The newest member of our staff hails from Canada and is currently working in our DuPont office. We sat down with Dr. Jatinder Bansal and asked her a few questions so you could get to know her a little better.

How did you come to be in the Pacific Northwest and at Clarus Eye Centre?

I was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. Canada and lived there until I finished my undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia. I briefly worked for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind back in Vancouver, and then decided to go to Optometry school in Boston and graduated in 2005. In 2006 I decided that I wanted to move closer to home (AND I missed the NW!) as I had ultimately always wanted to settle down in either B.C. or WA.

I started practicing with Clarus Eye Centre in April 2011. I have always had the hopes of being part of a practice where the focus is on providing excellent patient care, which is what I have found with Clarus. I couldn't ask to be working with a better team of doctors, as well as administrative and technical staff.

You’re an Optometrist, not an Ophthalmologist, correct? Could you explain the difference?

Yes, I am a Doctor of Optometry. An Optometrist receives a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree after completing four years of optometry school, preceded by a four year undergraduate degree. They are licensed to practice optometry, which primarily involves performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses, detecting certain eye abnormalities, and prescribing medications for certain eye diseases.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD) who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists differ from Optometrists in their levels of training and in what they can diagnose and treat. Ophthalmologists complete an undergraduate degree and at least eight years of additional medical training, and are licensed to practice medicine and surgery. An Ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats all eye diseases, performs eye surgery and prescribes and fits eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems.

What made you decide to become an optometrist?

It started when I worked as a Research Assistant to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and an Orthoptist at Children's Hospital in Vancouver, B.C. It was a brief introduction to how doctors and other allied health professionals are intimately involved in providing eyecare to patients. After completing a degree in Ophthalmic Medical Technology and Orthoptics at University of Florida, I moved to Atlanta, GA and worked at Emory University, Dept. of Ophthalmology as a Research Coordinator on various multi-center glaucoma clinical trials. Despite the amount of respect and fulfillment I had from being involved with several research projects I knew that I wanted to be able to focus more of my time and efforts on patient care. It was at this point that I decided to apply for Optometry school.

Any eye related advice you’d like to offer your patients?

I have to take this opportunity to stress how imperative it is to have routine eye examinations even if your eyes seem healthy. A comprehensive eye and vision examination is an important component in the evaluation of a patient's overall health status. By having a routine eye exam, not only will your eye doctor help you obtain your best vision, but they can also detect many asymptomatic (yet treatable) eye and systemic diseases.

Adult patients between ages 18-60 who are asymptomatic/risk free should seek to be examined at least every two years. Those adults over 60 should be examined annually (or sooner if recommended).

For children who are asymptomatic/risk free, babies from birth to 24 months should be examined at 6 months of age (or as recommended); infants from 2-5 years old should be examined at age 3 (or as recommended); and children from 6-18 should be examined before first grade and every two years thereafter (or as recommended).

Anything else you'd like your patients to know about you?

I have been in the eyecare field since 1997. Through my education and training, exposure to various eyecare settings (i.e. research/academia, private, non-profit, commercial), I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of patients who suffer from a multitude of eye related diseases and other health related issues. All this experience has allowed me to be a better doctor. Furthermore, my desire and commitment to continue learning allows me to continue being an even better doctor so that I can provide my patients with the absolute best care and meet all their needs in an ever changing medical field.