I attended the 7th World Glaucoma Conference in Helsinki, Finland. I went with 3 other optometrists, Wendy Saw, Sandra Au and Jenny Song. It was a 3.5 day conference between June 28th and July 1st 2017. It was an eye opening experience. It was good to meet overseas delegates and learn about the latest in glaucoma from an international perspective. In between conference days we went to a concert, nordic walking and a conference dinner. Before the conference we also travelled to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. For next time, I will do a conference first before any travels, as we did get a little exhausted! I'd definitely do it again, I highly recommend going to an overseas conference, there is nothing to lose. Apply today for a scholarship, go to that overseas/interstate conference!
Nordic Walking, we are all sporting red "Walk for Glaucoma" t shirts!
Conference dinner at Kulosaaren Casino
Helsinki Cathedral
Young Optometrist NSW/ACT is excited to introduce their first scholarship ever. There will be three scholarships of differing values and one placement program scholarship available.
Please read the pdf application form below for Terms and Conditions and fill out the application form and email it back to us by 30th April 2018.
If you are not a full member, make sure you sign up to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities we have. Our passion is and always will be optometry. We want to provide YOu with the best chances for growth and development!
YO Scholarship Proposal.pdf
Tell us a little about yourself (quirky habits or favourite things etc):
Hi Everyone :) I’m Wendy and currently settled in Sydney. I have been an optometrist for over half a decade now, and spent my first 5 years working in country locations along the eastern side of Oz: from Cairns down to Tassy and a few places in between!
How did you end up in optometry as a career?
Optometry became my first preference, after I could not choose to be an interpreter (my mother said I wasn’t good enough compared to Asians from Asia). I was always good at science, so after deciding between Pharmacy and Optometry, I chose Optometry due to the higher enter rank needed.
What are you most passionate about outside of optometry?
I love hiking and racquet sports (especially squash), so I try to pursue those in my spare time. In my travels, I bought a guitar in Cairns and a piano sized keyboard in Tassy, so music is something I am passionate about. I have a bit of a farmer’s streak in me, and I’m really into organic gardening and pursuing a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
How would you spend your free time?
I spend a lot of my free time actually, going to CPD and Leadership events, like conferences etc, and mixing that up with overseas travel. On Saturdays, I hang out with friends and we play a lot of exciting games, most recently Laser Tag - I’m looking forward to Escape Room next! On Sundays, I go to Church. I go to the beach a lot too at sunset, the beaches here are breathtakingly beautiful! If I have a whole day free, I go hiking with a group (too scared to hike by myself, I’m quite directionless and become lost very easily).
I’m supposed to be finishing off my therapeutics, so my free time will be devoted to studying very very soon.
Most embarrassing moment?
Doing a presentation when I wasn’t invited to with my whole family present and Science HOD present too, at a CSIRO Student Research Scheme speech night. I kept my cool though, but looking back, I should have been more embarrassed.
What inspired you to join YO as a subcommittee member?
It was fun introducing YO to Specsavers graduates in Melbourne this year, so I thought: why not join? I worked in the country as soon as I graduated and stayed in various country locations for at least a year. It was a bit lonely and isolating in the country for me, and I feel like YO is a good platform to reach out to young regional optoms. You guys are doing a fantastic job by the way! It’s not easy being in the country!
If you had one superpower, what would it be?
I wish I could read minds. I’m told I cannot really read people and empathise well enough. I’m really working on that actually.
What is your current favourite phrase?
“Zero to Hero”
The trip was a fantastic experience. I met the most amazing people (a 60 year old grandpa who climbed Everest and called it an autobahn!) and shared the journey with a generous and caring group of people, who I hope to call lifelong friends. Being able to provide eye care for the people of the Everest region was humbling. We had old grandmas trek for four hours to see us, as there is such limited eye care there. This really put into perspective how fortunate we are in Australia, with our health services and high quality of practitioners. There is no camera out there that can truly capture the beauty of Nepal. Everywhere you looked there were mountains, flowing streams, shooting stars - everything you want a progressing myope to look at! Nepal has much to offer, from the most delicious dal baht to a colourful culture and loving sherpas. However, as primary eye care providers we too have something to offer - our knowledge and services. I hope as eyes4everest evolves, they can reach even more people in need for eye care and put an end to preventable blindness.
