Up Close With Roxanne Achong-Coan, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS

When did you know you wanted to become an optometrist? What influenced you to choose this career path?

A number of experiences influenced me. I have been nearsighted since I was 7 years old. I remember the first day I got contact lenses, I thought they were the best invention.

In my second year of college, I was diagnosed with inflammatory orbital pseudotumor and was managed by eye care professionals for almost a year. This piqued my interest in the profession. After I recovered, I volunteered at the hospital in the ophthalmology department, where I was allowed to observe eye exams and surgeries. I also worked as a receptionist at an optometric practice for a couple of summers.

What made you want to specialize in contact lenses and ocular disease?

When I attended the New England College of Optometry, I was accepted into the Clinical Scholars Program, where I gained extra clinical experience. This gave me an opportunity to train at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute during my fourth year of clinical rotations, increasing my knowledge in ocular disease. I then completed a residency in cornea and contact lenses at the Pacific University College of Optometry.

I wanted to learn more about contact lenses because there had been limited opportunities available during my clinical rotations. At that time, I discovered how life-changing it could be when we treated these patients, and I saw the need to learn more, especially because some patients would travel several hours just to have someone fit them with specialty contact lenses.

What advice do you have for other optometrists looking to open their own practices? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Opening your own practice is demanding but rewarding. The biggest challenge we faced was hiring the right team and then training them to work in the environment we envisioned. We have learned that it is more important to hire based on personality and attitude than skill. We can always teach someone a skill, but their personality and attitude are less likely to change.

Selecting the frame lines that will sell in your area is also a daunting task. I highly recommend investing in a lab and having an edger to cut the lenses into the frame so that lab costs can be greatly decreased. This provides a fast turnaround time and decreases the number of orders that are outsourced. Also, work with a consultant or buying group, or find a mentor who is willing to work with you and help you. We worked with a consultant and with Vision Source a few years after opening. Looking back, I should have done it sooner, before opening the practice, so that we would have been able to meet our goals earlier.

How did you meet your husband? What are the pros and cons of working in the same practice?

I met my husband, Mark Coan, OD, at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, where we both received training in ocular disease. We loved the Orlando area with all of its attractions, and we visited it frequently while living in Miami. We saw that there was room for growth where our current practice is located and, after 20 years, we have seen the area explode.

Fortunately, there are more pros than cons. The pros are that we are able to share the workload for managing the practice, we can discuss patient cases with each other, and we can get immediate second opinions from each other. The con was that it was difficult to take vacation at the same time, so we were very relieved when we were able to add a third associate.

You are a Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control and of the Scleral Lens Society. Why did you pursue these fellowships?

My family members and I are all high myopes, and I knew that my children would become myopic. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the treatments available for myopia for my children and all of the children growing up in my practice. I pursued these fellowships because I want to continue to learn, grow, and challenge myself. Knowledge is power, and I want to provide the best care for my patients. Through these fellowships I have also established a camaraderie with other doctors who are also passionate about similar topics, so we are able to help each other with specific cases.

What are your hobbies, and how have you been able to maintain them during the COVID-19 pandemic?

I enjoy personal fitness training, which includes high-intensity training at home and with a personal trainer. I have recently been interested in water sports, specifically jet skis. I like to tow my sons for wake-boarding and extreme tubing.