Guest Speaker
Alan Schmedje - Optometrist
- Born and raised locally, Rendells Rd dairy farm
- Waaia and Numurkah Schooling
- Played tennis and football, clay target shooting
- Wife Linda and 3 children who have now all moved away
- Alan wasn't fond of farming growing up
- Yr 10 noticed short sightedness and realised he wouldn't be able to be a pilot!
- After lots of visits to the optometrist for eyesight, Alan thought the job looked 'easy' and you can get a 'nice car'
- He enrolled at Uni of Melbourne to study Optometry (only 30 in the class)
- Graduated in 1991 and commenced working in 1992 in Shepparton
- In 1993 partner Sid retired and Alan became a partner in the business at age 23
- Shepparton Optical Services was then born
- Alan is proud that they serviced Numurkah 2 days a week for 20 years
- Also had a practice in Wangaratta for 13 years
- What does an Optometrist do:
- sells glasses, healthcare diagnosis, examination, treat eyes
- Originally no prescribing rights so had to refer to an Opthamologist or collaborate with GP's to write scripts
- Alan then completed the course at Melbourne Uni to prescribe medications
- In metropolitan practices their exposure to prescribing is about 2-3/month, in rural/regional areas is about 9 per day - because of the access to an Opthamologist
- In the early 1990's there was only a need for little amount of equipment
- These days require advanced equipment
- In 2009 he was one of the 1st Optometrists to purchase an eye ultrasound
- They can now treat any disease of the eye including minor surgeries
- The 4 main eye diseases are: Glaucoma (no access to glasses, wearing the wrong ones, minimal low income scheme access)
- Cataracts - most treatable cause of blindness, everybody will need surgery for and reduces the need for glasses
- Macular Degeneration - dry and wet types
- Diabetic Retinopathy - treatable, need to get checked every 12 months if diabetic
- "EYES NATURALLY GET WORSE IN TIME WITH OR WITHOUT GLASSES"