Eye Health Hero: Mauricio Javier Vázquez Rentería

Mauricio Javier Vázquez Renteria is a visual health professional who undoubtedly is a future leader of the profession; but how did we come to this conclusion? For this we have to understand what motivates our nominee, his academic record and what he does for his profession and his patients.

Academically he began his studies from the age of 15 studying the career of optometry at the Technical Bachelor level; after 3 years of training, he would carry out his Social Service in the public sector in a Health Center T-III for 1 year.

At the conclusion of his social service in 2009, he immediately entered the Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry at age 19; along with his studies, he worked in optical chains and clinics. After 4 years of academic training, he performed his Service Social again in the public sector.

When I questioned him why did he make the decision to do it again in a Center of Health and not in a hospital in which he was able to gain more experience and knowledge? He explained to us that in his first Social Service he discovered that there are no eye health professionals who carry out promotional activities, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of refractive errors and pathology causing visual impairment and that it was not fair that only people who could pay for a consultation had access to eye health.

• In 2018 he joined his state college (COEM A.C) and is an active member.

• He is a Professional who is continuously training, and shares the knowledge that he acquires with his colleagues.

• Lecturer at various universities in Latin America on issues of Pediatric optometry, low vision and its prevention, on health laws and regulations in optometry and visual health.

• Getting companies in the industry to make donations or discounts on material for universities and colleges in the country.

• In his spare time, he gives free advice to undergraduate students in optometry from Latin America through various platforms of video conferencing.

• Make radio talks and webinars for health personnel; as well as general public in which he talks about visual and ocular health.

• He created a Facebook group in which related digital information related to Visual and Ocular Health which has more than 2000 members from all over America Latin.

• Continuously investigates the reasons why Eye Health programs and / or Ocular in Mexico are not decreasing cases of visual impairment (Laws, regulations, protocols in health programs, labor certifications) and looks for how to change the situation.

• Encourages people who practice optometry without studies or with a career technique to study the Bachelor’s degree.

• He invites graduates of the bachelor’s degree to join the college of their state.

Therefore, we consider that he has the qualities of a future leader capable of uniting all, create new leaders and see new possibilities to improve the Eye Health of Mexico.

“The end of preventable visual impairment is at the beginning of prevention and promoting eye health from birth to old age at all levels of health”

– Mauricio Javier Vázquez Rentería