Student Life
Vision Screenings: Kindergarten Kick-off!
When you walk into a room with a tree house in one corner and a castle in the other, you know it’s going to be an interesting vision screening. That was what the other SCCO interns and I had to work with at La Habra’s The Children’s Museum’s annual Kindergarten Kick-off!
The event itself is meant to give pre-K children a taste of what to expect when they start kindergarten in the Fall, as well as provide free hearing, dental, and, of course, vision screenings. My 2nd and 3rd year classmates and I checked vision for distance and reading, color vision, eye turns or anything that could make learning or reading more difficult when they begin school. Once we were done with our tests we submitted our findings to the staff doctor, who talked with the child’s parents about what we did or did not find, and whether it would be necessary to refer them for a full eye exam. It was so rewarding to work with the kids, and watch them skip off with their parents knowing that we may have helped them do a little bit better in school by finding that they need glasses or have an eye-turn or don’t converge their eyes properly for reading; all of which can be fixed!

Playing around after the Kindergarten Kick-Off!
Even before starting optometry school, I had been interested in pursuing a career in children’s vision, whatever that meant. But now that I’ve learned some of the statistics about children’s vision, I’m even more inspired. Reports estimate that 1 in 4 children in grades K-6 have a vision-related problem, which is most likely treatable with glasses or vision therapy. That’s 25% of our children who may be struggling in school because of a problem with their vision that could be easily diagnosed in a full exam and treated. This is why SCCO’s screenings for pre-K and elementary age children are so important, and why I sign up for every one that I can.
Most school vision screenings only test a child’s ability to see far away, and parents of children who pass assume their child has no vision problem. However, eye professionals know that seeing 20/20 is not the whole story and there is much more to a child’s ability to focus, participate, and learn in the classroom. Our screenings, though not a replacement for a comprehensive exam, are very thorough—so we may be able to spot issues that other screenings may not.

It is a great feeling to be able to help children find success and enjoyment in school, so that they can live up to their true potential. No child should have to struggle because of something as simple as needing a pair of glasses, and I feel more than happy and lucky to be a part of helping them find that solution.
—Maggie Francisco, Class of 2016
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Published by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO
I wanted to be an optometrist when I was only 10 years old. Why? I had some kind of geeky fascination with eyeglass frames, and was obsessed with getting a pair of my own. In my situation, having perfect eyesight was a distinct disadvantage, so I had to hatch a plan.
After repeated intense squinting while looking at the blackboard, I approached my teacher and lied with conviction, complaining that I couldn’t see. This report got me first to the school nurse and then finally on to an optometrist for an eye exam, where I tried my best Mr. Magoo impression to no avail.
I would have to wait two more long years until the gods finally smiled on me when, by some miracle, I acquired enough astigmatism to warrant my first bona fide pair of prescription eyeglasses!
Along with my love of people and wanting to take care of them, subsequent visits to the optometrist and shadowing, I sealed the deal—optometry was now officially what I wanted to do with my life.
I made first contact with the Southern California College of Optometry when I was in 8th grade. My older sister had a newly minted driver’s license and so I coerced her into driving me all the way from our home in La Mirada to Los Angeles, SCCO’s then-home. After a master planning effort to plot out our route on a paper map folded in 8 places, we arrived at SCCO where my sister quickly surmised that I didn’t have an appointment with an admissions advisor. She called me a loser, drove me all the way back home and the next day, phoned to help make the requisite appointment.
I entered high school in the late 1960’s (ouch, that hurt) when young females wanted to be anything but what I’d chosen as my newly dedicated pursuit—a science geek. I wore thick horn-rimmed black eyeglass frames (told you I was serious) and hung around chemistry lab after class. This was at a time when women just did not pursue careers in science and being the tomboy that I was, that was fine with me. This trend continued right through into undergrad, attending many classes where I was the only female--bespectacled or not--in the class. At a recent high school reunion, many of my classmates still remember me as the science geek with the blinders on—many envious of my joy and passion for my future profession.
I graduated from SCCO in 1977. Looking back with 40 years of experience as an optometrist, I am awed to know that I chose this wonderful profession way-back-when and with only my juvenile perspective to inform me. In 1977 when I graduated from optometry school, the profession began a series of major changes to its practice scope: securing the rights to use diagnostic drugs (dilating drops), securing the rights to prescribe therapeutic drugs (huge change!), being recognized as physicians by the federal government and treating glaucoma. In some US states, optometry has made even bigger strides into minor surgery, use of lasers, hospital privileges...etc. If I had the opportunity to go back and make another choice and knowing what I do today about health care and my own hardwiring, I’d make the same choice for optometry--nobody loves this profession more than I do. http://www.ketchum.edu/index.php/about/administration-directory
I grew up with optometry and now it’s your turn to inherit its future. That’s what this blog is about—getting you into optometry school and I am just the person to help you achieve this goal. We’re going to talk about the admissions process, how to prepare to take the OAT, how to be a competitive applicant, how to prepare to interview, to name a few. We’re going to talk about SCCO, student life and what it’s like to be an optometric intern. I am very persuasive, motivating and I am completely sold on optometry as the best profession in health care. I speak from experience!
Get ready to dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and please, chime in on discussions. I want to know what kind of help you need. You got this!
View all posts by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO