Episodes

"People with great passion can make the impossible happen" Our guest for this episode defines passion in a very unique way. Optom. Vinay Balla started his optometry journey from L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. He has over 10 yrs of working experience in Myopia Control & Contact Lens Research, Luxury Optical Retail & Business Management.He is currently working in leading Luxury Optical Retail Chain, Rivoli Eyezone in Qatar since 3 years. He is also a passionate and award winning trave...

Artificial intelligence or AI is the new buzz word which is impacting every industry, including health care. The global AI in healthcare market size is expected to grow from USD 4.9 billion in 2020 and reach USD 45.2 billion by 2026; it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 44.9% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the market growth are the increasing volume of healthcare data, adaptation of newer technologies, need to reduce healthcare costs, rising imbalance between workforce and...

Currently working as Senior Manager at Mission for Vision - Non Profit Organisation working towards eradication of blindness, Optom. Sweta Patel is responsible for community eye service delivery projects. Her passion to help people see better has guided her 13 years of career towards myriad of optometry domains like Professional Services, Clinical Optometry, Academics, Public Health and Research while upholding an excellent execution and leadership record in organization like Bausch and Lomb (20...

"Nothing is impossible to a determined women" An inspiring story of Dr. Maria Sampalis who was able to create a wavy in corporate optometry by providing a platform and voice to all the optometrist in USA. Dr. Maria Sampalis graduated from New England College of Optometry and was named Young OD of the Year by the Rhode Island Optometric Association in 2016. 2019 Vision Monday most influential woman in Optical. Being the founder of the famous Corporate Optometry Facebook group with 28,000+ members...

Being an executive director of emerging technologies & business development at LV Prasad Eye Institute - Center for Innovation,India; Mr. Raghu Gullapalli shares his journey in this conversation as he leads one of the top eye care innovation center in the country. Learn the story behind the birth of the innovation center and how an idea of turning research into useful solutions led to more than 100 innovations to support eye care professionals and patient care. Hear some great insights on how op...

Moving to different country can be overwhelming but it comes with its own perks. Known for its Royal family, castles, and beautiful landscapes its interesting to learn how optometry is practice in United Kingdom. Dr. Jamila Dahodwala, started her optometry journey in India. After moving to United Kingdom she wanted to practice and decided to earn her optometry degree there. In this candid conversation she shares some amazing insights on ways to pursue optometry in UK. She also touches upon vario...

For all the Low Vision enthusiast out there, this podcast is meant for you. Dr. Arathy Kartha started her journey in optometry in 1998 at Sankara Nethralaya and then moved to Queensland University of Technology, Australia where she pursed her PhD focusing on Low Vision. With life taking its own twists & turns, she moved to USA and had to restart her career. With constant persistence, patience and aim to work only at the best universities, she is currently pursuing her Post Doctoral Research Fell...

Being a principal optometrist, Internationally recognized key opinion leader, Theia Award winner for Excellence for Mentoring by Women in Optometry, most Influential Women in Optical by Vision Monday and co-author of the book Contemporary Scleral Lenses: Theory and Application with the unique perspectives and contributions of international experts Dr. Melissa Barnett's journey has a lot for us to learn from. In this candid conversation with Dr. Barnett she shares her journey in optometry and her...

Break the stereotype and learn the "Secret Recipe" of how to give a memorable presentation from someone who as given more than 100 breathtaking presentations in almost every continent. Mr. Nilesh Thite- Co-founder of Masterclass Optometry and Director of Educational Program at International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) in this candid conversation shares some real life lessons and experiences to understand the mindset of a master presenter. He shares some important hacks and thin...

Being a Director of education for IACLE, CEO of Optometry Council of India, practicing specialty contact lenses and a mother of twin boys, she shares her life mantra that has helped her achieve all the goals in her life. In this fun conversation, I had a chance to take a closer look into the optometry life of Ms. Lakshmi Shinde . Starting her journey in 1991, we talked about various topics where she shares some fun and behind the scene stories about her life at Elite school of Optometry, working...

