Today we’d like to introduce you to Me’Ja Day, MD.
Hi Dr. Day, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a very small town in rural South Georgia. A town that only has two traffic lights. My mother and my grandmother both raised me. Early on, I became aware of the challenges that my hometown had so I knew I needed to “make it out”. That was one of the driving forces for me working hard to make good grades and excel in my extracurricular activities. As a result, I graduated as the valedictorian of my senior class.
I had the privilege of attending Spelman College. During my matriculation at Spelman, I received more than just an education. I gained so many intangibles such as confidence and pride. Spelman also taught me that if I work hard, then I deserve a seat at the table. While at Spelman, I had the opportunity to participate in the Summer Medical Education Program at Yale University School of Medicine. It was at Yale that I first discovered my love of medicine.
I graduated from Spelman in May and gave birth to my first child in August of that same year. As such, I didn’t apply to medical school right away. I worked as a high school science teacher for a few years but the desire to become a physician never left. I ended up applying to and getting accepted to medical school. I started at Morehouse School of Medicine when my daughter was two years old.
I worked really hard during my time at Morehouse School of Medicine. The stakes were higher as I had a small family. I had given up a stable career so failure was not an option. During my fourth year of medical school, I had the opportunity to complete the Visiting Clerkship Program at Harvard University. It is a prestigious program that gives medical students the opportunity to complete a sub-internship in the specialty they will be applying to. At the completion of medical school, I graduated Magna Cum Laude and matched into ophthalmology, one of the most competitive medical specialties.
I completed internship year in Spartanburg, South Carolina, then residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. One of the amazing things about my residency program is the number of women surgeons in the department. It was amazing being trained by them. It reaffirmed that I deserved a seat at the table.
After graduating residency, I worked in a group ophthalmology practice for two years. Early on, I realized that this was not the place that would allow me to have a seat at the table, no matter how hard I worked or how smart I was. I realized that if I wanted a seat at the table, I would have to build my own table. In medicine, we are told that starting a practice would be this enormous task that is too hard to do. But I was determined. And on September 8, 2020, I saw my first patient at The Eye MD.
I created The Eye MD to provide patient care and treat my patients the way I believe they deserve to be treated. It is a boutique-style practice where we value the quality of care over the quantity of patients seen. I spend time with my patients, listening to their issues, thoroughly examining them, treating their disease, and educating them. I believe that patient education plays a huge factor in adherence to treatment regimens which in turn leads to better outcomes.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful husband and beautiful daughters. I enjoy serving the underserved in my local community through my organizations. I enjoy volunteering at my kids’ school. I enjoy traveling and discovering the world.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. My oldest daughter was two years old when I started medical school. While most of my classmates were only responsible for themselves in medical school, I was also responsible for a child. She would even go to some of my late classes with me. I had my youngest daughter near the end of my fourth year of medical school. Having children during residency training was challenging. But I made a point to never use being a mother as an excuse to not be a good student or resident.
After training, I joined a practice that ended up being malignant once the “honeymoon stage” was over. It quickly made me realize that I no longer wanted to be employed. If I had not had that experience in my first job, I may not have been as motivated to start my own practice.
I started my practice during the pandemic in an area where no one knew me (outside of my noncompete). My office is also down the street from two other ophthalmologists. There were days early on where I only saw a few patients. Despite all of these factors, I have been able to build a thriving practice.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a comprehensive ophthalmologist. One thing that a lot of people confuse is the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. Ophthalmologists can do everything an optometrist does but we also provide laser and surgical management of eye disease.
My practice is a boutique-style practice. It is smaller and more personalized. Many practices force physicians to see so many patients a day that the physician doesn’t really have time to do a good evaluation and treatment. Limiting the number of patients I see a day allows me to ensure I am providing the best care I can for my patients, answering their questions, and providing patient education.
As a comprehensive ophthalmologist, I diagnose and treat many eye diseases. I provide medical, laser, and surgical treatment of a range of diseases including glaucoma, cataracts, and dry eye disease. I perform minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries and cataract surgeries including premium lens implants that reduce glasses and/or contact lens dependence.
What’s next?
My office space is small so one of my future goals is to move into a larger space. I also want to have a second location in an area that does not have an eye physician. I would also like to hire an optometrist and open an optical dispensary to make glasses and contact lenses available for my patients. I would like to provide the full gamut of services for my patients and have subspecialists from retina, oculoplastics glaucoma, and cornea.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheEyeMD.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.eye.md/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theeyemd2020
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/meja_day_md
Image Credits
Holland Reid https://www.hollandreidphoto.com
