Bringing her future into focus

Morgan Calabrese ’17

Biology major sets her sights on optometry  

Biology major Morgan Calabrese ’17 always thought she would enjoy a career in science and after an internship at Bethlehem Eye Care Associates she now knows, for her, that means a career in optometry.

The Nazareth, PA native secured her internship by reaching out to the father of a former high school basketball teammate, Ralph E. Gilmore, Jr., OD. Alongside Dr. Gilmore, Calabrese interacted with patients and performed eye examinations using various equipment. She also learned other essential office duties such as organizing insurance claims, files, and contact lenses. 

 

“I now know the incredible amount of effort, dedication, responsibility, and leadership necessary to become an optometrist and ultimately run my own practice.” — Morgan Calabrese ’17

But the most satisfying aspect of the internship was when Calabrese connected her classroom experience to what Dr. Gilmore was teaching her in the field, she explains. “There were many instances throughout my internship where Dr. Gilmore would be explaining results or a diagnosis to me and I was able to understand much of what he was explaining by relating back to the information I learned in the classroom at Moravian. This ability to apply what I’m learning in the classroom to real life situations is very motivating when it comes to my academics, and also makes me thankful for the great education I am receiving at Moravian.”

Before this internship, Calabrese knew the basic responsibilities of an optometrist, she says, but shadowing Dr. Gilmore gave her a deeper insight on the profession. “I now know the incredible amount of effort, dedication, responsibility, and leadership necessary to become an optometrist and ultimately run my own practice,” she says.