Student Year: Final year Optometry Student at UNSW

Ann graduated from UNSW Optometry in 2019. She previously worked in a corporate practice in regional NSW but has recently moved back to Sydney and is working at an independent practice. She enjoys paediatric optometry and is involved with an organisation that organises school screenings across the Sydney Metro region. After work, Ann runs an e-commerce business called Cloud9 Lashes, and sell handcrafted false lashes and lash accessories online. With a background in optometry, her products are aimed for those who are looking for comfortable, hygienic, and hypo-allergenic false lashes and lash glue.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I graduated from UNSW Optometry in 2019 and my graduating role was in Nowra, NSW.  I love being outdoors and staying active, so Nowra was the perfect spot to enjoy hikes and swim at the nicest local beaches on my day off.

Now that I’m back in Sydney, during my time off work I’m either weight-lifting, hanging out with family and friends, trying out food places, and working on my e-commerce business.

What made you want to study optometry/be an optometrist?

I’ve always wanted to work in the health industry as I find it very rewarding to help out people. However, I am very squeamish when it comes to working around blood and watching medical surgeries so I decided on optometry thinking it would be the safest option.

Tell us about your business and what inspired you!

I initially started Cloud9 Lashes to solve a problem of my own. I wanted long lashes but didn’t like how hard it was to maintain cleanliness with lash extensions, as well as being unsure of the risk of harmless chemicals used in lash extension glue. However, disposable false lashes that I’ve tried were uncomfortable and heavy to wear, and didn’t suit my eye shape. Talking to my friends about this problem, they also experienced similar issues as well. Due to this, I created a collection of false lashes that are suitable for petite eyes as well as latex-free lash adhesive to make applying and wearing lashes easier and more comfortable.

Where can we find and follow your page?

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok @cloud9_lash

Tell us about your typical day or week as a business owner? What do you find are the most challenging aspects and most rewarding?

I run the business by myself, so I typically work on it during my spare time. Typically, this would be after gym and dinner where I would work on creating social media and scheduling my posts for the week, as well as fulfilling and packing orders to be sent the next day.

The most challenging aspects is that creating an e-commerce on top of full time work takes up a lot of time, but I find it very rewarding as I am learning a lot of business skills, and I am able to be creative with marketing and social

Do you have any advice for young optometrists out there who would like to pursue their passion but haven’t quite gotten started?

My advice would be to do a good amount of research before you start, especially if you’re interested in making your passion/interests a business. It’s great to pursue what you love and jump in the deep end, however there are so many things to consider on the logistics/business side of things (eg. GST, tax, registering the business) and this can be a big time, effort, and finance commitment. Doing all this work before you start would help you feel less overwhelmed.

Check out CLOUD9 LASHES here: https://cloud9lashes.com.au/

Student Year: Final year optometry student

Minh-Tri Trang is a final year optometry student at UNSW.

Favourite Disease: Pachychoroid disease spectrum because it is interesting to see how the presentations link and multimodal imaging makes it more exciting. 

What about Optometry really grinds your gears? (if any!):  When patients decline that they’ve had eye surgeries in the past but you see IOLs on slit lamp hmmm. 

What drives your passion for Optometry? Emphasising to the community that the profession is more about making glasses! Education of pathologies and management of eye conditions is an avenue I want to stress. 

Something you discovered about the uni not everyone may know? Exams may be tough but if you put yourself in the shoes of learning to improve patient care, studying the hardcore eye conditions and clinical techniques becomes easier and more fun.   

What is your go to place for food at uni? Stock Market at upper campus and recently Stellini Pasta Bar at lower campus.

Something others may not know about you. In another life I would be a fashion designer or baker. Latest project was a ball gown and 250 decorated cookies! 

What song do you play that instantly lifts your mood? Outro: Wings by BTS 

Lili Chen graduated from UNSW  in 2018 and  has very recently moved into an eye health project officer role at a not-for-profit organisation. Just prior to that, she was practicing  full-time domiciliary optometry in nursing homes.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you want to do optometry: I have always known that I wanted to work with and have an impact on people. I liked how the study of science was translatable into our understanding of how things work. The happy marriage of these two led to my choice of optometry upon graduating high school!

