When we started our internship at VSI, we got to know Dr. Charlie Ho and Dr. Maia Uy. They shared their aspirations regarding the field of Optometry in the Philippines. We were having lectures from either Dr. Ho or Dr. Uy. They taught us invaluable knowledge about Optometry--the importance of neuroplasticity, vision therapy, and many more.
During workshop, we were given the chance to actually use devices that we can only see in books or in the internet. We were taught how to use these devices as well as their importance and purposes. I find these workshops really helpful. It can help us— interns—be more aware in the latest trends and technologies in optometry.
We also had the chance to meet a neuro patient. He told us his story and how the VSI helped him. He gave us words of encouragement; told us that we can make our dreams of becoming a doctor come true, and we can help many lives just like how Dr. Charlie and Dr. Maia helped him. It was a really good experience. From that, I became more determined. We may experience difficulties now, but I know that it will be worth it. I really enjoyed our duty in VSI. The doctors and their employees are really kind and helpful. It is a really good experience. I am very grateful to them for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us.

Our duty in Vision Science Institute left me with fruitful knowledge and understanding regarding Vision Therapy. One of the learnings that struck me the most is the quote “Optometry is Neuroscience”. At school we are taught to address the refractive needs of our clients by giving spectacle correction or contact lens, while in Vision Science Institute we are taught to go beyond the eye. Vision system is composed of the eye and the brain. With this we must address not just the afferent pathway but also the efferent pathway. Dr. Charlie embedded to us that “Sports Vision is the foundation of all optometry sub-specialty”. In Vision Science Institute they cater not just athletes but also patients with strabismus, amblyopia, ADD & ADHD, autism and Developmental Delay, Convergence Insufficiency and Diplopia, and CVA (Stroke) patients. These diseases and disorders need individual, specialized, and specific goal-oriented therapy in order to be successful. Dr. Maia presented the cases she handled at Vision Science Institute. While she presented her cases I cannot help but be inspired on how the optometrists can improve not just the error of refraction of a client but also their quality of life. All of her patients gained self-confidence after completing the therapy because their eyes are now aligned, and they can see better. This got me thinking that I do not want to be an optometrist who will spend his years doing ONLY refraction. I want to continue learning and growing as a professional. I do not want to just improve the sight of the patient but also their vision for improving the vision can lead to improvement of their quality of life. My internship in Vision Science Institute opened a new world for me. I want to pursue vision therapy. I want to reach my full potential as an optometrist. I am thankful for all the learnings from Dr. Charlie, Dr. Maia, and Sir Mark. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the internship program of Vision Science Institute. This is not the last time that I will enter their clinic.

During my stay in Vision Science Institute I was awakened by the path of the Association's where taking its journey. Their mission and vision has a goal of what Optometrists population should do and they do not know that there are plenty of services that we can offer and actually perform to cater patients who is necessary for that examination. And that is where sub-specialization enters to the Optometry world. VSI lets us feel, hear and see the equipment they have and explained it to us the principle behind those devices. And I felt privilege to experience in using the equipment that I normally saw in internet or books. The two weeks internship experience here in VSI, it was really extraordinary. I gained new knowledge, enhanced my skills, acquired inspiration, and experienced of seeing actual patient examination and management. I treated the vicinity as my second home because I'm in the place where I'm sure that I am passionate in my future profession. And it is truly a wide spectrum of work in which an Optometry can do to provide that visual demands. To the members of Vision Science Institute, in behalf of the MCU-College of Optometry 1 st Batch would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise during our internship. The encouragement that you have given to us, I am more motivated to excel on this profession. Our great experienced at VSI was unforgettable and inspirable, more power and God bless!

Dr. Maia prepared a lecture about special cases they handled in their clinic. I felt Dr. Maia’s passion in handling her patients, and also I was inspired by her. Everything we do, we must put our heart on them or on it. She said we must be passionate on the path we chose to be able to be successful. One of my unforgettable moments in VSI is when Dr. Charlie introduced us to Mr. Simon who is a stroke survivor patient and Mr. Simon to talked to us about his journey as a stroke survivor. I cried because I felt Mr. Simon how difficult it was to had a Hemorrhagic stroke. I saw how thankful and happy he was after he undergone Vision Therapy at VSI. It was so inspiring that through his testimony, we still have a chance and hope in this world despite anything else especially if we have strong faith in God. I was hoping that in the future I can serve my patient with a smile on their faces and face the world without worries. Then, we were lucky to had a photo opportunity with Dr. Charlie, Dr. Maia and Mr. Simon with his wife. My internship at VSI, we had fun and enjoyed the training and workshops. We learned a lot from Dr. Charlie and Dr. Maia about their discussions about Sports Vision, Pediatric Optometry and Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation. We also learned how to handle to the patient with a heart as if they were part of your family. And most especially how to be a the best and successful optometrist in the future.

