Student Life Blogs

Page 2 of 97

9/2/21

Discovering Optometry post-undergrad

Hi everyone! My name is Brianna and I am an incoming first-year student. I am very excited to begin my optometry journey and to contribute to the student life blogs during my time here!

I was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but I spent the longest chunk of my life in Katy, Texas, just outside of Houston. For undergrad I went up to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where I graduated with a Neuroscience Degree in 2019. At that point I had very little idea of what I wanted to do for a career. Like a number of my new SCO classmates, I started undergrad thinking I wanted to be pre-med. But after doing some shadowing and understanding more about the profession, I realized that my heart just wasn’t in it the way that I believed it should be for anyone pursuing medicine. I felt like I was back at square one, but I was determined to keep going with interests I enjoyed and see where they would lead me.

During my junior year, I became a Research Assistant under one of my professors in a lab that studies the effects of visual experience on the mind and brain. We would run MRI studies examining what tasks the “visual” cortex of a blind person’s brain does, as well as behavioral studies examining what blind individuals know about vision-related concepts like colors and light. I was fascinated by the research, and I enjoyed my time there so much that after I graduated I became the full-time Lab Manager.

Soon after I started full-time, an old colleague of my supervisor gave a guest lecture at our lab meeting. It was the most interesting research talk I had ever heard! The speaker was an optometrist who did clinical research on children with Cortical Visual Impairment, a type of blindness that is very difficult to diagnose because it is due to abnormalities in the brain rather than the eyes. I was moved by how much he cared for his patients and how passionate he was that there was not enough research on the widespread condition. After his talk, the lab took him out to dinner, and I was able to talk to him more about optometry and his path there. That very night I looked up optometry as a career, and it became something I came back to again and again.

Meanwhile, it became apparent to me that in both the Research Assistant and Lab Manager roles, the days I enjoyed most were those where I was interacting with participants. Because of the specific criteria our blind participants had to meet, we had a pretty small pool of people and would spend a lot of time with them, either flying them in for MRIs or running studies back to back at conventions. I got to meet all kinds of different people and hear a lot about their experiences living without any vision. It truly changed the way I thought about vision and vision loss. As I continued reading about optometry, I learned about the field of low vision where the doctor helps patients navigate vision loss when there is nothing further that can be done medically. This speciality in particular sounded like a great fit to me, and cemented the idea that I wanted to pursue optometry.

I applied to 5 different schools, but SCO was an easy choice for me. I could write a whole post about why this school is great and I know that the longer I’m here, the more accurately I’ll be able to speak about that. So to keep things brief for now: top-tier board passage rates; impressive arsenal of scholarships; extremely nice staff, faculty, and students (I mean seriously, every single person I’ve met so far has been lovely); huge eye clinic; mock board exam rooms; low cost of living; dedicated business education. The list goes on and on but I could not be happier to be here.

I cannot wait to begin classes, and to start learning clinical skills in lab on day one. The fall semester seemed incredibly far away for so long, but now this time next week I’ll be in class. Ready for the adventure!

Posted by Erin Jaffe at 9/2/21

Brianna Ahimer

8/31/21

Starting my journey here at SCO!

Hi everyone! My name is Saniya Merchant and I’m thrilled to be part of the incoming class of 2025. I’m originally from Chicago, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in Spring of 2020. Moving in this past weekend came with a ton of mixed emotions since it’s my first time moving out of state! Though it’s been overwhelming, I’m very excited to begin this new chapter in Memphis and call this city home for the next 4 years. With the support of my family, friends and the faculty here at SCO, the transition process has been seamless.

My initial interest in the medical field was sparked by my late grandmother who was an OBGYN. As I continued to explore different occupations in the healthcare world I knew optometry was the right fit for me because of all the intricacies in optometry as well as the potential to improve the quality of life for so many people. One of my biggest inspirations to pursue optometry has been my older sister who is currently a Low Vision Resident at Illinois College of Optometry. She has guided me every step of the way and I’m so thankful to have had her support.

It's crazy to think that exactly a year ago I had begun the application process and now I am days away from starting classes. I knew SCO was the right school for me not only because of the amazing clinical program but also because of the supportive staff and faculty that I have met along the way. Everyone has been so helpful in easing many of the stressors we are currently facing especially with things ever-changing due to COVID. I am excited to start my journey here at SCO and look forward to meeting everyone in the class of 2025.

Posted by Erin Jaffe at 8/31/21

Saniya Merchant

8/20/21

Moving Across the Country to Start Optometry School

Hello everyone! My name is Kammy Lin, and I am from Diamond Bar, California. I graduated this summer from the University of California, Riverside with a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Psychology. I don’t know how the time flew by so quickly these last four years, though now that I’ve commemorated my undergraduate experience, it’s time to look forward to what’s next in store for me - optometry school! The move to Memphis is particularly exciting for me because it’s the first time in my life I’ll be living somewhere new. College was so close to home that I could drive back every weekend if I wanted to. But now, leaving this close proximity will give me the chance to adventure out into the world and discover what it has to offer beyond what I’ve been used to seeing thus far. So, here’s to embracing change and beginning a new chapter!

Since I grew up with family members in the healthcare field, following that same path was a possibility I had in the back of my mind. (Shocker!) However, it did take me a while to ponder on it since I had other interests, as many would, as a child. Then I had my very first optometry visit during middle school. I found myself in a pleasant environment with a doctor who didn’t inject me with needles or subject me to any pain or bleeding. The optometrist got bonus points for being super nice to me, but more importantly, he looked happy doing his job. When I left the exam room, that was the first time I thought, “maybe I could be an optometrist.”

Fast forward to my first year at UCR. One of the very first organizations I joined at school was the pre-optometry club. I will say that it was one of the best decisions I made during my undergrad career. Through the pre-optometry club, I learned the importance of networking, and from there, landed my first internship at a private practice. One internship slowly turned into two, along with other shadowing opportunities. The more I learned about optometry, the more absorbed I became. There’s a great balance between work and personal life, freedom to choose where and how you want to practice, different specialties you can focus on, and the list goes on. To me, the most beautiful aspect about this profession is the ability to protect the most important sense a person can have: their vision. Optometrists foster the gift of eyesight to others, thereby making a positive change and improvement in people’s everyday lives/routines. I especially took notice of this as a volunteer at free eye clinics, where there were many underprivileged individuals who had gone a long time without access to an eyecare professional. Imagine one of them came up to you and you played a part in restoring their vision. What could be more rewarding than that? Seeing the gratitude they had after finally receiving the proper eye care attention they needed was incredibly fulfilling. I knew this was the career I wanted upon learning how meaningful and impactful the world of optometry can be.

Why SCO?

For those who don’t know, there are 23 optometry schools in the U.S., 3 of which are in California. You might be wondering why I did not pick one of the schools in California. To be honest, I too thought I would be attending an optometry school in my home state, especially since two of them are less than a 20 minute drive away from where I lived. I hadn’t really gauged any other schools at the time. One day, I was talking to the graduating seniors in the pre-optometry club as they were discussing the optometry schools they applied to. SCO was one of the schools they mentioned. They spoke of SCO so highly that it started to pique my interest towards the program. I realized then that there were other great schools that I hadn’t considered because I limited my choices to only what was close by. Thus, I removed those limitations. After all, this is my professional career we’re talking about. I had to look at every option in order to select the school that was the best fit for me.

When it was time to apply, I emailed the SCO Admissions Office a couple questions on some things I was uncertain about. It was just a few questions, but the response I received was so informative and detailed that I could tell they were really trying to help me with the situation I was in. It even felt like they were rooting for me as an applicant. The encouragement and support were recurring themes with each successive SCO interaction I had - during my interviews, speaking with current students, contacting the staff with more questions, and meeting my classmates online virtually. These people truly care and want me to succeed. I knew this was a community I wanted to surround myself in. Furthermore, a separate factor that mattered to me was the educational experience found at SCO. I was astonished by the strong clinical program, advanced technology, and state-of-the-art facilities, not to mention the sky-high board passage rates. SCO additionally offers an abundance of resources, including the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence, which provides guidance on career planning/practice management not just for current students but for alumni as well. This goes to show the support that SCO dedicates to their students during enrollment and even beyond graduation. Given all the amazing opportunities and people here, it was an easy decision to select SCO as my choice of school. I can truly see myself obtaining the best optometric education here while growing to be a well-rounded clinician.

In about a week, I will be starting my very first classes as an optometry student. It feels like I’ve waited forever for this day to come and it’s finally arriving. Now let the journey begin!

Posted by Erin Jaffe at 8/20/21

Kammy Lin

8/10/21

Year-In-Review

Just about a year ago, I wrote a post about the reasons I decided that optometry would be a good career match for me. In the ten years since last August, I have learned approximately a third of the academic knowledge I will need to attain what could be considered “minimum level competence” (more on that in a moment) in order to legally practice the art and science that is optometry. I often hear parents describing the process of child rearing by saying “the days are long, but the months are short,” and in that regard, optometry school is a lot like having a kid; in terms of weekly tears cried, it’s a lot like being a kid. Optometry school has been so much more challenging and time-intensive than I could have ever imagined at the outset, and that’s exactly what has made it so rewarding during my first year.

