1. Tell us a little about yourself!
 
Hi I'm Michelle and I was born and raised in Toronto! I did my undergraduate schooling at McMaster and moved down to Chicago to complete my Doctorate of Optometry. I love the profession of Optometry because it's so interconnected with other medical fields and I love working together in a community to solve/treat//manage ocular conditions. I strongly believe that it's so important to be constantly learning and being interested in every aspect of optometry, so I continue to read new journal articles and participate in all continuing education opportunities that I come across.
 
2. What are the three most important things you want people to know about eyecare?

One - getting a dilated eye exam is essential every year-two years, regardless if you haven't noticed any changes or decreases in vision, or if you've had LASIK eye surgery and don't need to wear glasses anymore or if you've had perfect vision your whole life and don't need glasses. A dilated eye exam allows eye care professionals to literally see the blood vessels that course and supply oxygen to your retina, catch any signs of glaucoma, age related macular degeneration, retina holes/tears/detachments - you name it! These ocular changes might go unmissed in healthy, young individuals who have good vision, so don't neglect your eye health because you have good eye vision!
 
Two - Many systemic conditions, including but not exclusive to, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, brain swelling/neurological conditions can be seen in the eye! Again, seeing an eye care professional every year-two years to monitor progression/changes in your systemic condition, as it relates to you eyes is crucial. Surprisingly, more often than not, for those individuals that don't see their primary care doctor on a regular basis, they may get diagnosed with a systemic condition based on their eye findings that they would have otherwise not known about!
 
Three - Vision helps everyone perceive 90% of their world and many people don't realize that they have reduced vision. It's often that individuals accept their blurry vision as their norm and they don't expect that they need glasses to help them achieve that perfect, clear, comfortable vision.
 
3. What do you do outside of optometry?
 
I enjoy watching many BBC Earth and animal documentaries. My ultimate dream trip would be going to an African safari tour! I also enjoy psychological thriller/murder-mystery shows - right now I'm entirely enthralled in Mindhunters.
 
I also love travelling and I try to go to a different country once a year, to gain perspective and enjoy the beauty of other cultures and people across the world.
 
4. How do you feel about pineapple on pizza?

I love it!