It took a little longer than we expected, but I’m happy to present our very first Optometry Ambassador of the month! We’re really excited about this opportunity to highlight some students at the College of Optometry and we hope you enjoy the insights and different perspectives each of them will provide throughout the year.
Wes Tuten, Class of 2017
Hometown, Undergraduate Institution and degree
Beverly, OH Ohio State University, Class of 2013, Evolution and Ecology
What led you to the field of optometry?
This is a bit of a multifaceted answer. First, both of my mother’s brothers were born with a version of Retinitis Pigmentosa, which rendered them blind at a very young age. Growing up around them, I learned what a gift my sight was, but also that those without that gift could still lead independent, meaningful lives with the help of caring optometrists and low vision devices. I also thought that those devices were fun to play with as a kid.
Second, my brother, who is eight years older than I am, wanted to be an optometrist. Classic younger brother wanting to imitate older brother. I’m sure his inspiration also comes from being raised in a family with multiple visually impaired relatives. Our career paths have since diverged, with him graduating from OSUCO in 2009 and heading to UC Cal Berkeley, where he earned his PhD in Vision Science this past summer.
Last, the connection I made with my hometown optometrist was a strong one from a young age. I played soccer (goalie) with his son when we were kids and I have a distinct memory of sitting in his exam chair, dilated, and him saying, “I have to make sure my goalie can see well.” That small talk was enough to make a lasting impression on me. Working for that same doctor during my summers in undergrad helped to cement my underlying passion for optometry.
Low vision and vision impairment is a big reason you chose optometry. Do you plan to focus in low vision after graduation?
It’s hard to say. We haven’t had any instruction in that field yet. We have our Low Vision Rehabilitation and Gerontology class with Dr. Flom spring semester of third year, followed by a rotation through the Low Vision Clinic sometime during fourth year. If I find that I enjoy it, I absolutely plan to make it a unique part of my practice upon graduation.
What is a specific experience you don’t think you would have if not for Ohio State?
I attended OSU for undergrad and at the beginning of every autumn term they have an involvement fair on the main oval. I ended up walking by Shawn Curtner, who was standing in front of an OSUCO booth, and we ended up talking. My brother had just graduated that past May and he remembered my last name. He offered to interview me for a job at the college through my work-study program. He ended up placing me as a student office assistant in the Binocular Vision, Pediatrics, and Low Vision Clinics. After two and a half years of getting to know the faculty and staff that make those clinics run smoothly, I switched to being Dr. Walline’s student research assistant. After hours of data entry and graph making for him and one of his OD/MS students, my name was on a paper that was presented at Academy during my Opt 1 year. If not for Ohio State, and that long and winding path, that probably never would have happened, since I’ve found I don’t have much of an interest in doing research.
What organizations are you involved with? What do you do for the organization(s)?
The organization I spend most of my time involved with is Epsilon Psi Epsilon, the College of Optometry associated fraternity. I currently serve as the president of the fraternity. My duties include hosting tailgates for each and every home game, presiding over meetings during the semester, and making sure that everyone has a great social outlet for the stresses that come along with being an optometry student. We also raise money for our Vision Care Fund, where fraternity members see patients that otherwise wouldn’t be about to afford an eye exam and glasses. We are expanding it to include the other clinics in the school aside from just being used for Primary Vision Care. I also live in the fraternity house and served as House Manager last year.
What was one of the most important factors for you in choosing a school?
For me it was all about proximity to family. My sister had just had her first baby the summer before my senior year of undergrad and the rest of my family lived within a two hour radius of Columbus. It is a wonderful coincidence that we all just happened to live around the best optometry school in the nation.
What piece of advice would you give to an undergraduate looking at going to optometry school?
The best advice I can give would be to work for an optometrist as a technician and get your feet wet in the optometric world. Whether it’s for your hometown doctor during breaks or around your university during the school year, it really will help cement whether or not optometry is for you.
And finally, when you’re not studying, what do you like to do to unwind and relax?
I’m a huge nerd, so when I’m not studying I like to read comics, binge watch shows on Netflix, play videos games, and play the drums in The Band Keratopathy, a band consisting of five members of the class of 2017.
