Dr Melissa Yuen is the main optometrist at our Clearly Toronto store and has been an integral part in shaping our eye care services and promoting eye health for our customers. She’s passionate about meeting with people to understand how she can help them get the eye care that’s essential for their lifestyle.
Truly part of Clearly’s DNA, Melissa began working with us straight after finishing her studies and now owns the Clearly Toronto clinic. Learn more about her background and why she decided to dedicate her life and career to promoting eye health with Clearly.
Learning about the impact of eyewear
Melissa’s journey with eyewear began long before she made it part of her career.
As a child, she needed glasses but didn’t realize it right away. It took a while for her to have her eyes examined, but when she finally began wearing glasses it made a huge difference in her daily life.
“About 25% of school age children have vision problems. Amblyopia (lazy eye) affects 2 to 3 out of every 100 children. Unless it is properly diagnosed and treated in early childhood, this can lead to permanent visual impairment. For this reason, I always tell my patients to bring their kids in for an eye exam even if they don’t have any visual complaints”
The connection between eye care and career possibilities came about after she began studying her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, specializing in human biology and physiology.
She spent three summers working with an ophthalmologist, where she gained a real insight into optometry and learned about everything from prescriptions to eye diseases. This experience truly helped her to find her focus and decide which direction to take.
A world of experience
Once she decided to pursue optometry, Melissa took her education across the world to learn and gain experience in a variety of different environments.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Toronto, Melissa went on to study a Doctor of Optometry degree at Aston University in Birmingham, England, followed by an internship in Oxford. During her internship, Melissa worked in private practice and also did a hospital externship where she gained more experience managing ocular diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinal problems. She then attended a bridging program at Ontario’s University of Waterloo, which extended her qualifications to practice in Canada.
At the heart of Clearly Toronto
Melissa began working with Clearly right after completing her studies and became an associate optometrist in 2014. She has been the owner of the Toronto clinic since 2015 and is now the main optometrist with one other permanent associate working at her clinic.
She’s responsible for bringing customers a huge range of services, including:
- Comprehensive eye exams for patients of all ages
- Digital retinal photography
- Screens for eye diseases (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration)
- Prescription checks and product recommendations
- Seniors’ eye care (co-management with ophthalmologist for cataract removals or retinal consults)
- Kids’ eye exams
- Pre and post Lasik Assessments
While she has expertise in all areas of optometry, she says her passion lies in pediatrics and working to provide vision training and eye development as well as glaucoma co-management.
What Melissa loves about Clearly
Melissa says the most rewarding part of her job is the way she’s able to tailor each appointment towards her patient’s needs, helping them to find the eye care solution that’s exactly right for them.
“Being able to do what I am passionate about alongside Clearly has been a great journey and exemplifies the saying ‘If you don’t do what you love, you will never love what you do.’ I am so honoured to be able to work with patients of all ages and make a difference in their lives”
She says she also loves the flexibility she’s able to offer with Clearly. Customers are able to have an in-store assessment and either purchase the glasses or contacts they need directly in-store or online.
Melissa has made a huge contribution to Clearly since her very first days on the job, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon! She hopes to expand with Clearly and manage more clinics, opening more stores to expand access to eye care even further.
Learn more about the amazing experts who work at Clearly and check out our blog for their latest eye care tips and advice.
