Dr. Jay Patel’s interest in optometry began at a young age, his ambitious journey already starting when he attended Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Patel received his B.S. in health science from Benedictine University in Lisle Illinois in 2014.
He then went on to graduate from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2018. He enjoyed his time at ICO and appreciates the many opportunities for gaining experience in the field that were available, including externships at Georgia Eye Partners, Chicago Cornea Consultants, and the Veterans’ Affairs hospital in Boston.
Dr. Patel completed his residency in ocular disease and primary eye care at the Boston Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center in 2018. Dr. Patel recalls his favorite patient experience at this very clinic: “During my time at the VA, we were given the opportunity to perform bed-side examinations at different wards for patients who were not be able to come to the eye clinic.
At one point, I saw a veteran with ocular conditions who was not able to see well enough to read, even to see subtitles on T.V. Upon showing him his vision through the new prescription, he began smiling and laughing at all the things he had been missing. It was truly a rewarding feeling all together to be able to help this man obtain greater enjoyment from his day-to-day life.”
As a result of his time at Chicago Cornea Consultants Dr. Patel has a keen interest in fitting patients with specialty contact lenses such as scleral lenses. He loves helping patients who might not have otherwise had clear vision achieve greater fulfillment from their lives by having proper eye care.
Dr. Patel has a variety of interests and hobbies. His main hobbies include drawing and painting, listening to music and spending time with his family and friends. He volunteers as a youth-leader at his temple and participates in walkathons providing benefits to many local charities.
Dr. Patel is a talented optometrist who has a knack for treating each and every patient with great care and a friendly positive attitude. He appreciates the opportunity to care for all patients in primary care optometry to enrich their lives with compassionate eye care.
