OPTICAL PRISM | NEXT GEN
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Seeing What ’ s Important with Dr . Jocelyn Leung
BY DAVID GOLDBERG
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to get introspective and pay more attention to the important things in life .
Dr . Jocelyn Leung is no different . She ’ s only 26-years-old , but this optometrist from the Greater Toronto Area says she works to live , not the other way around .
“ Optometry allows me to control my own schedule , giving me the flexibility and control of how far I want to push myself ,” explains
Leung . “ There are so many branches within optometry that I can choose to venture into that can lead to very different lifestyles .”
Leung was raised by two pharmacists who would ’ ve loved to see their daughter follow in their footsteps but by her teens , she had already developed a keen interest in the world of eye care . Her passion was ignited in high school while working part-time at an optometry office . She learned that eye health holds the key to so many parts of the human body and that helping people find the right prescription is just scratching the surface .
“ Sight is one of the most important senses in our body . We use our eyes everyday and we only get two of them ! It ’ s tough to explain , but something about the eyes was so fascinating to me because of the close connection with the brain .”
It ’ s not just the science that captivates Leung , the young doctor is always keeping tabs on the latest eyewear trends .
“ I also love fashion and trends on the runway , so it ’ s nice to practice in a dispensing clinic because I get a chance to style my patients and provide my input on what I think will make them look fabulous on the city streets !”
Leung is poised to help many patients in what ’ s sure to be a long and fulfilling career ahead , but already she finds joy , particularly in helping patients suffering from dry eye disease .
“ The ‘ traditional ’ way of treating dry eyes is to just dose the patient with artificial tears as often as possible . Many of my patients felt brushed-off by their healthcare professionals because that was all we knew back then . Now we have a better understanding of how and why dry eye occurs so we ’ re able to diagnose and treat it better .”
“... something about the eyes was so fascinating to me because of the close connection with the brain .”
The idea of finding a rewarding career is at the top of most people ’ s wish lists and while that goal might seem impossible to reach , Leung offers this advice :
“ Find out what ’ s important to you , what motivates you , and what makes you happy in life . Tailor your goals to achieve these things and never take your eye off the finish line . Live life with no regrets and take every positive and negative experience as a learning opportunity to grow as an optometrist and a person .” OP
28 OPTICAL PRISM | January 2021