In this fun chat with one of the most inspiring women of Indian optometry Dr. Rizwana Husiandeen we talk about her story of success. Being the first Indian Optometrist awarded with the prestigious- Diplomate of American Academy of optometry, she shares how her failure helped her become even more stronger and aim for higher goals. We discuss about her new initiative to start the American Academy of Optometry-India chapter and how she aims to create collaborations in the field of optometry. Bein...

Known of its beaches, exotic animals and warm weather, its interesting to learn more about the optometry practice in this amazing continent Australia. In this episode of Across the Border- Australia we discuss the optometry journey of Dr.Vinod Maseedupally. Being passionate in academia, he is an inspiration for many eye care practitioners who wish to explore the same. As every new opportunity comes with its struggles, Dr. Masseedupally shares some tips and tricks to help you be well prepared. He...

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi. In this episode of the series "Public Health Insights", I had an opportunity to chat with one of the most inspiring leaders in the field of Optometry, Dr. Kovin Naidoo. In this candid chat, he shares his journey in Optometry and talks about his time with Prof. Brien Holden. He shares many inspirational stories which will change your perspective about public health services and ways to give back to the community. Support the show (ht...

This episode is a snapshot about my journey so for far and the idea behind this podcast channel. I also share a glimpse about my plans in 2020 and a special announcement for all the listeners. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/nerdyoptometrist)

For the last episode of 2019, we have a special guest to wrap up the year. It is a privilege to have the CEO and Co-Founder of 4ECPs, Ms. Trudi Charest, as a guest for the podcast. Trudi is a well known speaker, eye care business strategist and an influencer who has helped several practitioners grow their practices with her expertise. She talks about her journey and the rapid change in the field of digital marketing. We also discuss and share some snapshots about EyeInnovate 2019. EyeInnovate is...

While looking for an inspirational Indian Optometrist across the border for my podcast series, I was luckily introduced to Dr. Arijit Chakraborty who I like to call as a "Global Optometrist". While working in a different country can be challenging, Dr. Arijit Charkraborty has an experience of working in five different countries. Yes, you read it right; five countries. It was truly an enriching experience to learn about his journey which started in India and spread across several borders like Mal...

"Experience is the best teacher" our guest for this podcast is not only a teacher but a professional with more than 35 years of experience. Mr. John Swallow is the CEO and Co-founder of "Webineyes" a virtual learning portal that organizes webinars to bring in the best of knowledge from across the world. In this podcast he walks us through his journey of life and shares his important life lessons. One of my favorite take away message was: "We all think that our way is the best, but someone else a...

Famous for its Petronas and Twin Towers, Malaysia has a lot to offer in the field of Optometry as well. In conversation with our guest Optom. Fakhruddin Barodawala, we engage in learning more about his journey from India to Malaysia. Being passionate in academia, he is an inspiration for many eye care practitioners who wish to explore the same. As every new opportunity comes with its struggles, Optom. Fakhruddin shares some tips and tricks to help you be well prepared. During this conversation, ...

While pursuing your dreams can be overwhelming, the end result is always magical. In this episode of 'Across the Border' series, Optometrist Chirag Gajjar shares his interesting journey from being a successful optometrist to the struggles he faced before becoming an eyewear designer. Chirag discusses various aspects of this career option including benefits of optometry education, career opportunities, limitations and monetary returns. His journey truly inspires all the artistic optometrists to e...

With about 450 million people needing vision correction, uncorrected refractive error accounts for over 50% of vision impairment in India. Optometry is yet an unregulated profession. Defocus Media and Corporate Optometry Nation presents a podcast with me, the Nerdy Optometrist, where I share details about the history and growth of Optometry in India post the launch of ‘Vision 2020 – Right For Sight’ program. I provide insights about how optometry is practiced differently in India compared to maj...

In this fun chat with Optom. Ukti Vora, Dr Stuti Misra discusses her journey from undergrad to doctoral degree to working in academia in New Zealand. Stuti aims to guide optometry students (based in India or elsewhere) interested in studying overseas, doing eye research or simply interested in practicing optometry on distant shores. With a constant intent of taking an unconventional path, Stuti describes how she ended up in Optometry let alone in the land of ‘Lord of the rings’ better known as ‘...