Insight Pre-Optometry Club

Spring 2009!!!

2009-04-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Insighters,

Here is a list of our upcoming Events this quarter:

April 2009 Events:
~ 4/15 Pacific University, 7pm, Earl Warren Room, 3rd Floor of Price Center East

~ 4/23 Tour of San Diego Eyebank, 7-9pm, limited carpools provided, please email insightucsd@gmail.com if you want to attend & include your cell phone #

~ 4/28 - Student Panel, NSB 1205 7:00pm: come and ask our panelists questions, and get info about the OATs, pre-reqs, applications, LoRs, etc.

May 2009 Events:
~ 5/4 - Princeton Review, Cabinet Apps, and Scholarship Apps Info Session; Green Table Room in Sungod Lounge, 7pm: Princeton Rep will go over OAT courses and info about 09-10 Cabinet and Scholarships Apps

Other Upcoming Events:
~ Optometrist Panel
~ 2009-2010 Cabinet Elections
~ End of the year Potluck!!!

End of Winter Quarter

2009-03-13T00:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Insighters,

It is once again finals and the end of yet another quarter. Even though we didn't have as many events as we wanted this quarter, we have a full schedule next quarter, which includes: optometrist panel, applicant panel, fundraisers, Kaplan/Princeton meetings, more visits from optometry schools and elections of the 09-10 cabinet.

Here is a schedule of our upcoming events for Week 1 and 2:
- 4/04 ~ Visit Insight's Table at the UCSD Admit Day
- 4/09 ~ Rubio's Fundraiser (4-7pm) and GBM @ Thich Nhat Hanh Room in the Old Student Center
- 4/11 ~ SCCO Open House (limited based on availability of rides - stay tuned for more info)

Look out for our emails for other upcoming events!!!

Good Luck with Finals and have a great Spring Break!!! See you next quarter.

* If you are new to our club and would like to receive our emails, please email us at insightucsd@gmail.com along with your first and last name.

Interested in Volunteering????

2009-02-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

Some volunteer opportunities that Insight members can individually help out at are:

Braille Institute
Contact: Joy Durbin (858) 452-1688
Address: 4555 Executive Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
What is it: Braille Institute is a private, nonprofit organization that through educational training, programs, and services, helps tens of thousands of people each year regain and maintain their independence. Thanks to generous donations, Braille Institute services are available free of charge.
What you are going to be doing: If you are can commit once every week, you can sign up to help teach a class to the blind. However, if you just want to drop by once in a while, they have other duties that they can give you.

SD for the Blind Vision Clinic
Contact: Marsha, (619) 708-7165
Address: 805 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92103 (It’s a cream building, 3rd floor, they have very limited parking spaces so please carpool)
What is it: It is a non-profit organization that provides free vision screenings to individuals that cannot afford it. The patients are often referred to the clinic and are taken care of by several optometrists who volunteer their time there.
What you are going to be doing: From M-Th 10-1p an optometrist will be there so the clinic only has space for 2 volunteers. Marsha, will there to let you know what type of duties she would like you to do while you are there. Please call in advance to let her know that you are coming.

Other upcoming volunteer opportunities:

Vision Clinic in TJ
What is it: SD for the Blind just started this volunteer trip, where they provide vision screenings and glasses to under privileged in TJ. All types of glasses are accepted at their clinic in Balboa Park.

Eye Clinic in Tecate, Mexico with Flying Sams
What is it: The Flying Samaritans is a group of professionals from many different walks of life interested in helping bring healthcare to people in all parts of the world. All Flying Samaritan Clinics are operated free of charge to the patients.

Special Olympics
What is it: In April they are going to be hosting their Track & Field event. But before any athlete steps onto the track, they will need to undergo some health check ups. We can help with the vision screening portion of the check up.

Open Positions on Publicity & Social Committees

2008-10-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our social chair, Nicole Fox, and Publicity Chair, Risa Sugimoto,
are looking for members who would like to be part of either
committee. Not only would you be helping out with the club
and reaching out the other students on campus, but it's a
great way to get more involved with Insight.

A member of the social chair committee would help design
social events for Insight to entertain the members of the club.
These events include GBM's and other possible socials that are
planned for the year. There are currently 2-3 spots open in the
committee.

