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S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 2 0 1 5 • O P T O M E T R I C M A N A G E M E N T . C O M 43 I N ARIZONA, you don't have to update your license photo un- til you are 65 years old. Tat is both crazy and sad. My out- dated photo is a constant re- minder that I am getting long in the tooth. I have more freckles (yes, freckles!) than ever before and fewer follicles on my now barren head. And as I note my chang- ing appearance, I also re- fect on how diferently I practice optometry. For example, I recently had a patient in my chair who had complaints of blurred vision and asthe- nopia. Being the astute clinician that I am, I also noted that my patient had a not-so-subtle head tilt. Tus, I knew I needed to perform a Parks Tree Step test (PTS). As I excused myself from the lane to fnd my folder entitled "Tests I don't do enough to remember so I have them written on index cards," my intern asked, "Why don't you use the PTS App?" She then proceeded to whip out her phone, open the app and input the information for the PTS. In the amount of time it took me fnd my index card, she had gotten the answer (lef superior oblique). Being an O.D. sure is easier in 2015 than it was in 1994. REAPING THE BENEFITS Advancements in technology make many once-arduous tasks sim- ple and easy. Technology has made us sof and spoiled and, frankly, I don't have any remorse. Te ability to capture information quickly and more accurately not only helps my practice, but it helps my patients, too. Te days of sifing through my notes from a lecture to fnd an answer are now replaced with a quick search on Google or an optometry app. I can sit in my boxers and get practice man- agement advice via my smartphone, and my patients can sit in front of their computer and get a refraction. Oh, technology — so crafy. OLD SCHOOL, NEW SCHOOL Te funny thing about technology is I don't even realize that I continue to incorporate it into the lane be- cause it feels seamless. Since I began practicing, I have seen many innovations, including visual feld, topographical instruments, au- torefraction, VHS tapes with patient education information, sof contact lenses, AR lenses, amniotic mem- brane, wave-front optimized refrac- tors and digital imagery to go with ocular coherence tomography. We bring new styles and fashions to our optical and provide knowl- edge on the new pseudophakic lens options and advancements in contact lens material and comfort. GETTING ONBOARD O.D.s are a rare breed of both old school and new school, like a fnely remixed retro rap. It's like Einstein's train-and-platform experi- ment: some O.D.s, like myself, "get onboard" with technology, while others stand on the plat- form and watch the train fy by. I don't fear the chal- lenges that this new age of advancements afords my patient base and me — and you shouldn't either. Te way I see it, by em- bracing change, our pro- fession has been able to provide our patients with the best eye care possible. Einstein said, "Why worry about the future? It will be here soon enough," and another visionary, Timbuk 3, said, "Te future's so bright, I gotta wear sunglasses." Get onboard with innovation and you, too, will have a bright future. OM MARC BLOOMENSTEIN O.D., M.B.A., currently practices at Schwartz Laser Eye Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is a founding member of the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology. Email him at mbloomenstein@gmail.com, or visit tinyurl.com/ OMcomment to comment on this article. OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS ADAPTING TO CHANGES HELPS YOU PROVIDE BETTER CARE TO PATIENTS Parks Three Step THE WAY I SEE IT SOCIAL