A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

What Surprised Me (in a Good Way) About My 1st Year of Optometry School

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Katie Kamikubo

Hello everyone! As I am writing this, I am in my first (and last) summer break of optometry school. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I feel about accomplishing my first year of school already. It sped by so quickly, and I’m so happy to share some of the things that surprised me about my first year of optometry school at SCCO.

To start, I remember showing up to orientation and meeting all my classmates for the first time. I am totally biased, but they are the coolest group of people you’ll ever meet. Everyone was so kind, friendly, and funny so once school started, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’ve heard horror stories of competitive grad schools, and I was preparing myself for the worst. Turns out, the other shoe NEVER dropped, and I don’t think it ever will. I was so surprised that everyone continued to be just as kind, friendly, and funny as the day I met them. In fact, I have an even bigger love for my classmates because of how much we stuck together through the adversity of our first year. Realistically, I’ve only known my classmates for less than a year, but in my heart, I feel like they’ve been there forever.

Additionally, I’m sure a lot of you in your pre-optometry journeys have sat in an exam where the optometrist asks, “Which one is clearer, 1 or 2?” I remember thinking it would probably take so long for me to get to ask that question to a patient, but I was dead wrong! We started learning how to perform manifest refractions our very first quarter in school. Now that my first year is over, I can perform almost all aspects of a comprehensive eye exam. The program moves fast, but it was such a pleasant surprise to see how much we were able to learn during just three quarters of school.

My time so far at SCCO has truly been life changing, and I am so looking forward to being surprised (in a good way) more in the future here! Again, if you ever have any more questions about SCCO or looking for tips as an applicant, please email me at katiekamikubo.scco27@ketchum.edu. I will happily answer any questions you have, thanks!

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