Judith Oner Horowitz | Optometry and Vision Sciences (M.Optom), 2020

Hadassah College had a family-like atmosphere with kind and inclusive students. As students, we felt that the possibilities were endless and that we were at home. The lecturers were professional and raised the bar for us.

Having suffered from near-sightedness from an early age, I was familiar with the field of optometry. My optometrist was Dr. Haim Wirzer, who fit my first pair of contact lenses at age 12, and also taught optometry at Hadassah, which is why it was the only institution I considered for my undergraduate training.

Despite the challenging curriculum in both the Bachelor's and Master's programs, I really enjoyed studying at Hadassah since it allowed me to fulfill my aspirations.

After consulting with the director of the M.Optom program, Dr. Liat Gantz, I was fortunate enough to start my Master's degree at Hadassah, opening the door for a variety of specializations. Dr. Gantz allowed me to pursue an M.Optom track in neuro-optometric rehabilitation, which deals with impaired visual functions due to head trauma.

During our studies, we trained in several medical centers and clinics, which greatly added to our clinical experience and increased our confidence.

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Hadas Ben Eli (who never gave up on us), Dr. Wirzer (my mentor from age 12), Dr. Chaya Shames, and Cyril Kahlon, to name only a few.

My message to students is to devote just as much time to the theoretical aspects of their studies as they give to their practical studies. The M.Optom program improves their chances of employment in optometry, training them to provide excellent optometric care, which is essential both to patients and to public health in general.

In the M.Optom program I was able to greatly expand my knowledge in the areas of pharmacology, visual function, refraction, pathology, pediatrics, and brain damage. The research experience and the training I gained in presenting cases provided me with the confidence to collaborate with ophthalmologists and refer patients to specialists, improving initial diagnosis, follow-up, professional response, and treatment adjustments.

Thank you to all my teachers.