My expectations/goals for this rotation were exceeded. There was a lot to gain from this site! I went into this rotation knowing very little about military or government optometry, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety of cases I encountered during this rotation and the ease of which we were able to order additional testing/collaborate with primary care and ophthalmology/prescribe medications! I saw a lot of routine visits for young enlisted soldiers, but I also saw a surprising amount of acute care & red eyes, foreign body removals, glaucoma work ups, retina cases, and also assisted with a few scleral lens fittings.

It was a great environment for me to gain confidence in building differential diagnoses, work on technical clinical skills, and to deliver patient education.