Describe a day in the life of optometry in your current work setting: These days, my work is built upon an intersection of various areas of knowledge. As optometrists, we have a deep understanding of eye care (services, diseases, and systems). In my work, our focus is on Indigenous eye health, supporting Indigenous ophthalmologists, and the long way to go in creating culturally safe eye care systems.

Not too long ago, I was working in domiciliary optometry; more specifically, in nursing homes. This involved performing eye examinations for the elderly – prescribing glasses, low vision aids, ocular health reviews, GP or RN referrals, or recommendations. As everything is mobile, this really takes you back to first principles and requires an adaptable approach to cater for our elderly, less mobile, and less cognitive. Think applanation tonometry, trial frame refractions when needed, direct ophthalmoscopy, working with small spaces or in residents’ rooms, hand-held slit lamps, and more…

What are a few of the most interesting things you’ve learnt and would like to share?

Working within a nursing home for the first time was confronting but seeing firsthand the effects of cognitive and physical impairment (often compounded by visual impairment) and hearing the stories of our elderly was eye-opening and humbling.

We can understand a lot about someone’s vision and visual status without relying on subjective testing, which patients sometimes find difficult to accurately communicate. It is looking at the big picture – anterior and posterior ocular health checks, pupil testing, medical history, using different optotypes, retinoscopy, autorefraction, cover test, etc. All these techniques give us very useful information especially in cases of language barriers, advanced dementia, non-verbal patients, young children, etc.

Optometrists are extremely well-placed to advance eye care and public health as primary eye care practitioners. If we engage with our patients and the wider community, and appropriately diagnose, treat, manage, and refer, we can contribute to a health system that is high-quality, patient-centred, and outcomes focused.

Change is inevitable. As the optometry profession evolves, we too must evolve and adapt by constantly improving our clinical skills and knowledge and advocating for positive change in eye care and optometry.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far? The gratitude expressed by a patient, their family, or their carers when we can help them, even if it is in a seemingly small way.

Developing relationships with patients and hearing their thoughts and journeys is also really rewarding. It helps you appreciate how big the world is and how little we know.

Also, moving out to a regional city for work was really rewarding for me.. By getting to know my team and the community, it became a home away from home. I learnt to balance responsibilities and the slower pace of life was grounding. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? I love the feeling of keeping active – whether it’s swimming laps (then sitting in a sauna afterwards), going for walks around my neighbourhood, playing badminton, or gentle exercises at the gym. Spending time with my family and friends is important to me. I also devote time to work and activities within my church (if that counts as spare time).

Chloe graduated from UNSW in 2019 and initially worked full-time in retail optometry in Canberra. After 2 years, she wanted to experience a different side of optometry so began working part-time  in retail optometry and part-time at an ophthalmology practice. The ophthalmology practice is full scope, with a particular focus on refractive surgery and Dry Eye Disease.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you want to do optometry: As a high myope myself, I have always been exposed to glasses, contact lenses, orthokeratology etc. This industry had always been an interest of mine from a young age. Sight is such an important sense and knowing that I can help make a small difference to people’s life and health is truly rewarding. 

Describe a day in the life of optometry in an ophthalmological setting. Working in an ophthalmology practice is generally very fast-paced and is varied each day, depending on which doctor is working. I assist them by doing the work-up, taking scans and doing visual fields, setting up for intra-vitreal injections, collagen cross-linking surgeries and LASIK surgeries. I am also responsible for monitoring patients after their surgeries whether it’s refractive, glaucoma, cataracts or others.  Another part of the job is assessing patients’ eligibility for refractive surgery and taking care of dry eye patients. 

What are a few of the most interesting things you’ve learnt and would like to share? Working at an ophthalmology practice, and one that is focused on refractive surgery, has exposed me to a variety of conditions that are not usually seen in retail optometry.  Some are just small fun facts and others are lessons in patient management and treatment; below are a few. 

LASIK involves a laser to ablate a certain amount of the cornea to correct for refractive error. If the patient is myopic, then the central cornea is ablated. If the patient is hyperopic then the paracentral cornea is ablated. When LASIK is done on a purely astigmatic prescription, the ‘pattern’ that is ablated is not hourglass like what you expect to see on a corneal topographer. It is actually rectangular in shape since all that is being corrected is the cylinder!  It is visible under the microscope immediately after the surgery. The reason it appears to be hourglass on corneal topographers is the effect of averaging. 

