A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Finding Your Desired Program Through Shadowing and Working With Alumni

By SCCO Student Ambassador, Alex Lam

So you’ve decided on optometry! First, a fantastic choice; I definitely will vouch for this amazing career, and of course, you’ve found yourself in the right place (at least, I hope)! But now, how do you decide where you want to go to school, and maybe how to even get to that point?

In this article, I will try my best to provide some insight into my journey and how ultimately, shadowing and working with SCCO alumni made me undoubtedly choose SCCO as my dream school!

To start, I grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, which is a suburban town on the complete opposite side of the most famous cities of Memphis and Nashville. Eventually, I moved out to Los Angeles for my undergraduate education at UCLA. During my first year, I joined the Pre-Optometry Society at UCLA, which exposed me to a plethora of opportunities related to the field, such as shadowing and work opportunities. In my winter quarter, I was able to shadow Dr. Derek Tong at the Center for Vision Development located in Pasadena, California. Only a few months later, the club informed me of an opening at that exact same practice I shadowed, so I immediately applied and was offered the position.

Before I go on, I REALLY want to stress joining your pre-optometry clubs during undergrad. I was able to make lifelong friends during my time in the club. It was truly an amazing experience to interact with people who are passionate and motivated about the same career you chose! Not only that, but the number of opportunities sent out by local optometrists for openings and/or shadowing are limitless, which can either introduce you to the field or provide unforgettable experiences associated with your optometric journey.

Back to my journey, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Tong, an alumnus of SCCO, for the next three years. Of course, I was still enrolled in classes at UCLA, so I was only able to work/shadow mostly on Saturdays. Now you may be asking, why would you commute back every weekend to Pasadena to work a five-hour job? Throughout my three-year commitment, I never once felt like I was “working.” The opportunity I had to experience the field I’m most passionate about was so interesting to learn that I never felt the typical “work” atmosphere. This feeling was only enhanced by Dr. Tong’s welcoming nature and other resident doctors working at the practice.

Shadowing Dr. Tong and the other residents provided me with insight into how optometrists interact with their patients every day and, specifically, how to build strong, personal connections with their patients. As I began to think about what optometry programs I wanted to apply for, Dr. Tong and other SCCO alumni provided me with their pitch for SCCO; however, through my interactions shadowing and working with each doctor, I already had a detailed preview of what SCCO was going to provide me, specifically in terms of the faculty, students, and the importance of how patients are treated in our field. Through shadowing and observing Dr. Tong and other SCCO alumni doctors at my practice, I can clearly see the holistic doctors that were trained to be and how SCCO was the cornerstone in preparing them to become the amazing doctors they are today. And, of course, as I went through the interview process and tour of SCCO, my presumptions from my working experience were confirmed, and I am now currently enjoying every bit of my time as a first-year Student Ambassador at my dream school!

Good luck to y’all! I know each and everyone one of you will find the perfect program for you, as I ultimately did with SCCO! 🙂 If you have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to reach out at alexlam.scco26@ketchum.edu!

Click here to read Alex’s bio and meet other Student Ambassadors at Ketchum.edu.