My 1st Year of optometry school at SCCO was an extraordinary whirlwind of learning from world-class doctors, adventures both near and far, and new friendships I will treasure forever.
I’d love to share my top 3 favorite moments and experiences with you. I hope these highlights encourage all the pre-optometry students out there to keep pushing forward towards your dream! You have so much to look forward to on the journey :)
1. Learning!
I genuinely enjoyed my classes this year because of our AMAZING professors and the collaborative learning environment.
I am constantly inspired by our professors’ passion for thorough patient care and their dedication to offering support. I love that they explain the “why” behind concepts and relate everything back to clinical applications.
In undergrad, it would sometimes feel like there was a tone of “why don’t you get it.” But at SCCO, professors lead office hours from the perspective of “what part can I explain in a different way to make the big picture make sense,” which creates such a safe space to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn for understanding.
If I had to choose, Optics and Clinical Methods/Ocular Health Procedures have been my personal favorite, but every class has been fascinating.
I invited my family to come visit campus around Winter Break. As they watched me do retinoscopy, manifest refraction, and entrance tests like cover test and von Graefe phorias, they were blown away by how much I learned in a few short months. Learning skills to assess ocular health like Slit lamp biomicroscopy, BIO, and Goldmann Applanation Tonometry means we finish 1st year knowing how to conduct a majority of a comprehensive eye exam!
This is definitely a challenging, fast-paced program designed to shape us into the best clinicians we can be, but all of the avenues of support (office hours, private tutoring, TA review sessions, incredibly helpful notes from upperclassmen) create an environment where you can continue to thrive.
2. Serving the community
I love optometry because there is such an immediate, meaningful improvement in quality of life when you restore vision. This year, I had the opportunity to witness this up close by volunteering at local vision screenings and international medical mission trips to Cancun, Mexico and Fiji. These experiences were incredibly fruitful both professionally and personally.
One patient I served in Cancun was an adorable young girl with accommodative esotropia, and watching her eyes begin to uncross after giving her her first ever pair of plus glasses is a moment that will stick with me. Serving patients early on in my academic journey and meeting patients who have ocular pathology reminds me that the slides we are taught in lecture aren't just something to get through a class, but are all examples of real people I am learning for.
Not to mention that these opportunities are a whole lot of fun! It was such a gift to travel with a heart to serve and be invited into a community. I loved seeing the world from the perspective of locals and bonding with staff doctors and classmates. At the end of the week, the same people we worked alongside in clinic showed us the beauty of their home on once-in-a-lifetime adventures. (an 11/10 waterfall hike in Fiji has definitely become a core memory :) )
3. Making friends & community
The heart of a place are the people, and I have met truly the most wonderful human beings here at SCCO.
As I think through my favorite memories of this year, I can’t help but smile as I remember countless moments with my friends. From dinner & dessert adventures in Orange County to board game and hot pot nights. From watching the fireworks at Downtown Disney to rock climbing together. From our Winter Formal that is spectacularly called “Eye Ball” to laughing over silly mnemonics for neuro.
Optometry school is such a rewarding shared experience, as you practice skills together and support each other through it all. My friends joke that from all the time we spend with each other in lecture, labs, and After Hours, it truly feels like we’ve known each other for a lifetime. FCHP (Fellowship of Christian Health Professionals) is a club on campus that has especially been a huge source of community and encouragement for me. It is possible to have a balance between school and living life!
In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed this look into my life in optometry school! I am even more thrilled to start 2nd year where we will invite a loved one to be our 1st real patient. My email is ZoeBui.SCCO27@ketchum.edu. Feel free to reach out, I would be happy to help :)
