Camille Cohen, O.D., has learned how to manage change.

Entering optical as an ophthalmic tech, she loved medical pathology, and enrolled in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She graduated in 2014, and just moved this year from private practice to corporate and employment to ownership.

“When the previous owner, for whom I had worked as a fill-in, offered me the Pearle Vision practice,” recalls Dr. Cohen, “I initially said no because I figured you needed 20 years of experience to do that. My brother told me he’d become my business partner, and that made the difference.”

She opened her Brooklyn, NY, Pearle Vision franchise on March 2. She was in business for just two weeks before closing because of the pandemic.

Fast-forward to July, and she says, “We’re back open five days a week, five hours a day, with some staff still furloughed.”

Here, Dr. Cohen discusses her journey in the industry and her tutoring initiatives helping optometry students thrive during these challenging times.

 

Interested in volunteering or assisting?

 

Contact Dr. Cohen at drcamillefcohenoptometry@gmail.com or the NOA at mainoffice@natoptassoc.org.

1 TRAINING

TUTORING

“I spent some time during closure training staff to make it more of a private practice inside a commercial one. I also reached out to help second- and third-year optometry students with a twist on traditional tutoring…[to] help with test anxiety.”

2 IN THE BEGINNING...

“It started a couple of years ago. I was the National Optometric Association’s communications officer and posted that I had an issue with taking tests. I got a flood of emails and calls, so we sent out a survey and the big issue that came back was test-related anxiety. I was in the process of talking to people about this when Covid hit.”

3 THE EXECUTION

“I was at home. Students were at home and devastated that exams and graduation were postponed. I reached out to other doctors to work with me to come up with mini-review Zoom sessions. I also asked a psychologist friend to do a video on test anxiety and ways to overcome it, and a high school friend and counselor to do sessions on recognizing anxiety [and] relaxation techniques.”

4 OUR INVITATION

“I sent invites to students who’d previously contacted me. We focused primarily on things like: ‘How are you studying?’ I explained that it’s not just what you need to know, but why. I told them that’s what it’s like in practice...it’s about putting it all together.”

5 WHAT’S NEXT

“Besides doing this on my own, I’m working with the NOA in a new position, NOA committee tutoring chair. I wish the schools would provide similar resources.

“It’s pretty basic,” says Dr. Cohen. “As I tell the students, ‘It’s all about getting into your own head.’” COT!

—Stephanie K. De Long