Tell us a little about yourself (quirky habits or favourite things etc)
I love playing sports like squash and snowboarding but I seem to injure myself all the time. However, It doesn’t matter that I get a new cut or bruise every time, tear ligaments and break toenails, I’ll still go back for more!
I was probably like a lot of young kids, coming out of school with no idea what I was doing. It just seemed like a clean easy course to study. How wrong was I about it being an easy course to study!
Probably all my sports like snowboarding, scuba diving, squash and tennis! Need that adrenaline rush!
Mostly catching up with friends either over dinner and drinks or playing the above sports!
Forgetting patient names... it happens on a daily basis since we see so many people. But most embarrassing was probably when I forgot the patients name and called them something else in the 30 mins they were sitting outside waiting for their dilation!
I feel like optometry is being steered too much in one direction and I don’t know if it’s a good direction. So it’s time to try even up the playing field a bit!
Probably immortality because with enough time, anything can be figured out and I’d love to see how technology and especially space travel changes with time! Maybe we can eventually figure out teleportation in the future like some of the other members picked so I wouldn’t need to wish for that!
Every failure is a step closer to success. I would know that the best...
I am a Korea-born Kiwi, who moved to Australia in 2012 after finishing my Optometry degree from University of Auckland. I have worked as a full time optom, travelled all over NSW as a locum as well as working for the Specsavers head office for a short while. I currently live in Sydney with my husband and two adorable dogs! How did you end up in optometry as a career? In my first year at uni, while I studied Biomedical science, I applied for Optometry as it sounded like a great profession where you get to help, problem solve for people in a clinical environment, without the crazy working hours. The more I studied, the more I enjoyed what it was about!
What are you most passionate about outside of optometry? Dogs! I absolutely love dogs and I'm looking at volunteering for RSPCA.
How would you spend your free time? Travelling and finding good restaurants with my husband.
Most embarrassing moment? During a consultation, as I was sitting back down on my stool (it was one of those saddle chairs) I didn't sit far back enough,slipped and fell on the floor in front of a patient!
What inspired you to join YO as a subcommittee member? I often heard from Melody how she enjoys working with YO and she has met so many amazing people. This got me quite interested as I love meeting new people and socialising! Also I loved the idea of YO - how it brings young optoms together and provides education as well as lots of fun!
If you had one superpower, what would it be? Teleport. So I could visit my family in Korea whenever I want to!
What is your current favourite phrase? Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
The anticipated Bali Wellness 2018 retreat is here.
Click bali wellness retreat 2018.pdf for the brochure, it contains the itinerary, information on how to sign up and more.
It will take place between May 19th to May 26th 2018 in Ubud, Bali. It will be guided by Beata Alfoldi a renowned transformation teacher. Early bird price of $2250 if you book before December 31st ($2500) excluding flights. Freshly prepared organic vegetarian meals, accommodation and airport transfer are included. There will be workshops, yoga, salt baths, sauna and herbal steam. Open to all optometrists, family and friends but places are limited. Any questions? Email optomwellnessretreat@gmail.com
Young Optometrist is a non-profit organisation aimed to assist optometrist in their first 10 years of practice and address needs specific to young professionals who are paving their path in the optometric profession. Carina, along with Megan Tu, Rebecca Li, Rajeev Naidu, Jack Phu and Chris Pooley, was actually one of the founding memberes of YO. She has been an amazing Chair and has really built something to be proud of. After 5 years, it will be sad to see Carina go, however I'm sure she has more amazing things in store for the near future.
"YO has come such a long way since our humble beginnings in 2012, now providing quality tailored education, insightful sessions, and awesome Xmas parties year on year. As with everything in the world, YO continues to evolve. I am ever so grateful for the priceless experiences, life lessons, friends, and opportunities that YO has provided me with. I've been extremely privileged to have been able to represent YO during my term alongside incredible committee members, and could not be happier to introduce to you all our next chair: Rose Huang.
Rose is a dedicated Optometrist, with a huge heart, fantastic leadership skills, and damn, can she lift. I have complete confidence in Rose to lead Young Optometrists NSW/ACT."
