Optometric Scholar of the Month - Alice Kim

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Please provide a brief summary of your background.

I was raised, along with my little brother, in Georgia, then Alabama, by our single mom. Despite moving a lot during my early years, my mom provided every opportunity to advance my education. Tennis, painting, dance, soccer, you name it—no expense was spared. I found my passion in classical studies; solo music performance helped me express myself and my competitive side. I fell in love with playing flute and enjoyed being a part of pit orchestras for local theater troupes and churches.

Describe your current situation.

I just completed my first rotation in the primary care clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry (UABSO), where I am a rising third year and serve as class president. I am also a tutor for didactic and clinical skills.

What sparked your interest in optometry?

I can distinctly recall my annual visits to the optometrist since I was 7 years old. I will never forget my instant curiosity with the contraptions used to assess my vision. As a high myope, I have always been enraptured (and intimidated!) by the complex structure of the eye and how it operates to send messages to the brain. My grandpa has age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, and my mother has early signs of glaucoma and low vision problems; all of these experiences with ocular diseases piqued my interest in optometry.

In my senior year of high school, I was recommended a program that allowed me to apply to optometry school and receive a conditional early acceptance. Attending college in the underdeveloped urban hub of Birmingham, surrounded by the deeply rural Black Belt region, provided vast opportunities for exposure to vision care in underserved populations and helped me discover my passion for patient care informed by current research.

What causes or specialties are you passionate about?

I have always had a passion for community eye care, leading me to concurrently pursue my MPH with a concentration in population health. Volunteering with FocusFirst, an organization that provides free vision screenings to children through their primary school, showed me how nongovernmental organizations are targeting early intervention strategies to prevent serious visual conditions that will ultimately impact social and academic development. Fitting underserved populations for reading glasses at the Project Homeless Connect convention further illustrated the stark disparity in health care opportunities for many people in Birmingham. My goal as an optometrist is to help those with vision problems, especially those who demonstrate financial need due to systemic shortcomings, social determinants of health, and other extenuating circumstances.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your training so far?

Being an active member of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity International gives me the chance to serve at community vision screenings. I chose UABSO so I would have the opportunity to be part of a robust and well-established community health program. I went to Knoxville, Tennessee, last winter in collaboration with Remote Area Medical, an organization that offers free medical, dental, and legal care to needy populations. We provided hundreds of refractions and same-day prescription frames. I felt a sense of accomplishment to be able to translate my didactic training to a clinical setting in a meaningful way.

What have you found most challenging in your optometric journey?

Because of the rigorous nature of the optometric curriculum and other student obligations, it can be easy to experience burnout. Subsequently, a culture of apathy can quickly spread and be difficult to defy. I wear many hats, but above all, I encourage others to foster personal leadership and involvement, as this has been the best way for me to feel fulfilled.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? Fifteen years from now?

I hope to have completed residency training 5 years from now. Ideally, I’d like to gain experience with specialty contact lenses and become well-versed in myopia control. I would also like to spend a few years in an integrated private practice and help fulfill the need for quality vision care in a mid-sized community.

With the advent of new technologies, the field of optometry is quickly adapting to medical eye care. I anticipate AI will influence the trajectory of remote access to eye care and become a multifaceted tool for optometry in the next decade. I think this will grow my skillset in a way that is unclear right now, but as a profession, I hope we are judicious in adopting these technologies and tackling subsequent ethical situations.