Get to Know our Eye Care Team: Meet Optometrist Dr. Ross McKenzie

What does an optometrist do in his spare time? Meet Dr. Ross McKenzie, our Family Eye Care, Myopia Management and Diabetes Eye Care optometrist, who likes to hike, travel, and swim when he's off the clock. To learn more about Ross' personal and professional background, hobbies, and eye care tips, keep reading!

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and my family also owned a farm just outside of Canada’s Most Notorious City of Moose Jaw, where I learned the value of community, hard work, and honesty.

What are your favourite hobbies? When I'm not working, I like to spend my time outdoors. Hiking and biking in Alberta's backcountry are some of my favourite activities, as they allow me to explore new places, challenge myself physically and mentally, and reconnect with nature while disconnecting from work. 

I also enjoy swimming, and you can often find me doing laps at one of the pools in Edmonton late in the evening. As a child, I used to speed-swim competitively, and the love for the water has never left me. As an adult, I've also taken part in many triathlons. 

One of my other hobbies is woodworking, a great winter activity for me when I don't want to be outside. It also gives me a creative outlet. 

What's one thing on your bucket list? One of my dreams is to swim or jump into the waters off Antarctica. I've made it my life mission to swim in most of the major oceans and seas worldwide, which I've made a pretty good dent in. I've already had the pleasure of swimming in both the Bering Sea and the Beaufort Sea off the coast of Alaska when I did one of my residencies in Nome. These certainly have to be the coldest waterways I've swam in.

I also really have a desire to go Heli Skiing, so if anyone has some recommendations on the best place to go as a first-timer, I would love to hear your suggestions. Leave a comment below, or let me know in the exam room.

What's your pump-up song? My go-to song when I head out for a run or prepare for a race is Eminem's 'Lose Yourself.' I love the beat for getting my heart rate up. 

What's your go-to Starbucks order? I love my coffee. When at Starbucks, I usually go for a black dark roast coffee. I may get a Caffè Mocha twice a year. 

Last but not least, what is your top eye care tip? One of the best things you can do for your eyes is simply a warm compress over top of them every morning and night. You can use a product like a Bruder Mask, but you can also simply use a warm towel that you heat up with tap water. Like brushing your teeth, this warm compress helps open the oil glands around your eyelids and removes any excess debris and bacteria from your eyelashes. Warm compresses will help to alleviate dry eye symptoms and allergy symptoms. Plus, they will help to keep your vision from fluctuating throughout the day as it improves the stability of your tear film. 

What's your favorite piece of equipment in the eye clinic? I love our Optomap Ultra Widefield Retinal Imaging Camera. Unlike other retinal cameras or 3D OCT retinal cameras that only capture a small 15-degree area of the retina, his camera takes an 82-degree image of the inside of the eye. It's an amazing piece of equipment that helps diagnose and monitor your eye health. But more importantly, it allows us to educate you on your eye health because you can see what we see. It increases patient understanding and improves treatment compliance. 

Professional Background

Ross obtained his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pacific University College of Optometry in Portland, Oregon. His primary practice areas are general family eye care (Routine Eye Exams, Glasses & Contact Lenses), myopia management, and diabetes eye care. He is a member of The Alberta Association of Optometrists, The Alberta College of Optometrists, and the Canadian Association of Optometrists. Ross also routinely provides guest lecture appearances for emergency eye care in a primary care setting, myopia management, and practice management tips on improving the patient care experience. Ross was also an active Alberta Association of Optometry Billing Committee member for Alberta Health Care for over a decade. 

Want to learn more about our eye care team? Visit our optometrist page to meet the rest of the group. As always, we're here for all your Eye Exams, Contact Lenses, Eyeglasses and Emergency Eye Care needs.

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