- Carina Trinh, Outgoing Chair
Carina will be passing on the baton to Rose Huang who will be our new chair.
"Hi guys, for those who don’t know me I’m Rose and I’m thrilled to be your new chair. Our aim has always been to help create opportunities for you guys, promote career development and facilitate networking, all whilst providing a friendly learning environment.
We have a fantastic team here at YO and I am excited to be a part of it. I would like to acknowledge Carina, our previous chair and one of the founding members of YO. She has helped establish such an amazing organization and her passion and hard work has not gone unnoticed.
YO is made up of an amazing group of people and without everyone’s hard work and dedication we would not be where we are today. We look forward to providing even bigger and better things for you and building on what we have done so far!"
- Rose Huang, Chair of Young Optometrists NSW/ACT
Introducing Anna! Anna joined YO earlier this year and is now a part of our executive committee. You might have seen her about - she MC'd at our latest workshop for foreign body removals, lacriminal lavage and double eyelid eversion. Anna is now writing our monthly newsletters, keep your eyes peeled for her latest work!
I like laughing and making people laugh. I seem to have a habit of getting myself into trouble. Good thing is I have gotten myself into trouble so many times I'm also good at getting myself out of it. I got a lot of funny stories to tell.
I have always wanted to do optometry.I have always enjoyed science and working with people. What are you most passionate about outside of optometry?
I am passionate about being vegetarian and animal rights. How would you spend your free time?
I'm a homebody, I like to stay home catch up on house chores. Listening to music, watching shows, going to interesting talks, swimming and yoga. Most embarrassing moment?
Getting trapped in a lift not long ago. I was 45 minutes late and I walked into the wrong building and that building was closed. Managed to get myself out. I panicked even more because I watched a movie about being trapped and dying in a lift. The movie was called 'i origins". It so happened to be a movie that was about eyes too, funnily enough. What inspired you to join YO as a subcommittee member?
I think we have a great community at YO and that workshops and events were awesome. I enjoyed them especially because I was working in practice without a mentor. There are so many benefits of being a YO member. Its my way of giving back. If you had one superpower, what would it be?
It would be to fly, to wherever I want to be.
Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
Sarah Pham has been helping plan events with YO even before she had graduated! In fact Sarah is one now one of our executive members and together with other amazing YO committee members she has been working on the YO Christmas Party (Friday 24th November 2017). Don't forget the Christmas party is free for all full members! Hope to see you there.
Get to know Sarah a bit better and keep reading!
H’yall!! I’m Sarah, a 23yo working and living in the hustling and bustling city of Sydney (more towards South West Sydney). First impressions of me are usually nice, loud, bubbly and a little bit crazy (just a little!).
To be honest it was an accident! I initially wanted to be a vet but when I did some work experience, I found out that it didn’t suit me as much even though I love animals (still do!). One day, I was just looking through the list of university degrees and I stumbled on optometry. I tried it out and ended up loving it!
Social psychology is really exciting to me! Soooo personality tests are always fun :)
I’m always looking for new things to do with my friends and family. This ranges from trying new cafes and restaurants, participating in different activities such as karaoke, paintball, rock-climbing and movies just to name a few! On the other spectrum, I’ll be working on developing myself so I’ll be at the gym, doing hapkido or attempting to cook (huge emphasis on attempt).
Majority of the time, my schedule is super packed but I do love the occasional chill and lazy days where I’m at home and catching up on my favourite TV shows!
To this day, no one can seemingly explain how I am able to trip over absolutely nothing so often...
It was very natural how I joined YO. It started off with me enquiring about YO’s agenda and motivations and then it followed through to me befriending them then I ended up offering a helping hand and contributing to the planing of events over the last couple of years. Afterwards the subcommittee member application was extended to me and I responded in kind.
It all happened so naturally that I cannot pinpoint my exact inspiration, it all just fell into place.
It would be amazing if I could teleport! Think about all the possibilities! I would be able to get to anywhere at anytime. Also, cutting down travel time means that I would have so much more time to spent on more valuable things.
The number of mistakes and the regrets in your life are not what define you. It is how you learn from it and move that is important :)
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