Gap Year Medical / Surgical Technician
For over six years, Brinton Vision has worked with students who are pre-med, pre-optometry, and pre-PA to create full-time, two-year positions offering an in-depth learning experience in refractive surgery. This position is designed for students who are intentionally taking two gap years before beginning MD, OD, or PA school and who are able to commit to the full two-year term.
Gap-year students working at Brinton Vision can anticipate multiple patient interactions weekly, with practice involving slit lamp exams, refraction, critical thinking, and visualizing eyes at one day post-op for a range of procedures. This is a unique opportunity offering experience with refractive surgery post-operative exams to prepare for a lifetime of confidence with co-management.
This is a two-year, full-time track where technicians work patients through a customer-service-focused exam, followed by discussion with our refractive surgery expert doctors to determine candidacy. Technicians also work with post-operative patients at all points in their healing process and learn from our doctors how to counsel patients through a wide range of experiences. There is also emphasis on business development and how to market effectively to an online audience.
Selected applicants must be able to commit to a full two-year position with Brinton Vision before beginning MD, OD, or PA school. This role is designed for candidates who are intentionally planning two gap years and are seeking an in-depth clinical, surgical, and professional development experience during that time.
We do not consider applicants who are unable to commit to the full two-year term.
Position summary
Vision Care Partners is hiring college graduates who are preparing to enter medical school, optometry school, or physician assistant school and who are seeking a two-year clinical and surgical training position before beginning their professional program. These individuals are trained in our office as medical/surgical technicians to work full-time alongside our regular, tenured staff.
Our “gap year” technicians receive extensive clinical training in diagnostic testing, medical history taking, electronic medical record (EMR) use, scribing and exam documentation, one-on-one patient care, and customer service. Our technicians also receive extensive surgical training in processing and management of sterile surgical instrumentation, scrubbing and the practice of sterile technique, medical laser calibration and operation, administering medications for patient procedural sedation, and all other aspects of the surgical technologist role.
Dr. Brinton is a fellowship-trained, board-certified physician and surgeon. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and is an internationally recognized specialist in the field of LASIK and vision correction surgery. Vision Care Partners is an FDA clinical research trial site and has its own in-office surgical suite where we are able to perform the full range of laser and lens vision correction procedures. Students will receive both clinical and surgical training that provides valuable experience for entering medical/optometry school as well as for the application process.
Position duties
Conduct a variety of medical tests
Perform minor medical procedures
In conjunction with our doctors, effectively educate patients on the benefits and risks of Vision Care Partners’ seven procedures
Act as an effective liaison on medical questions between patient and surgeon
Guide patients through the logistics of scheduling and financing vision correction procedures
Prepare surgical setup, including layout of sterile instruments and laser calibration
Sterilize equipment and take inventory to ensure there are enough supplies for surgery
Prepare the patient for surgery
Pass the surgeon instruments and sterile supplies throughout the procedure
Skills/requirements
Limited to pre-med, pre-PA, and pre-optometry gap-year students who have graduated with a four-year bachelor’s degree and are planning to apply to medical, optometry, or physician assistant school after completing a two-year position with Brinton Vision
Ability to commit to the full two-year term
Ability to be a self-starter and make decisions on your own
Exceptional communication, presentation, and listening skills
Ability to stay organized in busy situations and adapt to new situations
A positive attitude every day to share with staff and patients
Sense of humor: we like to have fun while we work hard
The perks
Our position includes training on scribing to learn terminology, as well as doctor skills such as refracting, slit lamp exam skills, thorough evaluation of patients’ corneas, use of BIO, minor procedures such as punctal plug placement, creating surgical marks, and applanation tonometry.
Skills developed will assist in a future of surgical co-management confidence after examining hundreds of one-day LASIK, Refractive Lens Exchange — similar to cataract surgery — and Implantable Contact Lens post-ops. Our students become proficient at evaluating anterior chamber cell and flare, determining ICL positioning and vault, evaluating LASIK flap healing, and treating common day-one complications.
Beyond doctor skills, our students are trained with our doctors on customer service and marketing skills. This includes reputation management, search engine optimization, digital marketing, and online presence. As a cash-only-based practice, we can offer a unique perspective on direct-to-consumer advertising.
Typical hours for a student technician are 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Competitive pay with base plus incentive
Shadowing opportunities
Brinton Vision medical technicians benefit from a wealth of shadowing opportunities in our building. Since our clinic is generally closed on Wednesdays, our gap-year medical technicians have taken advantage of the wide range of specialties in our building to get direct physician, PA, NP, and OD contact while seeing patients and performing procedures. The specialties in our building include:
Surgical
Orthopedic surgery
Obstetrics and gynecology
Otolaryngology / ear, nose, and throat surgery
Plastic surgery
General surgery
Colorectal surgery
Medical
Orthopedic sports medicine
Family medicine
Internal medicine
Concierge / boutique medicine
Nephrology
Fertility medicine / assisted reproductive technologies, gynecology
Other
Oral surgery
Orthodontics
Periodontics
Prosthodontics
Endodontics
Dentistry
Physical therapy
Our doctors will be happy to arrange shadowing opportunities with these medical professionals above for our medical technicians in good standing after 90 days.
The benefits
Typical pay: starting $17/hr, average $20/hr over two years
4.5-day work week
Monthly tuition reimbursement
Student loan payoff program
Paid gym membership
Health and dental insurance
Generous vacation/PTO days
Health Savings Account (HSA) with monthly company contribution/match
401k
Vision benefits
Regular staff outings provided by the company
Our doctors write letters of recommendation that have helped our medical technicians gain admission to medical schools from WashU to Mizzou and Yale