As for the publicity chair committee you would be asked to post
flyers up, table, and etc. around campus informing students about
 future meetings or events that are coming up.  Risa is looking for at
least 3 members that are interested.

If you are interested please e-mail back Nicole (jn.fox@hotmail.com)
 and Risa (rsugimot@ucsd.edu) by this Friday, October 3 by 6pm
WITH the completed Application.  Email insightucsd@gmail.com to get
an application.  Interviews will be held (for both positions) this Saturday,
Oct. 4th from 4pm to 7pm. If this date or time does not work for you,
please let Nicole or Risa know and hopefully you can arrange a better time.

Hope we hear from you.

WELCOME BACK!!!

2008-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 6th is our first GBM/Icecream Social of the
year!! It is at 7:00PM in Pacific Hall 3500.
Come join us for some icebreakers and meet up with old and
new members. Meet the new cabinet and check out the new
social and publicity committees. You should also come if
you are interested in the Berkeley Fall Conference....

The Berkeley Fall Conference is going to be on Saturday,
October 18th.  This event is free and will be held at the
Berkeley Optometry School.  Insight is planning to carpool to
Berkeley but SPACE IS LIMITED so it is going to be based on
 a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE bases.  We are planning to rent
vans/cars ($$Money for gas and rentals TBA$$) and leave
from UCSD on Friday, October 17th at 3:00pm in order to
not keep our hosts waiting for us to arrive late at night.

We will be staying overnight with Berkeley optometry
students in their homes.  If you have friends who attend Berkeley,
you are more than welcome to stay with them for the night as
long as they reside close to campus.  If you want to drive or fly
up yourself, you may also do so.

Please RSVP by WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8th!!!!!!!!!!!!!Respond
with the earliest time you can leave on Friday, October 17th AND
whether you would like to carpool with Insight or will take your
own transportation.

Hope to see you soon!

Discount on OAT Courses!!!

2008-07-26T22:49:00.001-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

We just started a contract with Princeton Review. For those interested in their OAT course, Princeton does give official Insight members a 10% discount, which make the course around $950 instead of $1,299. The discount can only be used in San Diego, so you would have to take the course here. We are still in contract with Kaplan, which also offers a 10% discount for our official members. Now you have a choice of either Princeton or Kaplan to help you prepare for the OATs. If you have any questions, just email us back. Have a good day.

OAT Auction

2008-05-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Insight Members!

We have good news for anyone who plans on taking a Kaplan OAT course! Our first OAT auction was a great success and saved one of our members hundreds of dollars. We have a second one to auction, so for those of you who couldn't make it to the meeting, here's your chance (the Kaplan OAT course regularly costs $1400)! It does not matter when or where you want to take the course.

The auction is open now and will close next Monday, June 2nd, at 11:59pm. The bid will start at $900 and basically, the highest bidder wins. Please send your bids to htao35@gmail.com and be sure that you want to take the course. Include in the email your bid, name, and phone number. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Insight Pre-Optometry Club

Insight Glasses Drive + Updates!!!

2008-05-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

First of all, congratulations to the new 2008-2009 Cabinet officers!!!! Thank you to all who applied, the applicant pool was remarkable this year. For those interested in becoming a committee member, look out for an email in the near future.

As for now, Insight is going have its first ever GLASSES DRIVE. We will be out on Library walk all of next week from 10-2pm. So if you have any old glasses that you would like to donate, please bring them on by. If you're going home this weekend, check to see you if your any family members or friends have old glasses they would like to donate. We will be donating the glasses to the Lion's Club, who has special screenings for underprivileged kids and adults and are able to match the prescription from the donated glasses to their prescription. This is a good way to recycle your out-of-date glasses.

Also, just a reminder that Insight's LAST MEETING of the year will be on Wednesday May 28th at 7:30pm. It will feature a 5 doctor optometrist panel who will be answering any questions you have about optometry. Each of the 5 doctors works in a private office and specify in different field of optometry. This includes vision therapy, low vision, CRT, and refractive surgery care. We will also be introducing the new cabinet and announcing the scholarship winners. Location will be announced next week.

Have a good 3-day weekend and look for us on Library Walk!!

Dr. Anstis and Elections!!!!

2008-05-22T00:18:00.001-07:00

Hey Insighters!

