Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your aptitude and motivation, the basis for your interest in optometry, and your future career goals.
My decision to become an optometrist comes from a strong family history in the field of medicine. My father is a physician and biochemist, and my mother was a nurse. Both of my parents motivated my desire to help people see the world become a better place. One of the most tragic things is the inability to see, to experience the world less clearly and brightly than others. Sight is one of the most dynamic ways we take in and interact with our world; life is full of beautiful wonders that everyone deserves to enjoy to the fullest. To that end, I have always felt as though vision is my way to help people.
My preparation for training in this profession comes from years of experience and education in ophthalmology; this gave me a unique understanding of the eye that I feel will be made more comprehensive with the kind of quality education in optometry I wish to receive at SUNY. I have already studied at the University of Prishtina in Kosovo, having returned after escaping the war in Kosovo as a refugee in America. During my time as a refugee, I worked in a private family practice clinic, gaining practical experience in comprehensive clinical work. My work with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, as well as the German Eye Clinic in Prishtina, has prepared me for the specific opthalmalogical medical work and research – attributes I hope to bring to my education at SUNY College of Optometry. Given my already substantial practical experience in the field of medicine and ophthalmological research, I have proven myself to have a high aptitude for academic research and hands-on, clinical practice alike.
I am highly motivated to help others. I have faced unique hardships growing up and living in Kosovo, including leaving my homeland due to war. I deeply understand the suffering that people can experience. Upon returning to my homeland, I quickly set to work doing what I could to help others by using what medical knowledge I had at the time from my interrupted medical university training. To that end, I fully appreciate the needs and requirements that go into helping people, even in the most dire of situations. This insight has helped me to appreciate life and all its beauty, which drives me to help others do the same, allowing them the opportunity to see this world.
I have a fairly extensive set of goals I would like to accomplish after achieving my degree in Optometry. I will continue to help and treat people with vision ailments. Additionally, I want to continue my education, eventually obtaining my PhD and entering the world of academia. I enjoy academic research, and I want to be at the forefront of emerging science and medicine. I desire to work hard to bring new information to the public. I also wish to return to a college setting as a professor, in order to help new generations develop the skills and practical understanding of optometry they need to expand their knowledge. These long-term goals heavily influence everything I do, and it is my sincere hope I will be given the chance to fulfill them.
