U See Eyes - Job and Volunteering Opportunities

Internship Opportunity: LVC Optometry - Huntington Beach

10/11/2024

Hello Members!

I hope that the first two weeks of the quarter have been going well for everyone. Dr. Quyen La with LVC Optometry recently emailed our club to notify us of an opening for a student internship at her practice in Huntington Beach!

Dr. La graduated from SCCO and is a UCI alumni. This internship would be a great opportunity to network and build long term connections, especially if you are curious about what it might be like for optometrists like Dr. La, whose journey moved from UCI, to SCCO, to her own private practice in Huntington Beach. LVC Optometry is looking for a pre-optometry student willing to work part-time or full-time immediately. Job responsibilities will include scheduling appointments, clerical work, pre-testing, pulling vision insurances, working with patient charts, and more. Although the internship itself is unpaid, upon further review at the end of the internship, it could lead to a paid position.

If you are interested, please send an email to Dr. Quyen La at [email protected] or contact her by phone at (714) 580-3899.

As always, PLEASE let us know if you get the position so we can thank Dr. La!

Office Information:
Dr. Quyen La
(714) 580-3899
[email protected]
7251 Warner Ave #H,
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair ‘24-‘25

Job Opportunity: Project Eye Care Optometry - Mission Viejo

10/1/2024

Hello Members,

The doctors at Project Eye Care Optometry have informed us that they are offering a paid part-time position to any pre-optometry students interested in gaining optometry experience, and learning more about the field from a “hands-on” perspective.

Project Eye Care is a private practice optometry office in Mission Viejo that specializes in myopia management treatments and vision therapy. The practice is headed by Dr. Vincent Cano and Dr. Connie Tsai who both completed their undergraduate degrees here at UCI. Dr. Cano and Dr. Tsai graduated from Western University College of Optometry, and Dr. Cano went on to pursue his residency in vision therapy and rehabilitation at SUNY College of Optometry. This opportunity is great for students who want to have the chance for more interactions with patients and doctors, as well as learn certain pre-testing skills and work with specialized instruments for myopia management and vision therapy. Students would also be able to see and assist with some of the administrative and clerical aspects of optometry in the private practice setting. Project Eye Care offers a flexible work schedule to accommodate class schedules, as well as compensation at a “competitive hourly rate”. Please view the attached document sent by Project Eye Care below for more information, and visit their website at www.projecteyecare.com.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your resume and a brief cover letter to [email protected]. Don’t forget to let them know that you are a member of U See Eyes Pre-Optometry Club!

As always, PLEASE let us know if you get the position so we can thank the doctors at Project Eye Care!

Office Information:
Dr. Vincent Cano
Dr. Connie Tsai
[email protected]
Phone: (949) 799-3663
Fax: (949) 799-4333 25800
Jeronimo Road, STE 701
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
www.projecteyecare.com

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair ‘24-‘25

Volunteer Opportunity: Karate For All / Centra Pediatric Clinic - Tustin

9/20/2024

Hello Members,

I hope everyone had their fill of excitement and relaxation over the summer. Now that we are headed into the upcoming school year, I hope that everyone feels ready and rested enough to take on their next classes. Bao Lai, from the Karate For All (KFA) volunteer program has reached out to our club with the opportunity to volunteer at their pediatric medical clinic in Tustin, CA.

Karate For All/Centra Pediatric Clinic uses occupational therapy-based martial arts to treat children diagnosed with neurological and behavioral conditions including Autism, Down Syndrome, and other special needs conditions. Bao Lai noted that volunteers would be able to improve their interpersonal and leadership skills, as well as become eligible to receive a letter of recommendation from one of the senior Occupational Therapists working at the clinic. Furthermore, the email specified that:

“As a volunteer, you'll be able to engage with children that have special needs in order to make a positive impact on their life by helping them successfully perform karate in order to help boost not only their self-esteem, but to improve their motor coordination and muscle strength for better living. We do this by teaching karate to the kids, but because our children have mental and physical disorders the volunteers will often have to be hands on with the kids and move their limbs for them due to their physical and mental handicaps. Some kids are more independent than others, but regardless you will always be engaged with them because we try to make sure that each kid has their own volunteer partner!”