Remember to join Insight Pre-Optometry this Thursday 5/22 (Pacific Hall 3500, 7-9pm) for elections and an exciting lecture on the exploration of the intricate pathway of the human visual sensory system delivered by Dr. Stuart Anstis!

Dr. Anstis will be presenting an awesome lecture on visual phenomenas and perception, come listen to him speak about the subject that will be the center of our careers one day!

Also, let us know what you'd like to see happen for next year by voting for our new cabinet members, we're really interested in your opinion!

As usual, FREE FOOD and REFRESHMENTS!!!!

Kaplan Workshop & Officer's Description

2008-05-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

There will be a Kaplan workshop this Thursday, May 8th. A Kaplan representative will go over how to write personal statements and essays. This will be beneficial if you're planning to apply, since it will go over what the optometry schools look for on your personal statements and essays. The workshop will be at 7pm in Pac Hall 3500. Come for some free food too!!!

Also, attached is the 7 descriptions for the Insight Cabinet. If you're planning to apply and run for office, take a look at it and let us know if you have any questions. Again, that is just a general description. Changes can be made by the new cabinet if needed. Remember applications for scholarships and office are due on May 15th at 11:59pm, please email them to insightucsd@gmail.com by that time or it will not be excepted.

Have a good day!!!!

Insight Scholarships and Cabinet Applications

2008-05-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

If you are interested in applying for the cabinet and scholarships, please email insightucsd@gmail.com to recieve an application. After talking it over with the officers, we decided to add a new position and committee. The community outreach chair will manage/lead the community outreach committee and plan volunteering/service events, on campus and around San Diego. We are currently updating the descriptions of all the cabinet positions, since there are now 7 cabinet positions, and will send it out in a later email. Committee members will be chosen once the new 2008-2009 cabinet is elected.

Just a couple things to remember about the cabinet and scholarship applications:

1. Both are due on May 15, 2008 at 11:59pm. Please email us back your application with your name first and last name as the subject and indicate the application (cabinet or scholarship.)

2. For cabinet positions, please indicate your availability on Sunday, May 18th for the interview. The interviews will be held in the evening, so please list a time after 5pm and before 9pm. (From the interviews, current officers will choose around 12 members to give speeches. On May 21st, the general body will vote for 7 cabinet members. Then the current officers will reevaluate the applications and recommend which elected members should hold which position, based on who is best fit for that position and/or has shown strong qualifications for that position.)

3. For the scholarship applications, you can choose 1, 2, or all three questions to answer.

4. You must be an official Insight member to run for office or apply for a scholarship. If you haven't paid the $5, please due so ASAP. You can contact Heidi Tao or email us back to pay the fee.

5. Scholarship and elected officers will be announced on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 before our optometrist panel meeting. This will also be our last meeting of the year.

* The instructions are attached to the applications. Please read it carefully, answer the questions, and send it back to this email address (insightucsd@gmail.com) by Thursday, May 15th at 11:59pm. Any late applications will NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS. Email us back with any concerns or questions you have.

Thank You and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Insight Pre-Optometry 2007-2008 Cabinet

Visit Hoya Labs!!!

2008-04-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is a great and rare opportunity our Social Committee has set up. This coming Wednesday, April 16th, from 9-10am we are going to visit the San Diego Hoya Lab. Hoya makes and supplies ophthalmic lenses to eye care professionals around San Diego and the United States. Hoya supplies a complete range of high quality lens designs, coatings, and materials. They have the newest technology and machines to cut all different type lenses: high index, polycarbonate, progressives, etc.

If you would like to come, please email me at insightucsd@gmail.com. There will be a limit of people going, so respond asap if you would like to go. You can either meet us at Hoya or meet at Peterson at 8:30am for a ride. Either way, please email back ASAP. If you can drive on your own, I'll email you back with the address when you reply. Hope you can come!!!

Insight's First Meeting

2008-04-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

How have the start of Spring Quarter been? We are having our first meeting on Thursday, April 17th at 7:00pm. As soon as I know the location, I'll send out another email. Here is the info for this Meeting:

- Optometry Applicants Panel: Meet UCSD students who had recently applied to Optometry School and ask them questions about the application/interview process, about any tips they have when applying, letter of recommendations, classes to take a UCSD, etc.
- OAT Silent Auction: Bid on a Kaplan OAT Course. Last year we auctioned off a course for $1,000, saving the person who won $400. We will be doing this at the beginning of the meeting, so be on time if you would like to participate in it. The winner will be announced at the end of the meeting.

