Six Years and Counting
Women In Optometry (WO) has evolved in its five years of publication. The mission hasn’t changed, but the community around it has. The magazine has helped advance the conversation and opened the doors to some interesting dialogue.
There are differences between the way men and women practice, just as men and women communicate, negotiate and approach problem-solving differently. In fact, among women, there are differences. There’s no right or wrong way. There’s no greater or less commitment to the profession and the patients. Differences don’t have to be divisive; they are interesting, allowing readers to find points of commonality and inspiration or even a new perspective.
In 2010 alone, WO featured stories about women who carved a path toward partnership or found a new area of focus for practice growth. There were stories of women who deferred dreams and dusted them off years later. There were women ODs whose outside interests in travel, technology, sports, politics or the environment affected the type of practice they created.
There were stories about women who made their career in industry, independent practice, academia, research and corporate practice. There were stories about women who worked full time and part time. There were stories about women who are well known in the profession—and there were many stories about women who are not well known outside of their communities.
Those are the stories that might never make it to the pages of other optometric publications. Yet they are worth telling.
We’ve heard from readers who have said that an idea in one of these stories prompted them to action. That keeps us focused as we seek out the stories that reflect this time and the expert voices that help put these times in perspective.
Marjolijn Bijlefeld,
Director of Custom Publications
Practice Advancement Associates