The program does not require applicants to have prior experience with martial arts, as volunteers will be trained in Shotokan Karate. The program however, does require a minimum commitment of one 4 hour shift every week chosen from the following:

“1.) Sunday 8:30am-3:30pm
2.) Tuesday 4pm-8pm
3.) Wednesday 4pm-8pm
4.) Thursday 4pm-8pm
5.) Friday 4pm-8pm
6.) Saturday 9am-6pm”

Additionally, applicants will be expected to come in for an interview and basic karate training before volunteering. This is a great volunteering opportunity for students to help young members of the special needs community and learn about a healthcare field outside of optometry. Remember that not all volunteering and experience necessarily have to be optometry specific to be valuable or to be included in your applications!

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please send an email with your resume to Bao Lai at [email protected].

I will also be sending another email soon about an opening for a position at a Costco optometry clinic in Fountain Valley, so keep a lookout for that!

As always, PLEASE let us know if you participate in this volunteer opportunity so that we can thank Bao Lai and the team at Karate For All!

Organization Information:
Volunteer Coordinator - Bao Lai
*Working Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
[email protected]
(714) 731-4668 ext. 3
3002 Dow Ave. #114
Tustin, CA 92780
https://www.karateforall.org/
https://www.centrapediatrictherapy.com/

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair '24-'25

Volunteer Opportunity: See The Lord Mission Trip - Oakland

9/6/2024

Hello Members,

Ellie Kim, from STL has reached out to our club with a volunteering opportunity for a vision screening mission trip in Oakland, CA on Saturday, October 12th.

STL, or See The Lord is a non-profit organization that strives to provide eye care to underserved communities locally, and internationally. Prior experience is welcome, but none is required for this volunteer event, as volunteers will be trained to pre-test and check-in patients on the day of the event. This opportunity is a great way to get an introduction to what vision screenings are like, as well as to provide care to communities that have limited access to eye care services.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the following form by this Sunday, September 8:
https://7a8596f1.streaklinks.com/CGZpM80sbPYEO0MklAkJpNx_/https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLSe5FHUaPZwrkGP6sBVyv4sHrCSSTS3zyOLjBL4B6zA_aZlkOQ%2Fviewform

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the event so I can contact Ellie for clarification.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As an update on the STL mission trip to Oakland, CA, on October 12th, from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, the registration deadline has been extended to September 22nd.

As stated in the previous email, STL, or See The Lord is a non-profit organization that strives to provide eye care to underserved communities locally, and internationally. Prior experience is welcome, but none is required for this volunteer event, as volunteers will be trained to pre-test and check-in patients on the day of the event. Although STL is a religious organization, volunteers from any religious background, or no religious background are welcome to attend. This opportunity is a great way to get an introduction to what vision screenings are like, as well as to provide care to communities that have limited access to eye care services. Visit their website for more information about the organization and their mission at www.seethelord.org.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the following form by Sunday, September 22, 2024:

https://7a8596f1.streaklinks.com/CGZpM80sbPYEO0MklAkJpNx_/https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLSe5FHUaPZwrkGP6sBVyv4sHrCSSTS3zyOLjBL4B6zA_aZlkOQ%2Fviewform
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the event so that we can reach out to Ellie for clarification.

Organization Information:
[email protected]
www.seethelord.com

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair 24’-25’

Job Opportunity: Partners Pacific Optometry - Fountain Valley

8/12/2024

Hello Members,

I hope you have all had the chance to relax and have fun with friends and family over the break. Dr. Nhat Le, the owner of Partners Pacific Optometry, has reached out to our club with a wonderful opportunity to apply for a position as an optometric technician at their office in Fountain Valley!

This position at Partner’s Pacific would be a great learning experience for potential optometry students, providing a bit of insight on the day to day work life of optometrists in the private practice setting. This opportunity is especially helpful for those who are interested in dry eye treatments, as their office offers various advanced treatments for patients with dry eye, ranging from punctal plugs, to Optilight IPL, and Tear-Care, which you can read a little more about on the “Advanced Dry Eye Treatments” page of their website. While some of the doctors working at this practice specialize in such dry eye treatments, others have extensive experience in specialty contact lens fitting, as well as the treatment of ocular diseases, including glaucoma. Overall, there is much to learn from the specialized knowledge and different educational experiences of each of the doctors at Partners Pacific Optometry.

If you are interested in applying to this position at Partners Pacific, please send your resume and availability to Dr. Le at [email protected].

