Member Profile - Britt Gustafson, OD

January 6, 2023
January Member Spotlight

Where do you currently practice?
I practice at The Eye Doctors Inc, a two doctor practice that is located next to the WalMart Vision Center in Eden Prairie. This was my first position out of optometry school so I am fortunate to have been in the same location for 21 years.

Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Tillamook, Oregon which is a small dairy community on the Oregon Coast.

What school did you graduate from (undergraduate and optometry)?
I attended Oregon State University and graduated in 1997 and did my optometric education at Pacific University, graduating in 2001.

What are your hobbies?
I enjoy travel and try to see a new country each year. I also enjoy tennis, biking, and trying new restaurants and craft breweries.

Describe your local community involvement?
I have volunteered as a grant writer for a local education non-profit that assists lower income students on the path to college.

Tell us about your family and pets?
I live in Eden Prairie with my husband Matt. We adopted a French Bulldog last year which has been on our wish list for years.

Why do you choose to be a member of the Minnesota Optometric Association?
I am proud to be a part of optometry and want the profession to continue to grow and evolve. In my opinion, belonging to the MOA is the most impactful way I can insure our profession continues to flourish.

What do you like best about the profession of optometry?
I enjoy working with a variety of people each day and forming connections with both longtime and new patients. It is a privilege to be a part of each patient's life and help them achieve their visual goals.

Describe your favorite memory from your optometric career.
It is difficult to pick one favorite memory from 21 years - however I think the collection of hilarious things that pediatric patients have said to me over the years stands out. I recently had a 9 year old patient guess my age as 25 which made my day. However when he asked my actual age and I told him, he followed up by asking if I was born during the Civil War. I am still laughing at that one!

What fun fact would you like to share about yourselves that your colleagues may not know about you?
My husband and I are huge tennis fans. Our goal is to attend the four major tennis tournaments. We went to the Australian Open a few years ago and have attended the French Open as well, so are planning to get to Wimbledon and the US Open in the coming years.

Please list any articles you have written or lectures you have provided to educate others on eye care.
I have been an author and co-author on numerous contact lens clinical trials over the past 16 years. Additionally, I serve as a speaker to a contact lens manufacturer so have had the opportunity to present to colleagues regionally and nationally.           

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