Blog entry #23- Exit Interview prep

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why?

• My essential question is, "How can an optometrist reduce the effects that poverty has on vision?"
• My top three answers are eye health awareness/education, volunteer ship, and valuable resources.
• My top answer would have to be volunteer ship because of the fact that it is actually making a major impact on the effects that poverty has on vision. It is instant while my other two answers required time and major global efforts to make a big impact. If optometrists volunteer, they are tackling poverty and its effects of impaired vision on the spot. These doctor will continuously visit and supply optometric resources for poor individuals. There is no better way to help these people medically when they lack the necessary resource to maintain healthy vision.  

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• Poverty and vision didn't come to me until my mentor, Dr.Hinh, introduced me to a very interesting book called "Infinite Visions". The overall story of this book was about an ophthalmologist in india that made vision care affordable for everyone. The shocking factor was that if you couldn't afford the treatment then it would be free, you pay what you could afford. This book influenced my mindset towards individuals who suffered from poor vision in impoverished countries. It wasn't until I researched more that I found that poverty greatly affects your vision. Once I found that out poverty and vision has been the basis of my senior project. 

(3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

• The major problems that I encountered was in the beginning of this project where I still didn't have my research anchor. In the beginning I was running out of ideas when it came to research and interest. I wanted my project to be unique and impactful. I knew that the field of optometry itself wouldn't be enough. The way I resolved this issue was asking for help from my mentors. They recommend books and different research ideas that may help me. If it wasn't for my mentor, Dr.Hinh, I wouldn't have ever known about poverty and the effects it has on vision. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• The Stanford Social Innovation Review and The BrienHolden Vision Institute where the most significant resources because of the diversity of information these websites provided. They enlightened new ideas for my project and research, without them I wouldn't have discovered certain bits of information.