Dr. Dovie is a therapeutic certified optometrist (optometric physician) who has been practicing since 2004. Dr. Dovie is a cum laude graduate from Virginia Tech (1999 major in biology, minor in chemistry). He married his high school sweetheart after graduation and in 2000 moved to Philadelphia, PA, where he attended the doctor of optometry program at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (now part of Salus University).
In 2004 Dr. Dovie graduated from PCO and was selected to participate in the college’s prestigious residency training program, where he spent the next year practicing in Philadelphia at The Eye Institute. During his year of residency training Dr. Dovie split time between two passions: teaching and learning. He worked with many OD and MD specialists gaining invaluable experience in various clinics including glaucoma, cornea and cataract, oculo-plastics, retinal disease, neuro-ophthalmic disease, primary care, emergency medicine, and special populations. Of just as great importance to Dr. Dovie was the teaching aspects of his residency training. Dr. Dovie had the responsibility of teaching laboratories, proctoring exams and clinical practicums, in addition to teaching both third and fourth-year interns in clinical settings.
In 2007 Dr. Dovie earned his Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). There are currently only about 3000 active fellows worldwide, and there are only about 70 Fellows in the state of Virginia.
For seven years running in a row, now, Dr. Dovie has been voted First Place for “Best Beside Manner” in the New River Valley by ‘Our Health Magazine.’
He is quoted saying “As a doctor, it is very humbling being honored by those you serve. At our office, we strive to treat all our patients as family. A good bedside manner is our way of showing our patients that we care about them as individuals. I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful staff and patients that appreciate us.”
Dr. Dovie has focused on specializing in functional vision, vision development, and visual neurorehabilitation, and is excited bring those skills to our sister clinic, Vision Plus Development and Rehab.
What do you enjoy about eye care technology & protecting patient health?
- We invest heavily in patient-care technology because it lets us deliver the most thorough care while inviting the patient into the process. There is an enormous upside to being able to show a patient the small intricacies of the insides of their eyes and how we can help diagnose and/or manage things like diabetes, hypertension, and even things like multiple sclerosis.
Share briefly how much seeing your patients makes your job rewarding.
- My patients are the reason I show up every morning! I very much enjoy catching up, asking about their families, and now, how they’re handling the pandemic. I also love the opportunity to meet new patients, connect, and develop new relationships.