EP 158: “Life as an Optometrist”

What do you really know about being an optometrist? What areas of specialization exist within the field? What rewards and challenges are there? How might an aspiring optometrist boost their career trajectory?

These are but a few questions you’ll soon get answers to on this episode of LIFE AS A..

Guest Intro

Dr. Deborah Wang is the Director of Career Development at SUNY College of Optometry.

Dr. Wang grew up in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon, where she majored in Human Physiology.

As a member of the Robert D. Clark Honors College, she defended her thesis on Distracted Visual Attention During Walking with distinction.

Her career began at an ophthalmology practice in Brooklyn, NY, as the first hired doctor, playing a key role in its growth before transitioning to her current role in academia.

A Respected Voice

An active leader in the profession, Dr. Wang is a past president of the Optometric Society of the City of New York (OSCONY). She is also deeply involved in the New York State Optometric Association (NYSOA), serving as co-chair of the Young Advocates Committee (NYC/LI region), chair of the Continuing Education CE Pass Sub-Committee, and a member of both the Brand, Communications & Outreach Committee and the Annual Innovation Vision Conference.

In 2025, she was honored as NYSOA’s Young Optometrist of the Year.

Personal Interests

Outside of work, Dr. Wang enjoys reading, volunteering with Korean K9 Rescue, and exploring New York City’s diverse food scene, earning Yelp Elite status for the past nine years.

Reasons to Listen

This will be a talk worth listening to for:

• those interested in finding out more about what it really means to be a practising optometrist
• those interested in learning more about the challenges and rewards of the work
• those who are looking for direct advice towards pursuing this particular career

Listeners will come away with insights on:

• a look at what being an optometrist means to Dr. Wang
• insights on the fields of specialization within optometry
• a look at all of the other ways Dr. Wang involves herself in the field of optometry
• a typical day in the life of a working optometrist
• a look at Dr. Wang’s current role as Director of Career Development at SUNY 
• insights on her pathway into medicine and optometry
• how her specialty language skills have helped Dr. Wang advance her career
• how all of her additional committee work has benefited her career trajectory
• the value in adopting a growth mindset
• the role of modern tech within the field of optometry
• advice to those interested in pursuing a career within the field of optometry  
• much more!

A Memorable Quote from the Episode:

“During my first four years of optometry school, I would go to a lot of social events for young ODs (doctors of optometry) of this New York group, which was open to mostly doctors, but they would also open it to students as well. I was usually the only student that would attend. However because of that, I got connected to a lot of the doctor leaders in the area. So because I was so involved, I actually got my first job, the one in the ophthalmology practice because of one of these events.”

–Dr. Deborah Wang

Direct Career Advice:

Discover More

For those interested in learning more about Dr. Wang and her work, you can find and follow her on the following platforms:

• LinkedIn

Keep Listening!

I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!

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