So, save the date and hope to see you all there!!!

Insight's End of Spring Quarter Events

2008-03-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

~ Pizza and Game Night Social ~ (Spring Break Meeting for those who are going afterwards)
Come for some Pizza and mingle with other Insight members.
When: Thursday March 6th at 6pm
Where: Pacific Hall 3500

~ Speaker from College of Optometry at Pacific University (located in Oregon)
When: Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:00pm
Where: Multi-Purpose room at the new student center (where the financial aid, register, cashier is located)

Also, we trying to plan events for spring quarter and were wondering which event you would rather attend: Relay for Life or SCCO open house. Relay for Life is a 24-hr walk located at Rimac and our club would raise money for Cancer research and treatment. For the SCCO open house, we would drive up to SCCO, go on a tour, and meet faculty and students. Both are on the same day, April 12th. Please email us back and let us know which event you would rather participate in, so we can start planning it.

Insight's Social + Kaplan OAT Info

2008-02-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

How are you all doing? On Monday, February 11th, we are having a social. Also, a representative from Kaplan will be there to speak about the OAT courses they offer and how to get a discount if you are an official insight member. You'll have a chance to mingle with other pre-optometry students and ask any questions about optometry admissions, prerequisite classes, the field of optometry, shadowing experiences, etc. We will have application packets from NECO available, so let us know if you would like one. If you would like to become an official member, there's a fee of $5. In addition to the Kaplan OATs courses discount, other benefits include getting information about internships/job openings, qualification from scholarships given out at the end of the year, etc. You can pay the fee to Heidi Tao.

Here's the meeting info:
Date: Monday, Feb. 11th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Pac Hall 3500

Hope to see you all there!

New Minutes Posted

2008-01-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

SUNY/NECO Spring Break Trip Info Session Notes ~ Jan. 10, 2008
SCCO Meeting ~ Jan. 14, 2008

SCCO is coming back!!!

2008-01-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Dr. Munroe from SCCO (Southern CA College of Optometry) will be going over admissions, the OD program, and the field of optometry. So please mark your calendars and come to the meeting. Here is the meeting info:

Date: Monday ~ January 14, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Pacific Hall 3500

See you all there for the meeting and free food!!!

Spring Break Info Meeting

2008-01-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Insight Members,

We will be having an informative meeting for those who are interested in going on the Spring Break Trip on Thursday, Jan. 10th at 8 pm in Gallery B located in the Sungod Lounge. Here are a few details about the trip:

- Date of Trip: Sunday March 23rd - Saturday March 29th ?
- Location: SUNY & NECO
- Cost: $650 (for ticket, hotel, and $200 for food/spending money)
- Deposit: $100 (non-refundable) by Friday Jan. 18, 2007 (2nd week of
winter quarter)

One of our members we went on the trip last year will be there to tell you about her experience. So, come if you are interested in going or have any questions about the trip.

SCCO CANCELLED

2007-11-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the late notice, but we just got word from Dr. Munroe and unfortunately she is feeling quite ill...therefore, the SCCO meeting scheduled for tomorrow night at 7:30pm in Pacific Hall 3500 has been CANCELLED. Dr. Munroe and Insight apologize for the cancellation. We will work on rescheduling her visit and let you all know when that has been set up. Until then, good luck on finals!

SCCO Meeting!!!

2007-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Hope all your midterms are going well. SCCO is finally rescheduled to Thursday, November 29th at 7:30pm in Pac Hall 3500 (same room as the Berkeley meeting). Dr. Munroe will be going over SCCO's OD program, student life and the admissions process. There's going to be free food and refreshments, so hope you can all make it.

Also, Dr. Munroe started a facebook group for prospective optometry students of SCCO. She sends out announcements and updates about SCCO through facebook. If you don't really go on facebook, join it anyways, so you'll get updates and information about SCCO. To join, just follow the attached instructions or search for SCCO in facebook.com.

Hope to see you all on Nov. 29th. Have a good thanksgiving and 4 day weekend!

Mintues for SUNY/UCB

2007-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Minutes are up for the SUNY and UC Berkeley Meetings. So check them out under the miuntes link.

