Diva of the week – Giannie Castellanos, O.D.
Giannie Castellanos, OD
Member since 2019
The featured Diva for this week is Dr. Giannie Castellanos. Read the full feature below to learn how her passion for Optometry led her to start three businesses.
1. Tell us a little bit about you.
I am Married to a firefighter David and have two kids (4 and 2). Many people don’t know this about me, but I ]have an identical twin who is an amazing attorney.
I am a goal oriented person who loves challenges. I currently own two private practices that I started from scratch. I started my first practice, Infinite Vision Eye Care 5 yrs ago. And last year I launched, Eye Candy.
Eye Candy is a unique practice where I pair Eye wear with gourmet sweets. Its a concept I would love to franchise one day.
I am currently in the process of launching yet anther project called, the Chiasm! The chiasm is a HIPAA compliant digital referral platform and network. It is a system that will allow physicians to send a referral without the cost of a fax.
It will track referrals from start to finish and allow for a better communication between the referring and rendering physician. It will be FREE for optometrist to use. Check it out www.thechiasm.com.
2. What made you decide to become an Optometrist?
At first, I wanted to be a Psychiatrist, but quickly realized I am way too connected to my patients. It would be difficult for me to listen to people’s emotional problems all day without it affecting me. That was not the path for me.
I discovered Optometry from a classmate. Since I didn’t know much about the profession, I decided to get some hands on experience. I began shadowing different optometrists in town. At one point, I even worked at the front desk in one of the practices. Being in the office every day, gave me a glimpse of what life could be like and I knew I had found my place.
I was so intrigued with the profession that I got involved in a ARMD research while being a student at FIU. As a student, I fell in love with Optometry and I feel fortunate till this day that I chose to do something I love. I can proudly say that I chose right!
3. What Optometry school did you go to?
4. Where do you currently practice?
Both of my practice locations are in Miami Lakes
5. Do you offer any specialty services in your practice?
Pediatrics and Candy!
6. Name 1 to 3 hurdles you faced as a private practice owner and how you overcame them?
One hurdle I face as a Hispanic woman is that although I am Hispanic, I was never taught medical terminology in Spanish. Since 80% of my patients are Spanish speakers communicating disease was a big hurdle for me. I had to learn those terms very quickly and luckily my patients were very supportive and patient with me as I learned.
Another hurdle I face is disconnecting from work. I love working and running my practices and I love seeing patients. So sometimes it’s difficult for me to walk away and enjoy other things in life. To overcome this, I am trying to learn how to disconnect by learning how to play tennis and yoga. So far, it’s going good!
7. If you could go back to when you were a student, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t buy anything with your student loans! You will pay it back three times! It’s not worth it, trust me!
How to contact Dr. Giannie Castellanos
To schedule an eye exam with Dr. Giannie Castellanos, check out her website at Eyecandymiamilakes.com and follow her on social media.
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