I don’t know that I ever really stop feeling like “the new kid” regardless of how long I’ve been a student at any given school, a member of a group or club, or as an employee at any of the companies I have worked for. I’m always acutely aware of how little I know in respect to what there is to be known, and the only thing that offers any reprieve is seeing fresh faces walking in, even more clueless than that one in the mirror. After a year of the most fast-paced education I have ever been a part of, it’s easy for me to still feel like I have not progressed very much when I ponder what life will be like starting in the clinic in nine short months, or practicing as a certified O.D. in three or four years. After all, as was (a little too) repeatedly pressed upon us this spring, passing the board exams to graduate and practice represents the minimum amount of knowledge needed so that the NBEO feel alright about letting newly-minted Dr. Joe Schmo practice without worry of him blinding someone (or worse). It can be a little discouraging to spend three years of your life floundering through school to hear that you meet a minimum of any sort, but of course, this makes sense: If every optometrist was expected to be at the top of their game, to know all there is to know about the eyes, nobody would be an optometrist. The beauty of this profession is that it is far too broad to be fully mastered by any one individual.

It is only in reference to the Class of 2025 arriving in Memphis that I am beginning to appreciate that, while “mastery” of any discipline may actually be an elusive, ever-out-of-reach end game, I have come farther than I give myself credit for in one short year of extremely long days (and nights). It can be frustrating, and imposter syndrome-inducing when I think of all that’s left to come, from the billing and coding of exams, to how to operate a business, let alone the clinical knowledge that will build on everything my classmates and I have covered in the last year; however, every chess grandmaster had to learn the names of the pieces at one point, followed by the long, boring hours of study and practice, with the goal of constant improvement, not omniscience, in mind.

I am lucky to be a part of a profession that challenges me so intensely from the very beginning. Any career that doesn’t allow you to grow and learn as you spend more time with it will eventually feel stagnant and dissatisfying. The human mind is a problem solving machine, and quickly grows bored without a new trial to overcome. To the Class of 2025 and beyond, you are going to have the most academically challenging weeks of your life in optometry school. It may feel like you can’t do it and that you should give up at times—but then, I remember feeling that way about those 50 question multiplication tests they gave me in 4th grade. To be sure, being enrolled at SCO has introduced me to some of the kindest, funniest, most ludicrously intelligent people I have ever met, and given me some truly amazing opportunities to have fun, give back, and learn far more than optometry. At SCO, you will work harder, and if you’re wise, celebrate your accomplishments more than ever before.

at 8/10/21

Andrew Murphy

Spending the Summer in Memphis

SCO Student Michelle Alaimo, ’23, writes about spending the summer in Memphis

Summer semester of third year is in full swing, with a round of midterms already under our belt and a busy schedule of classes, labs, and clinic. This is my first full summer in Memphis, and there have been lots of fun events happening in the city. Last summer, most events were canceled due to COVID and public spaces had restrictions on capacity. Even with a mini-term starting last July, there was little opportunity to experience summer in Memphis. Now that my classmates and I are here for the whole summer for third year, it’s been a lot of fun getting to check out all that Memphis has to offer. So far, I have gotten to go to some sporting events downtown, check out different restaurants, and spend some time outside.

Memphis has the Redbirds, which is a minor league baseball team, and Memphis 901 FC, a professional soccer team, that share Autozone Park stadium downtown. The stadium is walkable to restaurants, bars, and even Beale Street. Between the baseball and soccer teams, there is always something to attend and show your Memphis spirit! On Saturdays when the Redbirds play, the stadium has a fireworks show afterward. I recently attended a baseball game and a soccer game and had a blast at both!

Although the weather is hot, it is always nice to spend time outdoors when there is a chance to, so my friends and I have taken advantage of some of the things that Memphis has to offer outside. On Thursday evenings, there are outdoor movie screenings in the park on Mud Island along the Mississippi River. There are also kayaks available for rental right near Mud Island, and there are even some days throughout the summer when rentals are free. The river is such a pretty area to explore, especially at sunset. There are lots of great restaurants and breweries that have outdoor patios to enjoy the weather as well. Some of my favorites include Grind City Brewery, Babalu, and Young Avenue Deli.

One of the best things about Memphis is all of the great food options to choose from, and I’ve gotten to check out some different places lately. I recently ate at the Lookout at The Pyramid, which is the restaurant at the top of the famous Bass Pro Shop Pyramid downtown. The lookout has an awesome view that overlooks downtown Memphis and the Mississippi River. Some other places I have tried this summer and really enjoyed are Automatic Slims, Memphis Pizza Café, and Crumpy’s Wings. No matter what type of food you are craving, there is always a great local option in Memphis. I’m looking forward to the rest of this summer and all of the things Memphis has to offer!

Michelle Alaimo