OWL Member Profile: 10 questions with Sue Stuhr, COT, of Eugene, Ore.

Where do you work?
At the practice of Drs. Fine, Hoffman, and Packer.

How long have you been in ophthalmology?
About 16 years.

What is one tip you find helpful in balancing work and personal life?
I try very hard to remind myself of my priorities.

Who was the most influential person in your life as a child?
My mother. I was the youngest of five kids, with most grown and out of the house, so it just was my mother and me.

Who is the most influential person in your life today?
I have come full circle in that now my most influential people in my life are my two kids, a 14-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. While it is a very important job and my pleasure to prepare them for their independent lives, I am amazed by how much I learn from them.

What is your favorite family ritual?
In our house, we celebrate our “family anniversary.” We celebrate the day our family started, when I married my kids’ father. Even though we are divorced, I want my kids to know how important I still feel that day was. It was the start of our loving family, even if the living situation is now different.

What is your favorite part of the day?
I am torn between the time I make dinner, which is usually done with one of my two kids (we trade off on whose turn it is). This means we have rare one-on-one time together. Or it also could be when the kids are finally in bed and I have time to myself.

What do you like best about belonging to OWL?
The unbelievably supportive members.

How long have you been a member of OWL, and why did you join?
Five years. I was thrilled by the prospect of an organization whose only common denominator was that we were women in ophthalmology with the fabulous blurring of lines regarding what aspect we each may be involved in.

Do you have any suggestions for OWL?
I am very excited about the mentorship program.

— Compiled by Sheryl Stevenson, Managing Editor, Ophthalmology Times