Diva of the Week – Dr. Karen Slate
Dr. Karen Slate, our Diva of the Week, is a Pennsylvania native and Salus University graduate who found her passion in providing eye care to underserved communities in Delaware. Through her own practice, she partners with nonprofits and government agencies like Nemours SeniorCare, Vision to Learn, and the VA to offer free eye exams to seniors, children, and veterans. She joined Optometry Divas to connect with like-minded professionals and share her experience overcoming burnout by embracing non-profit work.
| 1. Tell us a little bit about you? | |
| Originally from Pennsylvania, I moved to Delaware in 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic lockdown). I’m married to a wonderful man. I have 2 daughters and 2 step-daughters. My youngest daughter, oldest step-daughter, and myself are huge Disney fans. We take every opportunity we get to fly to Florida and experience a little magic. | |
| 2. What made you decide to become in Optometrist? | |
| I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. In college, my advisor told me to follow every specialist I could think of. Luckily, my parents both each worked at one of the local hospitals, so it was extremely easy to facilitate shadowing. Optometry had everything I wanted out of a career in healthcare. | |
| 3. What Optometry school did you go to? | |
| Salus University | |
| 4. Where do you currently practice and do you offer any specialty services? | |
| I practice in the state of Delaware. I created my own business (Clean Slate Vision, LLC) and contract with non-profit organizations and government contractors. I service the entire state. With Nemours SeniorCare, I provide no cost exams to impoverished senior citizens in Delaware. With Vision to Learn, I provide no cost exams to school age children on a mobile van in Delaware. With my government contract, I provide disability exams for veterans. | |
| 5. Why did you join Optometry Divas? | |
| I want to connect with like-minded women who embrace our profession and our unique contributions to it. | |
| 6. Name 1 to 3 hurdles you personally faced in your career and how did you overcome them? | |
| Burnout is real in healthcare. I was in a wonderful practice setting with great colleagues and complex cases. The ideal setting for a medically minded optometrist. After 12 years, I was burnt out. I needed a change of pace. I needed to remind myself of why I entered healthcare. That is when I discovered non-profit work. It was the change I needed. | |
| 7. If you could go back to when you were a student, what advice would you give yourself? | |
| Take the time to explore all aspects of optometry. Don’t get distracted by the common paths. | |
Become Our Next Diva of the Week!
The Diva of the week feature is designed to share the story of our Elite Divas with the world and to promote their brand in the industry. It is shared on all of our platforms including email and our website. It is a great opportunity to promote your success. If you’d like to be featured, click on the button below to complete the questionnaire. If approved, you will be notified via email of the publication date.
