Optometry is as much about people as it is about eyes. In a conversation with Dr. Darryl Glover, new graduate
Dr. Svetlana Nunez traced a path from early inspiration to her first steps as an optometrist—highlighting family support, the realities of training, and the habits that sustain mental well-being. This companion article distills her story into practical guidance for clinics and classrooms alike, focusing on optometry student mental health, the experience of a first-generation optometrist, and everyday patient communication that builds trust and inspires the next generation.
Dr. Svetlana Nunez, Optometrist and Podcaster
Table of Contents
The Spark: Family, Early Exposure, and ServiceFirst-Generation Perspective: Finding Roadmaps and Role ModelsPatient Communication that Travels Across LanguagesThe Grind Is Real: What Training Looks Like TodayProtecting Optometry Student Mental HealthBuilding Wise Counsel and Support SystemsInspiring Students and Young Doctors
The Spark: Family, Early Exposure, and Service
Dr. Nunez’s journey began with a family eye surgery that made vision care feel urgent and personal at a young age. By adolescence, she was shadowing clinics; in college, she founded a pre-optometry club and launched an eyeglass drive that supplied a nonprofit’s mission work. Selecting a school without a pre-optometry track meant building one—an early sign of leadership that later carried into her professional life. Documenting those efforts on social media expanded her network of mentors and role models and created a support system that continues to shape her career.
First-Generation Perspective: Finding Roadmaps and Role Models
As a first-generation optometrist, Dr. Nunez sought guidance outside of family traditions in medicine. Her parents, who immigrated from Mexico and Nicaragua, emphasized education but had little exposure to graduate training. She sought answers from recent graduates, the online optometry community, and mentors who could translate timelines, entrance exams, board preparation, externships, and financial realities. Naming the first-generation experience aloud—during interviews, orientations, and
mentorship meetings—reduces the stigma of questions about money, timelines, and navigating the “hidden curriculum.” Clear roadmaps and near-peer role models help students see their future with less uncertainty and more agency.
Patient Communication that Travels Across Languages
A defining habit for Dr. Nunez is learning simple phrases in the languages her patients speak—greetings, basic anatomy words, and simple exam cues. Even a short “hello,” “look here,” or “any discomfort?” in a patient’s preferred language establishes respect and lowers anxiety. Language-aware communication is also community-aware: when patients feel seen and heard, their family members take notice, and younger relatives begin to imagine a place for themsel...
