Huynh is making optometry history in Vietnam as one of eighteen students enrolled in the very first optometry course in the country.

Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Huynh took the university entrance exam for general medicine specialisation at the UPNT. Narrowly missing out on a place in the medical course, he applied for the optometry course when it became available.

“This is a new health care profession in Vietnam. Optometry is a specialised area of ocular medicine and concentrates much more on the non-surgical treatment of the eye, but more than just testing eyesight. It is a primary health care profession which examines, identifies and treats eye and visual disorders and vision-related concerns such as long or short-sightedness, muscular abnormalities, eye injuries, etc.”

“I know that there are many job opportunities for me when I graduate from the optometry course including working in optical shops, at hospital eye departments and private practice. I can even undertake postgraduate study in more specialised areas. A career as an optometrist will provide me with a challenging and rewarding career as I will meet, treat and work with a variety of different people,” added Huynh.

“Good vision is essential to the development of life and educational skills in an individual’s formative years. As a person matures, good vision and health influence their quality of life and ability to earn a living,” said Huynh. “Optometrists can help in prevention of eye diseases in the population rather than just providing treatment, to save money in the long run.

Good vision will help people to maintain their personal independence and contribute more to the society,” he concludes.

We would like to thank our dedicated funders, Optometry Giving Sight and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government,  which without their committed support we could not achieve the pivotal outcomes featured here.