The doctors and staff of the institution are very friendly and accommodating. They gave us a tour around the building. There were rooms for different types of patients. We were also given a chance to see a variety of rehabilitation equipment. Our duty was very fun and insightful. Besides having fruitful lectures, the activities they had us done were both for education and entertainment. The equipment were available for us to use and they would allow us to explore the devices around the clinic. So far, VSI has offered us great knowledge. The lecturers and workshops given by Dr. Maia and Dr. Charlie have really caught my attention. And to be honest, the experience in VSI has sparked my interest in sports vision and rehabilitation. As Dr. Charlie said to us on our first day, the field of Optometry is very wide, and that Optometrists can offer so much more than just glasses. I remember Dr. Charlie ended the lecture with a quote saying “I am an Optometrist, and that is enough reason for me to be proud” With this, I realized that as future doctors, we have 2 paths to choose from; We can either go the traditional way of Optometry or We can be involved in specialty areas to offer more variety of service to the community. But whatever choice we make we should be able to uphold the proper skills to provide quality services to our patients.

Our internship in VSI like learning about Sports Vision, Vision Therapy and in Neuro- Optometry. I am excited on what we are about to learn there in VSI. They are encouraging us to learn about Vision Therapy, one thing that they always say on their lecture on our first week, when a patient has strabismus it is not about the eye muscle is the problem it is the brain (neuroplasticity). At first, we were overwhelmed on the equipment available in their institute and some of them are not available in school. Dr. Maia presented some of her patient cases that was so inspiring for us students. My unforgettable moment was when Sir Russ who was a stroke survivor gave a testimony in person, an American who got a stroke attack while he was staying at a hotel and he was unconscious for almost 8 hours before he called for some help outside his hotel room. He told us that he is thankful for Dr. Charlie and Dr. Maia for what improvements that he got while he had been training there in VSI. We think it’s God’s will that he would go up to our lecture room after their heart to heart talk with Dr. Charlie to give us some inspiration to pursue Vision Therapy. As future optometrist, I am now inspired to explore sub specialties in Optometry rather than just doing refraction at an Optical Clinic. I can do Visual Therapy for Amblyopia, Strabismus or about Neuro-Optometry.

On one week of our intership in Vision Science Institute, I have learned a lot of things in Optometry practice specifically a lot on sports vision and Neuro - Optometry, as Dr. Maia Uy as well as Dr. Chalie Ho taught us a lot of this special fields, we now fully appreciate what Optometrist are capable of in different fields, we were not contented on just giving the best prescription glasses with the best acuity provided, but we make sure that the three components of vision are intact, namely visual integrity, visual efficiency and visual information processing, these were the fundamentals of wholesome management given to each patient that we as Optometrist were suppose to check and rehabilitate if ever the patient has problem on either area. As we continue our internship here at vision science institute I hope that we will able to acquire the skills and knowledge that we will need in our future practice. This different instruments and devices will help us future Optometrist to properly diagnosed and properly treat as well as rehabilitate each and every patient that we may encounter on our future practice, we interns were amazed on how advance their devices are, which we can use and handled here at vision science institute with the supervision of their trainers especially on sports vision clinic, we were also enlighten by different athletes that enable to train here at vision science institute as well as how well did their game improve in comparison with their previous performance, once they involve visual and physical training they integrate and increase their not only their visual spatial skills but it involves their peripheral awareness, reaction time and visual processing input that turns into positive response or movement in relevance to each and every situation. In summary I was impressed and motivated in our internship site in the span of 1 week I had learn so much from our preceptors.

I am thankful for this site that we had the opportunity to use some of the devices that we only see in books and in discussions because the experience is really different when we are able to use it on the actual setting rather than reading the procedures by the book without the instruments in front of us. We are fortunate to experience the state of the art equipment. The center makes sure that the equipment that they use the latest technology in order to provide the best services to their patients. Aside from the facilities, the people in the clinic are also very accommodating and shared their knowledge to us regarding the different practices and procedures. This internship also made me realize that optometrists are not confined to refraction alone but we have the ability to change lives through vision therapy and rehabilitation. We are also blessed that during our internship we have heard an actual testimony from a patient who has survived a stroke and returned to his functioning where he can do his activities of daily living through the help of neuro-optometry. From this, it has made me realize that through our profession we can give hope to those downhearted by their conditions. I also stand with what Dr. Charlie said that we are only instruments of God to help other people and what Dr. Maia shared that we have a purpose on why we are here in this field. In optometry, science and passion goes hand in hand, and in the management of patients, knowledge and skills are needed but most importantly we should have the heart to help and care for our patient. In this institute, I am encouraged to explore more of what optometry has to offer aside from refraction and also to give hope to those who have problems in vision.