{"id":62026,"date":"2024-02-21T16:25:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T20:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womeninoptometry.com\/?p=62026"},"modified":"2024-03-18T11:45:34","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T15:45:34","slug":"meet-the-student-advisory-board-ashlee-payne-neco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.womeninoptometry.com\/newsmakers\/article\/meet-the-student-advisory-board-ashlee-payne-neco\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Student Advisory Board: Ashlee Payne, NECO"},"content":{"rendered":"
Being a mother of two boys– 3 and 7 years old–I often hear, \u201cHow are you doing this with kids?\u201d But I find that challenges are my motivation. I\u2019ve always liked juggling more than one thing at a time, because while it might be hard in the moment, the\u00a0feeling of accomplishment afterwards is even greater than the toughness during the trying time. I\u00a0was also a collegiate track runner and feel that there is a certain mindset and level of determination you need to do any sport at that level.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve known since a summer internship in the OR at the National Naval Medical Center that I wanted to be involved in the medical field. During my internship, I got to watch interesting surgeries, and learning about how the body works fascinated me. Back then though, I wasn\u2019t sure what specific field I wanted to be in. It wasn\u2019t until I worked at a large MD\/OD practice in Bethesda, Maryland, that I knew\u00a0my calling was optometry.<\/p>\n Ironically, I had never worn eyeglasses until I was already in optometry school. Nor had I associated optometrists with improving lives through eyewear. While working at the MD\/OD practice, the two ODs there saw mostly contact lens patients. But they also saw abrasions, conjunctivitis, post-surgical patients and those with glaucoma, retina problems and other medical issues. I had never even seen an optical shop. I was oddly shocked that the main focus during my first year in optometry school was optical and eyeglasses.<\/p>\n I entered optometry with a desire to work in a community-based setting. This is due to the fact that I’ve seen poor treatment of patients of color, patients who don\u2019t speak English, patients with disabilities or patients living below the poverty level. The more I network and the further I get in school, the more opportunities I see for working with these underserved populations.<\/p>\n I am the treasurer for a startup Community Health Center club at the New England College of Optometry (NECO). I am so excited to be a part of the founding WO Student Advisory Board. I hope it will allow me to not only cast a light on community-based eye care but to also learn about opportunities post-graduation.<\/p>\n For fun, I like to run, eat out, drink wine and travel. I have recently been running\u00a0one half-marathon per year in a different city, with one of my friends who currently\u00a0lives in Denver. I hope to continue that tradition the next two years around my boards and rotations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nBy Ashlee Payne, WO Student Advisory Board Member and NECO Student<\/strong><\/p>\n
DISCOVERING OPTOMETRY<\/strong><\/h4>\n
GETTING INVOLVED<\/strong><\/h4>\n
AFTER CLASS<\/strong><\/h4>\n