SCENE + HEARD: Discover Women In Optometry: Shift in Employment Status Provided Doctor the Motivation to Open Her Own Practice By Staff Thursday, June 23, 2022 12:25 PM Before Nataliya Yakovleva, OD, became an optometrist, she had several occupations, but none of them were in health care. Originally from Russia, her college degree is in education, specifically in teaching the English language. Coming to this country had her exploring other options. “As an immigrant, oftentimes you are not able to use your original education. You must be open to other options in order to get established. I have tried accounting, property management and marketing, and eventually ended up in real estate. I was in real estate in 2007 when the economy started to recess, and by 2008 real estate took a hit,” she recalls. So she thought that a career in health care might be more recession-proof. Read More