Blog 21 - Interview 4 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?

The most important thing I learned from interview is that above all it is very important that people understand each other. Whether it be patient to doctor or doctor to staff, all of it has meaning and is so very important for a practice to function correctly. Working with kids is very similar to working with adults. I learned that fear of the unknown is something that can be helped. 

  2. How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

This interview has given quite a bit of food for thought. I believe this interview was very important because it allowed me to see things from an outside perspective. Yes, therapy and psychology is another field or area of expertise, but you wouldn't believe how important these things are when it comes to working with patients and people in general. 

Blog 17 - Interview 3 Reflection

Please copy these questions and answer them in your own blog. Attach a link to your video or sound file (at least 5 minutes of what you feel is your best portion). As usual, you'll want an appropriate image to lead this.

This was actually the full and complete interview.  


1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?

The most important thing I learned from this interview is that throughout just a decade of working in this field, things really never get old. I also learned that trust is something that you will need if you wish to work with a team such as the one I mentor with in Upland. I did ask some further questions afterwards to keep for myself as she was only prepared for the ten that needed to be there.

2. How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

I'm a bit more straight-forward and I get comfortable with the people I am interviewing. I have found that the more comfortable and open that I am with them, the easier the interview is. I also now start to give the questions to the interview a week prior in order for them to prepare.

The text of this interview should be turned in to turnitin.com. A verification form for Interview 3 can be printed out from the Senior Project Packet link on the side of the blog. Do not forget to justify your mentor as an expert in your specific topic. 

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else? Are you shadowing? Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic? If so, what? Are there other people who are experts in the location? Etc...)

My mentorship time is spent working in the optometrist's office. I get to observe how the doctor and his opticians work with the patients, and there are a variety of them. I also get to learn about the financial aspect of optometry. 

2. How did you find your mentor? How did you convince this person to help you? 

I found this mentor through my Aunt who has been this doctor's optician for 13 years. I know the doctor fairly well and he agreed to help me out.



3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship? How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person

 My comfort level with Dr. Spaulding is about 7/10. We will hopefully grow closer as I begin to work with him more. Recently I haven't been able to talk to him as much as I'd like because he has been busy with patients. 

4. What went well in this interview? Why do you think so? What do you still need to improve? How do you know? How will you go about it?

I believe I learned quite a bit from Dr. Spaulding regarding his background and how he started. I think it went well because I allowed him to speak and the interview was not rushed in anyway. What I still need to improve regards my interview questions and I know for a fact that I need to dig deeper. Doing this will require me asking more in-depth questions. 

Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview? Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

The most important thing that I learned from this interview is that there is more to the optometry field than I thought there was. It is a much more complex field and requires a lot of patience. For other interviews, I believe that I would allow the interviewee to review the questions before doing the interview. That way they are much more prepared.

 2. Did I get additional resources and contacts? What is the most useful? Why?

I was quite surprised when I was able to get an ophthalmologist as a recommendation, I actually had no idea that my aunt was actually friends with one. It will make things a lot more interesting since I now have all levels of the eye medical field. My mentor, an optometrist, and other doctors in this field will help me quite a bit when it comes to studying the patient and doctor relationship.


3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me?

My interviewee has been an optician for 27 years and has worked with her employer, my mentor,  as his optician for 13 and a half years now. She has worked with quite a bit of patients and has a lot of advice to offer me.

Blog 3 - First Interview Preparation

1) Who do you plan to interview? Why?
For my first interview, I plan to interview my Aunt who is an Optometrist Assistant. Optometrist Assistants are similar to Opticians and assist with fixing frames and ordering prescription lenses and contacts. She's been working with my mentor for quite a while. She would help me get familiar with some of the patient connections side of the field.

2) What are some questions you would ask besides the five required ones?
Some questions I would ask are:

• From your perspective, what do you like most about working with your current optometrist?
• Tell me about your relationship with the doctor.
• Tell me about some of the things you need to remember when working with the patients.