USC Roski Eye Institute’s “Eye Care for All” Program Triples Attendance, Inspires Undergrads

The USC Roski Eye Institute recently organized a daylong summer program to introduce USC undergraduates to careers in eye care and the importance of diversity in healthcare. They aimed to motivate students from various backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine and overcome potential challenges they may face in their chosen fields. The event, “Eye Care for All,” continues to draw participation from students across USC, nearly tripling attendance since last year.

Now in its third year, “Eye Care for All” was founded by two Roski optometrists, Lernik Torossian, OD, and Kent Nguyen, OD; both Assistant Professors of Clinical Ophthalmology.

“When I got the email about Eye Care for All, I knew I had to sign up,” said Ashley Melendres, from the Class of 2025, who is double majoring in Neuroscience and Classical Guitar Performance. “I shadowed an ophthalmologist through the Dornsife Mentoring Program in spring and it’s leading me on a path to a career in medicine.”

Throughout the program, students attended lectures on ophthalmology, optometry, and vision science research presented by Roski faculty. Faculty shared insights into various fields, including translational research, bioelectric medicine, retina, viral infection interventions, glaucoma, and cataract surgery. The program also expanded to include discussions on career paths, work-life balance, and diversity and inclusion.

“I feel like today I learned a lot about different research on the eyes in general,” said Tracy Wang, a Human Development and Aging major from the Class of 2027. “I feel like I also learned a lot of life advice on the careers in medicine and what kind of information I should get as an undergrad in the future as well.”

A highlight of the program involved one-on-one interactions between the undergraduates and current Keck School of Medicine students, enabling discussions about training and career trajectories. Under the supervision of Dr. Nguyen, medical students also led attendees in a hands-on cow eye dissection. The unique experience provided attendees with a close-up examination of the eye’s internal structures, including the lens, cornea, vitreous, retina, and optic nerve.

“I wanted to come to this course because I thought it was a great opportunity to learn more about ophthalmology,” said Mugil Shanmugam a Quantitative Biology major from the Class of 2027. “The eyes are such a small part of our body but there are so many things that can go wrong with them. I thought this was a great way to learn more about the eyes and see if this is a career for me in the future.”

Now with the third year completed, Dr. Torossian and Dr. Nguyen hope to continue to offer “Eye Care for All” as an annual program to USC undergraduates.

“We are thrilled to see the growing participation in this program year after year as we hope to inspire the next generation of health care providers and researchers,” said Dr. Nguyen. “We encourage students to think about how they may contribute to diversity in health care and new ways that they can improve the lives of patients in their communities.”

The 2024 program would not have been possible without the support provided by JEDI-West and the office of Dean Carolyn C. Meltzer. They, along with many others at USC, see the importance of diversity in healthcare and helped make the program a success this summer.

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Please email us at USCEYES@MED.USC.EDU if you are interested in learning more about future Eye Care for All events. (Please use subject line “USC DEI”).