Dr. Erica Shah always knew she wanted a career where she could help people, and she knew she wanted to work in the medical field, but her decision to become an optometrist was guided somewhat by luck.
“I actually worked for an optometrist sort of randomly in college,” said Dr. Shah. “It was just a college job. It wasn’t something I necessarily did purposely.”
However, during that experience something clicked, and Dr. Shah began to realize a career in optometry would be a good fit for her.
“I just enjoyed watching her (the optometrist) do what she did,” she said. “I felt like that could be me.”
This thought was quickly affirmed when Dr. Shah started optometry school.
“I loved clinics, loved learning about the eye, and it just sort of seemed like the right path for me,” she said.
When asked her favorite part about being an optometrist, she said she loved connecting with people.
“I’m kind of a social butterfly,” she said. “So, I like talking to people, getting to know them, and hopefully helping them.”
Dr. Shah’s social personality has helped her not only as a doctor but also as an educator. Following her residency at State University of New York in Manhattan, she was asked to stay on at SUNY as faculty. For the next five years, she served as both a primary care clinician and assistant clinical professor overseeing students and residents.
Dr. Shah joined Milan Eye Center this past October. She specializes in the diagnosis and medical management of ocular disease and the co-management of ocular surgical procedures and she sees patients at Milan Eye Center’s Marietta and Alpharetta locations.
Outside of work, Dr. Shah enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, cooking, and wine. She and her husband try to take a trip to Europe each year, and so far, her favorite trip has been Croatia, where she enjoyed the food, wine, history, and visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Dr. Shah spends most of her time outside of work with her two sons.
“If I’m not working, then I’m always with my kids, running with them and trying to get them tired,” she said. “I have a five-year-old who is soon to be six and then a fifteen-month-old, and they’re both crazy and rambunctious.”