Q: What's a typical workday like for you?
Every day is different because we have different doctors here every day. Some are doing diagnostic testing that they cannot do in their offices because they don't have the proper equipment. So I can be doing diagnostic testing or assisting ophthalmologists with refractive surgery. I have one to 12 cases per day. Sometimes I work in conjunction with a physician; other times I work alone with a patient and communicate with their physician. I also sometimes work in the operating room if a patient must be under general anesthesia for a procedure.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger health care picture?
I assist doctors who cannot afford the latest technology in their offices to use it here. It helps in the broad scheme that we're trying to keep costs down.
Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?
I interact with staff nurses, physicians, patients and other ophthalmic technologists.

Q: Why did you become an ophthalmic medical technologist?
I knew I wanted to be in health care, but wanted something specialized. Eyes have always been of interest to me. Eyesight is a huge part of everyday life that we just take for granted.

Q: What do you like about your work?
It's nice to do a broad spectrum of testing. Patients who come here are usually not traditional patients. That makes it more challenging. I like working with the different doctors and being able to refer patients across the metro because I know who the doctors are.