Misuse of contact lenses can lead to quite debilitating conditions, and not just scarring from corneal infections. Things like limbal stem cell failure can occur and the patient is left with impaired vision. It is important as primary eye health care practitioners that we educate contact lens wearers on hygiene properly and schedule regular follow-ups with them to prevent these things from happening to them. 

Finally, not the most interesting but definitely most important, is to just listen to the patient’s concerns. The answer always lies in their chief complaint. 

What has been the most rewarding experience so far? Being a part of the patients’ refractive surgery journey has been very rewarding. They go from needing glasses full-time to being completely glasses free after a surgery that only took 15 minutes. I also love that I get to know some patients really well, however it is bittersweet since they’re in so often because of some sort of pathology. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? Living in a different city and being away from home has given me a lot of freedom to explore different hobbies like reformer Pilates, hiking, cooking and baking. I’ve made new friends that I’ve been able to explore Canberra with, through the good food and great hiking trails.  

Student Year/Workplace: Final year optometry student at UNSW.

Favourite Disease: Keratitis, especially HSK due to its unique clinical presentation.

What about Optometry really grinds your gears? (if any!): When patients are noncompliant with treatments. I am one of them when it comes to warm compresses...

What drives your passion for Optometry?  Since I was a kid, my goal is to contribute something positive to the world, and optometry allows me to do that. Simple acts like prescribing glasses can improve someone’s quality of life immensely. Optometrists are also capable of detecting and managing sight-threatening (and occasionally life-threatening) conditions which are amazing skills to have - and I wanted to be able to do that. 

Something you discovered about uni not everyone may know? The friendships we build here can change our life for the better. My friends are my family in Sydney. Not only do we study together during the 5 years of our optometry degree, but we also lift each other up as we navigate through our 20s (which I think we can all agree is a very confusing time!).

So say hi to everyone, be kind and open to new experiences. You never know where it will lead you!

What is your go to place for food at uni?  'Stellini' pasta bar at lower campus and 'Laksa Delight' in upper campus. And Caffe Brioso (aka the Coffee Cart) for a quick pick-me-up!

Something others may not know about you: I do pole dancing and want to perform/compete one day!

What song do you play that instantly lifts your mood? High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into optometry

Hello, I'm Joanna! I’m a full time optometrist just starting my fourth year out at a practice in the inner city area. When I was about 15 years old, I had an eye test with an optometrist who was so friendly, helpful and welcoming that it completely changed my perception of the optical industry. From then on it opened my eyes to a wonderful career opportunity which I currently find myself in! 

In my free time, I also bake cakes and macarons for all the sweet tooths in Sydney! 

How did you get into what you’re doing in your time outside optometry?

It all started during the first COVID lockdown in 2020- everyone was doing a bit of iso-baking and iso-cooking back then. What I really found exciting was that there were so many different and new things I could bake and eat. Each baking experience was more challenging and more fun than the last. 

Personally, I didn’t think my baking was too bad so I took it a step further and started an Instagram page for my bakes where people can order custom cakes and macarons.

Where can we follow you?

Tell us about your most memorable experiences

For Lunar New Year last year the design for my CNY macarons proved immensely popular and I may have bit off a bit more than I could chew. I spent 2 full days baking until 3am to get all my orders on time which I don't recommend for anyone haha. After baking 500 or so macaron shells I finally managed to get it all done. I was so happy with the final product so it made it worth it in the end!

Do you find it easy to juggle your optometry career and your other passions?

It can be challenging juggling the logistics of baking cakes and macarons around full time work and getting them delivered on time. Luckily for me some of the baked goods can be done over several days so it gives me a bit of breathing space after a long day at work.

Does time away from optometry help you appreciate it more?

I would say so! Baking gives me that creative outlet that I need and optometry keeps me grounded and balanced.

Do you have any advice for young optometrists out there who would like to pursue their passion but haven’t quite gotten started?

Take that leap of faith and just do it! Be open minded and manifest your dreams. The best way to learn is through practice and experience :) Good luck!!

Student's Corner is a space which is designed to introduce some of the amazing Optometry Students - delving deep into their likes, dislikes, struggles and current mood. Introducing Karuna Darvesh!

Name: Karuna Darvesh

Student Year: 5th Year, Master of Clinical Optometry Student at UNSW

Favourite Disease: Retinal Detachment