As always, PLEASE let us know if you get the position so we can thank Dr. Le and the team at Partners Pacific Optometry!

Office Information:
Dr. Nhat Le-Huynh
Dr. Alison E. Noritake
Dr. Kathy Truong
Dr. Seiju E. Terrada
Partners Pacific Optometry
[email protected]
(714) 965-5130
10130 Warner Ave
Ste J
Fountain Valley, CA
92708
https://www.partnerspacific.com/

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair '24-'25

Job Opportunity: Advanced Eye Care Optometric Center - Irvine

7/26/2024

Hello Members,

I hope everyone has had the time to rest up this summer. Dr. Matthew Wang from Advanced Eye Care Optometric Center has informed us of an opening for a clinic tech position at their office in Irvine.

The clinic is looking for someone who is outgoing and friendly, as well as able to keep up with a fast paced work schedule and comfortable working with all kinds of different people. Someone who speaks Mandarin and is available on Wednesdays and Fridays is an ideal candidate, and would be greatly appreciated. This position would be a good opportunity for students interested in gaining more experience in the private practice setting of optometry, and those interested in vision therapy. All of the doctors at Advanced Eye Care graduated from SCCO. Dr. Matt Wang is experienced in the fields of orthokeratology, myopia control, diabetic eyecare, and glaucoma. Dr. Steve Wang and Dr. Connie Woo both graduated Magna Cum Laude from SCCO. Dr. Woo went on to complete a residency in primary care and brain injury vision rehabilitation, and is now pursuing a fellowship. Dr. Peterson has been involved in research on contact lenses and created sunglass contact lenses for water sports as well as participated in the creation of Hobie polarized sunglasses. Learn more about the doctors at https://www.advancedeyecareoc.com/.

Below is a job description given by Dr. Matt Wang, with testimonials from previous employees:
“ We are looking for an outgoing and friendly personality to join our team. This is a fast paced position, highly suitable for someone who enjoys being around people. For someone looking to make a career with our company, we also offer a detailed career advancement and development ladder within the practice. No previous experience is needed. Basic skills that will be required include:

Ability to work well with children
Strong computer skills
Ability to be on your feet in a fast paced environment
Detail oriented
Self starting with a good work ethic

Here is what some past staff members have said about working with us:
"I came to AEOC with no idea what it’s like working in the optometric field and when looking back, I would not have wanted it any other way. I was warmly welcomed and felt like I was in the perfect place to learn more about optometry being surrounded by such a friendly staff and knowledgeable, kind doctors. I learned much more about orthokeratology as well and became fascinated by it and it’s impact on so many of our patients. I’ll definitely never forget my experiences being a part of the team at AEOC and will miss it."
-O.A., SUNY College of Optometry class of 2026
“My amazing and memorable experiences at AEOC served as one of the biggest factors in my decision to pursue optometry as my future career. The passion, drive, and care that Dr. Matt, Dr. Peterson, Dr. Steve, and all of my fellow staff members exemplified were very inspirational to me. I learned countless invaluable skills that will stick with me as I embark on my journey into becoming an optometrist.”
-J.Y. SCCO Class of 2026
"I’ve loved every second of working here at AEOC. My coworkers have become like my second family, and I’ve learned and grown so much over the past 2.5 years. Dr. Matt actually inspired me to pursue optometry because of his insane knowledge and passion for corneal reshaping, and working with Dr. Petersen never failed to put a smile on my face."
-M.M, SCCO Class of 2026
"I really enjoyed working with both Drs Wang. I learned so much from their knowledge and huge passion toward optometry. I also felt lucky to be a part of AEOC team, where we always supported each other to achieve the goal of providing the best eye care service for patients."
-T.L, SCCO Class of 2025”

If you are interested in working at Advanced Eye Care, please email your resume and availability to Dr. Matthew Wang at [email protected].

As always, PLEASE let us know if you get the position so we can thank Dr. Wang and the team at Advanced Eye Care!

Office Information:
Dr. Matthew S. Wang
Dr. Steven H. Wang
Dr. William Peterson
Dr. Connie Woo
Advanced Eye Care Optometric Center
[email protected]
(949) 733-3390
22 Odyssey, Ste 150
Irvine, CA 92618
https://www.advancedeyecareoc.com/

Best,
Dorothy DuFault
U See Eyes Outreach Chair '24-'25

Job Opportunity: District Eye Care - Tustin

6/28/2024

Hello Members,
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break. A UCI alumni, Emily Ngyuyen, has reached out to our club with a wonderful job opportunity for a position as an optician at District Eye Care in Tustin.

