1. EachPod

Discovering Your Niche -Cecelia Koetting - Optometrists Building Empires - Episode # 42

Author
Ankit Patel
Published
Thu 29 May 2025
Episode Link
https://share.transistor.fm/s/6b529e4c

How can finding a niche like ocular surface disease transform your optometry practice? On this week’s episode of Optometrists Building Empires, host Ankit Patel sits down with Dr. Cecelia Koetting, a distinguished optometrist, educator, and assistant professor at the University of Colorado. With deep expertise in anterior segment care, neuro-optometry, and peri-operative management, Dr. Koetting shares how focusing on a specialty can elevate patient care, drive business growth, and build long-term success. She also opens up about her personal journey overcoming colorectal cancer, the importance of mentorship, and how AI can help address challenges like staffing and reimbursements.

 

Takeaways:

  • Specialization is a strategic advantage. Building your practice around a niche like ocular surface disease or scleral lenses not only meets an unmet patient need but also positions you as a go-to expert in a growing and in-demand area of care.
  • Start simple, grow with purpose. Start with basic diagnostic tools like slit lamps and fluorescein dye to build confidence and develop your clinical eye before layering on complexity.
  • Use technology when possible. It can help reduce administrative burden, simplify reimbursement processes, and even support clinical decision-making, freeing up time.
  • Learn from peers who’ve built thriving niche practices, like those focusing on ocular aesthetics or dry eye clinics, which can offer both inspiration and practical blueprints for scaling your own.
  • Get comfortable with discomfort. For new grads and seasoned ODs alike, growth often starts in the unfamiliar. Be willing to try, fail, adjust, and try again. Specialization is a process, not a one-time decision.


Quote of the Show:

  • “ I didn't get to the point where I am right now, feeling confident in what I'm doing.” - Cecelia Koetting


Links:


Ways to Tune In:

Share to: