Buckeye Optometrists Around the World Liana Al-Labadi (OD’09)

Dr. Al-Labadi lives in the West Bank, in the center of Ramallah City. She was born and raised here and returned home after completing her ocular disease residency in 2010. Dr. Al-Labadi attended Earlham College and The Ohio State University College of Optometry but knew that she wanted to return home eventually. 

When I interviewed her, we discussed the differences in practicing in her home country compared to the U.S. and how she has been able to use her Ohio State Optometry education and her personal drive to their fullest potential. 

Upon her return home, licensing was the first step. “The scope of practice is so limited in Palestine,” Dr. Al-Labadi explains. “Practitioners here practice at level two (WCO model – see sidebar), which means they are only allowed to prescribe glasses and contact lenses. Most optometrists work in commercial optometry “stores.” They are not recognized as health care practitioners. No diagnostics or therapeutics are allowed. There is a very strong ophthalmology lobby here.”

It was particularly challenging for Dr. Al-Labadi to realize that she could not practice full-scope optometry after the rigorous education she had received in the U.S.

“It was even more difficult to realize that my degree was not recognized,” she says. “I was the only OD living and practicing in the West Bank. I had to fight to have my degree recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education, which took about two years to accomplish. I then had to become a member of the Palestinian Council of Optometry, which was not an issue. I finally had to take an exam, which was a simple, easy exam. After realizing how tough it was to practice clinically with full scope, I decided to join academic institutions in Palestine. I initially worked at the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences at An-Najah National University for eight years, where I was appointed as the head of the optometry department.” 

Optometric education is structured differently as well. “Optometry here in Palestine is a four-year bachelor’s degree,” she says. “I remember my first week teaching, when I realized that fourth-year students graduate without having any on-campus clinical training. So, I revamped the curriculum and developed a university clinic, similar to the one at Ohio State, but on a much smaller scale. I also worked on developing a pre-school vision screening program. We were able to travel with students across the country, even to remote and Bedouin areas to conduct vision screenings in disadvantaged communities. Through this role, I was able to practice optometry at its fullest scope, and at the same time I got the opportunity to provide education like the one I received at Ohio State to future generations of Palestinian optometrists.”

She is now working at the Arab American University as the head of the optometry department, where she helped establish a bachelor of optometry program, as well as a master in clinical optometry program. She also opened her own private clinic in a neuropediatric rehabilitation center, where she works in a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive services to children with multiple disabilities and visual impairment.

There are certainly pros and cons to practicing abroad. Among the pros, “I have had many opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have had if I were in the States,” says Dr. Al-Labadi. “I’ve worked on several projects funded by the European Union and by European organizations to develop curriculum and clinical skills in vision rehabilitation for special needs population’s in the Middle East region. I was invited as a guest lecturer at many regional conferences and to other universities in the Middle East and in Europe--all of which have enabled me to have a professional network of colleagues and friends from all over the world.”

Among the cons, “The work here is challenging, stressful, and demanding. Not only because of the limited scope of practice, but living in a developing country means there is a lack of resources-- whether it is human resources, infrastructure, or financial resources,” she says. “My job involves wearing many different hats and handling many tasks and responsibilities, which can be overwhelming at times.”

Dr. Al-Labadi says she used to return to the U.S. each year to get her continuing education, as she wanted to keep her Ohio license valid. These trips gave her the opportunity to see classmates and former professors and catch up; however, for the past couple of years it has become difficult to travel back to the U.S., so, she has been traveling to nearby countries to complete her required CE.

Although she misses these opportunities to reconnect in person, Dr. Al-Labadi reflects, “I am very grateful for the excellent education that I received at Ohio State and the clinical experience that I gained, especially during my ocular disease residency. I feel exceptionally prepared to deliver personalized and a high standard of eye care to my patients and to pass on my knowledge and clinical skills to my students. Despite the struggles and challenges that I faced, I know that I made a difference in the way optometry is taught and practiced in Palestine. I have had students graduate to open optometry practices in remote areas, where there is limited access to ophthalmology. It makes me proud to see these graduates provide emergency eye care and use diagnostics to provide their patient population with the high standards of care. I have also had several students graduate to pursue higher educational degrees in optometry locally and internationally, who now work with me in the university. I consider these graduates to be my success stories.”