Emily has been working there as an optician, and is now moving on to optometry school, leaving her position open for students who wish to apply. She shared that the office staff are friendly, and she was able to learn a lot from the job and the doctor. She added that the doctor would often show her any abnormal findings in patients' retinal images, and they are open to writing a letter of recommendation for optometry school for student employees. This is a good opportunity to gain experience with pre-testing, and as Emily mentioned, to become more comfortable working with patients, dealing with insurance, and learning more about different types of glasses and contact lenses, amongst other things.

If you are interested in working at District Eyecare, please email your resume and application to [email protected] and specify that you are a pre-optometry student. Dr. Megan Lieu, the head doctor, or the office manager will likely be the ones to contact you if they want an interview.

If you have any additional questions about the workplace environment or job responsibilities and requirements, feel free to reach out to Emily Ngyuyen at [email protected].

As always, PLEASE let us know if you get the position so we can thank the doctor and show Emily our appreciation!

Office Information:
Dr. Megan Lieu
District Eye Care
[email protected]
(714) 258-7525
2831 Park Ave, Tustin, CA 92782
https://thedistricteyecare.com

Best,
Dorothy DuFault (U See Eyes Outreach Chair '24-'25)

Summer Volunteer/Shadowing/Job Credits Opportunities -

6/6/2024

Hello Members!

I hope you are having a wonderful week 10! I hope you all feel prepared for finals! Here are some volunteering/shadowing/job opportunities for summer.

VOLUNTEERING:
UCI Eye Mobile for Children - Orange County

Jennifer Espinoza, Eye Mobile Coordinator, is looking for pre-optometry students to volunteer with the eye mobile to give free vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to underserved children across Orange County.
I volunteered for 2 great quarters and definitely recommend volunteering, too! You can choose to volunteer on the eye mobile that goes to schools around Orange County, at their office at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, or both. You decide how many hours you would like to volunteer (at least once a week) and 10 hours a week is recommended to ask for a letter of recommendation. You can ask to start volunteering in Summer or Fall.

Jennifer will ask for your schedule later on and she is very flexible and understanding. Jennifer and Diana are wonderful to work with and helping the kids is so rewarding. You will be able to experience helping kids through optometry which is a unique opportunity to learn if you would like to be a pediatric optometrist and show optometry schools your dedication to becoming a well-rounded applicant.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email your
- unofficial transcript (at least 2.5 GPA)
- negative TB shot results
to Jennifer Espinoza at [email protected]

Volunteering Information:
UC Irvine Eye Mobile for Children
Jennifer Espinoza (Eye Mobile Coordinator)
850 Health Sciences Road
Irvine, CA 92697
(949)824-2020
https://ophthalmology.uci.edu/community/eye-mobile

SHADOWING (kind of):
Southern California School of Optometry presents the Specialty Spotlight Series! They provide a series of hour-long videos exploring 7 specialties: Cornea Contact Lens, Comanaging with Ophthalmology, Primary Care and Ocular Disease, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Pediatrics, and Vision Therapy.

Maeve, a student at SCCO, hosts the series where she presents what the specialty is, lets an SCCO faculty member in the specialty present about their career, and then holds an information interview with the faculty to answer all of our questions. The videos are a really helpful introduction to the specialties and are like shadowing 7 different specialties from home but still being able to hear about the optometrists' journeys, a day in their lives, how they feel about their specialty, and advice for students. This might count as shadowing, but either way, this is a very helpful resource for learning what you would like to do in optometry, making you knowledgeable of the field as a whole, and is something SCCO would love to see in your application/interview.

If you are interested in watching the videos, the link is https://www.ketchum.edu/optometry/sccovideo and the Spotlight Series is in the Live Event Recordings.

CREDITS FOR WORKING:
If you have a job, you can earn 2-4 units per quarter! This is a great way to complete units or reach full-time status without having to enroll in more classes. Students from all majors can receive credit for internship sites (including the optometry office you work at). There are only a few self-reflection assignments about your experience. This opportunity is from Nick Tang!

