiction—sunglasses to protect my eyes, and a hammock!

Source
https://modernod.com/articles/2021-nov-dec/up-close-with-hardeep-k-kataria-od-faao?c4src=article:infinite-scroll