Catherine Huynh had a clear vision for her early career. As soon as she graduated, she wanted to help deliver eye care to communities in regional Australia. Doing so would also help in her professional and personal development.
In 2021, I was lucky enough to secure a new graduate position at OPSM Erina, which is on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The store consisted of four optometrists and many skilled optical dispensers, who I learnt a great deal from for two years. I was fortunate enough to see a wide range of patients from the age of three months to 101 years and dealt with many conditions, including intermediate uveitis, retinal detachments, and papilloedema. I even tested the local ophthalmologist’s eyes – at one point, he looked at his own ultrawide retinal images and said his optic discs look great!
I am passionate about connecting with my fellow peers and I therefore decided to apply to be a part of ECONA (Early Career Optometrists NSW/ACT) as part of the Rural and Regional Subcommittee. ECONA aims to engage with the growing number of early career optometrists who are Optometry Australia members. It acts as the two-way conduit between Optometry NSW/ACT and early career members, to better understand the issues they face and help amplify the resources available for them. Through ECONA, I connected with like-minded regional optometrists, and we developed resources, such as the Rural and Regional Referral List for NSW and ACT, and easily accessible interactive CPD cases.
Your career journey will likely span a few decades. Why not make the most of it?
A Chance to Travel
In 2023, I was presented with the opportunity to join OPSM’s National Relief Team, which meant travelling around Australia to provide services to regions that didn’t have permanent access to eye care. I’m convinced this is still one of the best things I’ve done for my career. I spent half a year in Western Australia, where I got to mentor new graduates from Queensland and New Zealand. I had countless memorable patient encounters – one of which was when I convinced a patient with a shallow retinal detachment to see an ophthalmologist. She ended up mailing a ‘thank you’ card to the store afterwards!
During this time in Western Australia, I also got to see quokkas on Rottnest Island, explore the Swan Valley vineyards, and search for the Giants of Mandurah. The other months of 2023 were spent across Tamworth, Armidale, Newcastle, and Batemans Bay – all locations where I saw a lot, learnt a lot, ate a lot, and explored a lot, too. There is plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy when you go beyond metropolitan cities.
The Next Step
When my one year of travelling and working around Australia was almost up, I was faced with the big question of ‘what next?’. Luckily for me, OPSM was ready for my next career stage, and as of early 2024, I’ve been the Area Eyecare Manager for the Northern Beaches, Central Coast, and Newcastle regions in NSW.
My role involves being an in-store coach, providing optometrists with one-on-one professional and clinical support, and mentorship where required, for instance, with new graduates. The purpose of my role is to guide our optometrists to continually deliver the best possible clinical examination, customer experience, and customer solutions. It’s a professional role that I find incredibly rewarding. Recently, I had the opportunity to organise an exclusive OPSM event in collaboration with our local ophthalmologists on the Central Coast. This event brought together 11 of our regional optometrists for an evening of professional development, networking, and collaboration. Through events like these, we continue to strengthen our regional network and promote shared learning and growth within the eye health community.
My role in ECONA also evolved once I moved back to Sydney; I am now the external communications lead and was managing ECONA’s Instagram page (@optometrynswact) until August 2024.
I am a firm believer in making the most of opportunities that come your way; in being curious and finding new career paths by reaching out for opportunities. Your career journey will likely span a few decades.
Why not make the most of it?
Catherine Huynh completed her Bachelor of Science (Vision Science) and Master of Clinical Optometry at the University of New South Wales in 2020. She is an Area Eyecare Manager at OPSM (EssilorLuxottica).