In order to qualify an internship to count toward Uni Studies 193, it should meet the following criteria:
1. You must secure the internship first and complete other steps before you can enroll in the course.
2. The internship must qualify and be registered on UCI Handshake (https://career.uci.edu/handshake/).
3. If it is not registered on UCI Handshake, then please have the employer complete the Internship Description Template (When you reach out, they will send they form)

If you are interested, please email [email protected] to determine if your job qualifies for Uni Stu 193 Internship (2-4 Units). If you have any other questions, please text Nick at (909)647-6999.

GOOD LUCK ON FINALS! I am so proud of everyone for getting out of their comfort zones and applying for these opportunities! It makes me so happy every time I hear you get a position! You all deserve success and are worthy of amazing job/volunteering/shadowing experiences. Please keep taking advantage of these opportunities because you are exactly what these offices/organizations want. Thank you for a wonderful year as Outreach Chair! :)

Best,
Emma Le (U See Eyes Outreach Chair '23-'24)

Job/Research Opportunity: Dr. Kern's Diabetic Retinopathy Lab - UCI Ophthalmology

5/22/2024

Good afternoon Members!

I hope you are getting excited for summer! We have an exciting opportunity for a research job at Dr. Kern's Diabetic Retinopathy Research Lab with UCI Ophthalmology. They are looking for U See Eyes members to fill a part-time/paid student worker position ($16/hour) starting in the summer.

The lab investigates diabetic retinopathy which is how long-term diabetes can lead to abnormal blood vessel growth and damage in the eye. They focus on the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy/complications and novel approaches to inhibit diabetes-related vision complications. The position involves supporting the research team, assisting long-term mice work in Bio Sci III, daily monitoring the overall health of mice, taking weekly body weight measurements, and injecting insulin under supervision. (Students may need to be available over holidays and vacations to take care of animals as needed.)

This is a very interesting vision-related extracurricular that could make you stand out! Some optometry schools, like Berkeley and RMU that have visited our club, value research experience. Being students at UCI, we are given the unique ability to participate in research while students at other schools are not. Working in a research lab is a great experience that you should take advantage of.

If you are interested, please apply through their job post on Handshake at https://uci.joinhandshake.com/stu/jobs/8970936. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 31st.

As always, PLEASE let me know if you get the position so I can thank Arya Weinstock (HR Analyst) for sharing with us!

Job/Research Information:
Doctor Timothy Kern OMD
Diabetic Retinopathy Research Lab
UCI Department of Ophthalmology
UCI Center for Translational Vision Research
Biological Sciences III

Best,
Emma Le (U See Eyes Outreach Chair '23-'24)

Volunteering Opportunity: Flying Samaritans - Mexico

5/15/2024

Good Afternoon Members!

I hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday! We have an exciting volunteering opportunity with Flying Samaritans 5 minutes across the border in Mexico! They are looking for pre-optometry students to shadow and help patients at the Tecate Eye Clinic on Saturday, May 18th.

The only requirements are to bring a passport, water, and lunch (dinner provided). The responsibilities are shadowing, helping patients pick frames, using the autorefractor, and taking pupillary distance and seg height (training included). Shadowing opportunities for the ophthalmology section of the clinic may arise as well. More information is on the attached flyer.

This is a very exciting opportunity to help people in a different country! Tecate Eye Clinic provides free optometry services and you can make a difference by helping out. Flying Samaritans is a non-profit that provides a variety of free healthcare in Mexico. This event would be a great talking point in your application/interview. It will make your reviewers remember you for your passion and dedication to serving through optometry. You do not have to be a part of Flying Samaritans to participate. This opportunity comes from Christine who is a SCCO optometry student who visited us at SCCO NOSA!

If you are interested, please text Christine at (925)389-3115.

As always, PLEASE let me know if you get the position so I can thank Christine.

Volunteering Information:
Flying Samaritans
Tecate Eye Clinic
https://www.flyingsamaritans.net/web/Sams/Default.asp

Best,
Emma Le (U See Eyes Outreach Chair '23-'24)

Categories

Authors

Emma Monica Le
Outreach Chair 23'-24'

Dorothy DuFault
Outreach Chair 24'-25'

Please email the current Outreach Chair at [email protected] if you have any questions or if you would like to share any job/volunteering opportunities. We would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!