PCO/Salus Alum Receives Theia Award for Mentoring

After she graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University, Minal Patel, OD ‘10, landed her first job in retail. However, she found the corporate world didn’t give her the opportunity to mentor students, something she really wanted to do.

As a result, she purchased her own business, Wink Eyecare and Optical, eventually moving it to Abington, Pennsylvania. Its proximity to the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus of Salus — a mere five minutes away — provided a convenient location in which PCO/Salus students could shadow an optometrist.

“I just felt that I got a lot out of optometry school, but there are a few more real-world situations that if a student were to get that experience, they would understand a lot more about optometry, especially the business side,” said Dr. Patel. “I wanted to let students know what that entailed, especially for the females, the barriers we might have and how to overcome them to be successful.”

It brings her great joy, she said, to see young optometrists succeed in the profession. So much so that not only does she welcome students to shadow her, she also recently became a preceptor for third-year PCO/Salus Doctor of Optometry (OD) students. In fact, Dr. Patel also aspires to eventually contribute as an instructor at her alma mater.

“We’re putting experienced optometrists out there in the world and that’s what we need,” said Dr. Patel.

Since Dr. Patel was a student, the class sizes at PCO/Salus have increased their female populations, something she wants to keep pushing and supporting. In fact, the Class of 2027 at PCO/Salus is 74 percent female and every college or school of optometry in the country entered a female-majority class this fall.

“The barriers in running your own business, that’s a challenge sometimes. But I am there to educate the students,” she said. “I have a lot of females shadowing me, so I want to give them that confidence to continue and get where they want to be.”

For her efforts in helping young optometrists advance their careers, Dr. Patel has been named a 2023 Theia Award of Excellence winner for mentoring by Women in Optometry, a group that provides women a platform to share their experiences and gain exposure to a national audience that includes other ODs.

Originally from Philadelphia, Dr. Patel completed her undergraduate degree at Temple University, graduating with degrees in biology and business administration. She chose PCO/Salus because of its great environment, perfect class size, and the reputation of its faculty.

“I thought PCO/Salus did an amazing job of exposing us to just about everything one can encounter in the real world. The professors and preceptors prepared me for it,” said Dr. Patel.

Wink Eyecare and Optical wasn’t quite up and running yet as a business when she had the opportunity to purchase it. She wasn’t looking for a business that was already established and didn’t want something handed to her, so it was a perfect fit. Initially, Dr. Patel was seeing just two patients a day, but the business has grown so much in recent years that she’s now booked out two to three weeks in advance.

When she’s not working and mentoring, Dr. Patel and her husband, Agam, enjoy football, cooking, and traveling. She also does a lot of painting, which is something she has enjoyed for years.

She’s in a fantasy football league but hesitates to reveal her favorite team. All she’ll say is that despite growing up in Philadelphia, she was born in Dallas.

For the Theia Award, her nominator wrote that “Dr. Patel is truly passionate about mentoring students and she willingly allows students from Salus University to shadow her. Her kindness and mentorship make a real difference in the lives of aspiring optometrists, helping them pursue their dreams with confidence and determination.”

Dr. Patel is humbled at being named a Theia Award winner.

“It gives me the ability to put my voice out there and say hey, women can be mentors, they can handle the personal life and the professional life,” she said. “There are going to be a lot of hoops to jump through, but you can definitely do it. I’m honored to be getting that award.”