Young Optometrists

08/12/2025

ABOUT YO

✨ What Is Young Optometrists?

Young Optometrists (YO) is a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to supporting optometrists in their first decade of practice. We’re here to uplift young professionals as they navigate the early stages of their careers, build confidence, and find their place in the profession.

Founded in 2011 by a passionate group of newly graduated optometrists—Rebecca Li, Rajeev Naidu, Jack Phu, Chris Pooley, Carina Trinh and Megan Tu—YO was created by optometrists, for optometrists.

✨ Our Purpose Has Evolved Over Time

Today, our mission is to:

Support the changing needs of young optometrists throughout every stage of their career journey.

Empower individuals to explore their passions, set meaningful goals, and build fulfilling careers.

Connect young optometrists through a strong, inclusive community that fosters peer support.

Inspire & Advocate for the next generation of leaders who will elevate patient care and shape the future of optometry.

🤝 What We Do

YO hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, including CPD, networking and social events.

Our members also enjoy exclusive benefits such as:
- Access to advertised optometry roles
- Accounting advice
- Support from brokers for home loans and business loans

Have an idea for a topic or event you’d love to see? We’d love to hear from you!

🎓 Membership

All events are free for our full and student members.

Not a member yet? Join today: https://www.yoptoms.com/Membership

Already a member and interested in joining the YO committee?
We’re always looking for passionate, motivated individuals who want to connect with like-minded peers, contribute to the profession, and help shape the future of optometry. Reach out—we’d love to have you on the team!

06/12/2025

*FINAL DAYS TO REGISTER*

Celebrate the end of 2025 with us at the YO Christmas Party! 🎄✨
Join us for a fun-filled night with food, drinks, games, and exciting prizes up for grabs.

📍 Location: SILY, 338 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000
📅 Date: Thursday, 11th December 2025
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

This event is FREE for Full Members and Student Members.
Non-members: $50

📆 Register by Monday 8th December, 11:59 PM — spots are limited, so don’t miss out!

20/11/2025

Last month, and hosted our first overseas CPD event in one very special location — the optometry classroom of a Nepalese eye hospital.

Speakers Shaun and Louise covered real cases and clinical pearls from the mountains, seen during the 2025 E4E Annapurna outreach trip.

A big thank you to our volunteers for bringing their curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm, and to our sponsor

18/11/2025

Over the weekend we ran our annual Young Optometrists Therapeutic Study Session at the UNSW Optometry Clinic, where volunteer optometrists worked through real therapeutic cases with fifth-year students preparing for their exams.

The energy throughout the day was fantastic, and it was great to see how prepared and switched-on the students are. Good luck for your oral therapeutics!

A heartfelt thanks to the six volunteer optometrists who gave up part of their Saturday to share their knowledge and support the next generation.

And a big thank-you to Coopervision for sponsoring the day, and to the UNSW Optometry Clinic for the space.

18/11/2025

Should optometrists be able to prescribe oral medications?

The Optometry Board wants your feedback on oral prescribing.
Have your say — or forever hold your peace: bit.ly/47ZSJs2

05/11/2025

🎄 YO 2025 Christmas Party Incoming! 🎄

We would like to thank all our YO members for another amazing 2025. Join us as we celebrate the end of this incredible year with good food, fun, and festive cheer!

🎉 What’s on:
🍴 Canapés dinner
🎲 Games & prizes to be won!

📍 Location: SILY, 338 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000
📅 Date: Thursday 11th December 2025
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

This event is FREE for Full Members & Student Members. $50 for Non-Members.

📆 Register by Thursday 4th December, 11:59 PM — spots are limited, so get in quick!

Register here: https://www.yoptoms.com/event-6415977

A huge thank you to CooperVision for their unwavering support of Young Optometrists and for helping make these events possible!

#2025

04/11/2025

Introducing YOur YO Exec Team

The executive committee for 2025-2026 are as follows:
Chair - Sheila Lam
Secretaries - Thalia Lim & Sukanya Iyer
Treasurer - Benjamin Kwan
Publications/Social Media Officer - Ann Tran
Education Officers - Yuting Jin
ACT Liaison Officer - Michelle Noronha
Advocacy Officers - Blake McCarren

We would like to thank Celine Zhang for her fantastic work as Secretary, Lili Chen as Advocacy and Yeghia as Co-Chair for the past year. They will be continuing on as part of the YO subcommittee team.

Our team looks forward to an exciting year ahead and we will be working hard to continue to grow and expand to provide more for our members.

Meet the team: https://www.yoptoms.com/Meet-the-Team/

- Young Optometrists

04/11/2025

*JOB OPPORTUNITY ALERT*

Rare opportunity for a new or recent graduate optometrist position at Lumiere Eyecare. Our practice is a full scope independent clinic located in Wentworth Point, NSW 2127.

For more information, please contact Wilson Luu and Megan Tu at careers@lumiereeyecare.com.au

For more information and new opportunities please visit https://www.yoptoms.com/YOClassifieds/

28/10/2025

We would like to give a huge thank you to Sukanya Iyer and Mandy Huynh for presenting at our ‘Paediatric Pearls: Eye Testing & Visual Perception Essentials‘ webinar tonight.

Sukanya graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2019 with a Bachelor of Vision Science and a Master of Clinical Optometry. She began her career in 2020 in Sydney’s Hills District, gaining valuable experience in a busy metropolitan setting before relocating to Canberra in 2022. After serving as Managing Optometrist for a busy corporate practice, Suki transitioned to a dual role, working alongside a local ophthalmologist at Clarity Eye Surgeons and providing full scope independent eye care at Evolve Optometry in Gungahlin.

Mandy Huynh (they/them) graduated from the UNSW with a Bachelor of Vision Science and a Master of Clinical Optometry in 2019. They began their career focusing on myopia management and orthokeratology, where they developed a growing passion for paediatric care and the long-term impact they could make in children’s lives. Mandy later expanded their expertise in behavioural/developmental optometry, deepening their interest in understanding how vision affects learning, development, and quality of life. Today, Mandy is a proud practice owner at Eye Definition Optometrists in Wolli Creek, where they work alongside Sheila Lam to bring high quality care in their respective optometric passions.

We hope this talk has been informative for all attendees and that it will strengthen your confidence with assessment, diagnosis and management of eye conditions, particularly accommodative and binocular disorders, in paediatric patients.

Our webinar and events are FREE for all YO members. If you are not a member and would like to join, you can sign up https://www.yoptoms.com/Membership

Our next event is the YO XMAS Party in December - we look forward to seeing you all then!

27/10/2025

15/10/2025

ASHM - Spotlight on Ocular Syphilis
Online Webinar 6-7pm Thursday 30th October
Registration: https://ashm.org.au/education/spotlight-on-ocular-syphilis/

This 1-hour webinar in collaboration with Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) will guide clinicians through recognising when to consider ocular syphilis in the differential diagnosis, highlight the common clinical features to look out for, and build confidence in interpreting syphilis serology results.

12/10/2025

Thank you to Dr Neera Jain to presenting the 'Diagnosis to Delivery' talk to our ACT YOs last week, which focused on collaborative glaucoma management. Thank you to our members who attended.