Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. Bill Rafferty

Dr. Bill Rafferty is an Optometry friend that I didn't have until last year. Through our mutual friend, Dr. Ann Hoscheit, I was introduced to Bill and I'm so glad that I was.

Bill is one of those ODs that has transcended the generational evolutionary steps that Optometry has seen over the last six decades. He's been at the cusp of each step, pushing forward the profession to new levels of accomplishment.

This podcast episode was recorded in early 2025, and I was very delayed in getting it out. I'm grateful to Bill for his patience and willingness to allow me to proceed after such a long pause. Every listener will be better for hearing his stories - from pressing for positive relationships between Optometry and Ophthalmology, to helping students become more clear on the history of Optometry's progress, to his many different professional roles.

The Stories within the Story include:

1:03 The “What I Thought Optometry Would Be” Story

3:18 The Early Years Story

8:21 The Service to Country Story

10:04 The Optometry Training in the 1970’s Story

13:01 The Mentors Story

16:57 The Early VA Efforts Story

18:50 The Duke University Story

21:12 The Educator Story

22:55 The Regulatory Affairs Story

30:53 The Optometry-Ophthalmology Story

39:20 The Joy Story

40:58 The Words of Inspiration Story

Runtime:  46 min.

Check it out: 

YouTube video podcast:  https://youtu.be/YF7alX5pEt0 

Audio Podcast Apps:  search for "Sandbox Stories" on your favorite podcast app including Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Downloadable Podcast (mp3):  https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/35xa4z2t25qy3jzh/Sandbox_Story_-_Rafferty_AUDIO87x8o.mp3