Alumni Spotlight: Long Ngo

Optometrist in Orange County

Major & Concentration:

B.S. in Biological Sciences: Cell and Developmental Biology, 2014

Doctorate in Optometry from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, 2018

What are you doing now?

I’m practicing optometry in Orange County. 

What were you involved with at Cal State Fullerton?

I was involved with SUCCESS, which was a club that focused on exposing STEM students to different careers and research opportunities, a research lab studying marine ecology, and I was also an SI leader for the Evolution and Biodiversity courses. 

How did you choose your career and what role did CSU Fullerton play in finding your career? 

I knew that I wanted to study biology going into college. I didn’t feel like research or lab work was for me, so I looked into different health care professions. After considering several different professions, I felt that optometry would be a good fit. Moreover, once I spoke to different optometrists and optometry students, I was even more sure. I was able to complete the prerequisite classes that were necessary for my optometry program while at CSUF.  Also, I was able to discover different study techniques that worked for me throughout college. SI and the opportunity center allowed me to learn new study methods for my classes. Being an SI leader was also invaluable to my current career as an optometrist. As an SI leader, I was responsible for making scientific terms and concepts more digestible for incoming biology students. It really taught me how to explain technical terms, diagnoses, treatments, and optometric jargon in a way that wasn’t dumbed down, but still clear to patients.

What are the pros and cons of your career?

Pros:

There are different specialties in optometry, such as disease, vision therapy, and low vision, that you can pursue.

You can work in a private office, a retail setting (e.g., Costco, Target, LensCrafters), or in a hospital setting.

You can open up your own practice, which allows you to explore business ownership.  

Many offices look for part-time associates, which may be better for your schedule. 

You could explore teaching and become a professor at one of the optometry schools in the US or precept/mentor optometry students or residents in an office. 

Cons:

It is incredibly difficult to find a job in optometry in Orange County.  

Several optometrists work part time at multiple offices and do not receive benefits. 

Optometrists in this area do not make as much income as our counterparts in other, less saturated areas.  

What was your work/life balance like at Cal State Fullerton and what is it like now?

While I was a student at CSUF, my school and my life were deeply intertwined.  Thankfully, I made the best of friends during my time at CSUF who also made great study buddies. A lot of them were also fellow SI leaders. So, I got to study while simultaneously hanging out with my friends.  But there was a lot of studying. I started optometry school immediately after graduating CSUF, and for those four years there was no balance. As expected with any doctorate program, I didn’t have much of a life outside of school. Even during orientation, the dean highly recommended that none of us work, get married, or have kids for the duration of the program. However, after I graduated, work and life were much more balanced.  For better or for worse, like I mentioned earlier, a lot of optometry jobs are part-time.  So, you can choose to work part time and pick up shifts at different offices if you need extra cash, or you can choose to work full time. So it’s nice to be able to choose what suits your life. 

What advice would you give current CSUF Biology students?

Make the most of it!  Although it was a lot of hard work, I had a great time at CSUF. I had great professors, advisors, and classmates/friends.  Get to know different programs, and don’t think you’re married to the field that you think you want to pursue. It’s not unusual to go through multiple changes and decide to pursue something different. Some people are adamant that they want to go to med school, but after shadowing or volunteering, might figure out that it doesn’t suit them. And there is absolutely no shame in that!  Some people might feel like they’ve committed so much time into their chosen field, and feel like they’re in too deep.  Don’t let yourself feel that way. If it takes an extra year or two to reroute your path, take the extra year or two. What’s a couple of years in a lifetime?  Invest in a future, not just a career and make sure you can reconcile that your choices are what you truly feel is right for you. Additionally, ask for help when you need it!  There are a lot of different resources on campus to help you do well. Don’t wait until the week before finals to do it either. The curriculum is not easy, but the school and your professors want you to do well.  So don’t be too proud to look for help.