Also, the newsletter editor, Sandy, needs your help. She's in the process of writing this quarter's newsletter and she would like some of your input.

- What would you like to see in the newsletter?
- What would be helpful to know about optometry?
- Should there be crosswords, jokes, puzzles, etc. on the newsletter?

This newsletter is for the members of Insight, so if you have any opinions or input please let Sandy or us know. Thanks!!!

SUNY and Berkeley Meetings

2007-10-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Hope you are all safe and sound from last week's fires. 2 of our meetings had to be cancelled due to the closure of UCSD. However, we have 2 events coming up next week!!! SUNY and Berkeley, will be coming to speak to the members about their Doctor of Optometry Program, admissions process, student affairs, etc.

*SUNY (State University of New York) College of Optometry*
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Price Center Gallery B, Sungod Lounge

*UC Berkeley School of Optometry*
Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Pacific Hall 3500

Please remember to bring $5 if you would like to become an offical member. Read about the perks of being an offical member in "About Us." There will be free food and refreshments at both meetings, so i hope to see all of you there!!!

SCCO and BERKELEY CANCELLED

2007-10-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

SCCO's and UC Berkeley's meeting is cancelled and will be rescheduled due to the closure of the UCSD campus. We'll let you know when we reschedule the meetings. For now, hope everyone stay safe.

SCCO and Berkeley Meetings

2007-10-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

The turnout to the Social was great and we got to meet so many new members. Thanks so much to those who came. Next week we are having two meetings, one with SCCO and the other with Berkeley. These are the only 2 schools in California, so it's a great opportunity to learn about their community, application process, and their optometry program. Here is the information:

*SCCO (Southern California College of Optometry)
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Location: PC Cove (on the left of panda express in the indoor food court of Price Center)

*UCB (University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry)
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Location: PC Cove (on the left of panda express in the indoor food court of Price Center)

Please come out to learn more about these schools. You can bring your $5 to become an official member at that time. Also, there will be delicious FREE FOOD!!! See everyone there.

Ice Cream Social

2007-10-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

We are having an Ice Cream Social!!!

What: An Ice Cream Social for Insight members
When: Wednesday October 17th, at 7pm
Where: SAC (student activity center) located in Warren, on the left after you walk across the Warren crosswalk into the Warren apartments, it's next to the old Global Cafe and across from the Brennan Apartments
Why: To learn more about Insight, to meet other students who are interested in Optometry, to eat ice cream, with toppings!!!

Please come!!! And bring $5 to become an offical insight member! See you there.

NECO Luncheon

2007-10-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Denial from NECO, New England College of Optometry, is coming to UCSD on Friday, October 19th to have lunch with Pre-Optometry students. However, not everyone can go since space is very limited. We only have room for 8 people. So if you are interest to meet with Dr. Denial and talk with her about NECO's admissions process, about the Boston area, and other things, please reply to insightucsd@gmail.com. The first 8 people who replies back will get to have lunch at CPK with Dr. Denial. The luncheon is from 1pm at California Pizza Kitchen, on Nobel and Villa La Jolla. If you need a ride, let us know and we can arrange something. This is a great opportunity, so don't miss out!

Berkeley Optometry Fall Conference

2007-09-26T02:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Insight Members,

UC Berkeley Optometry Fall Conference sponsored by Foresight, Berkeley's Pre-Optometry Club is on Saturday, October 20th. It's an all day event and basically they tell you about the school and the field of optometry. Plus you get free breakfast and lunch. We are planning a trip to visit Berkeley as a club. We will be leaving Friday night, Oct. 19th and coming back Oct. 20 after the conference. This is a great opportunity to meet other pre-optometry students from other colleges, see Berkeley's optometry school, and to bond with Insight members. It would be great if we can get as many people to go as possible. However, space is very limited, so please email us at insightucsd@gmail.com if you are interested in going by Oct. 8th, so we can figure out the cost and RSVP to Berkeley as a group.

NEW Job Position!!!

2007-07-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

This is from Loan Trinh, Insight's Secretary 2005-2006.

Hey Insight Members!
Would you like to work for in successful, innovative optometry practice to gain more valueable experience?
We are looking for Doctor's Assistant/ Technicians, Opticians, and Front Desk Receptionist. Optical
experience a plus, will train.
If you are interested, please email your resume to Loan Trinh
at loantrinh@gmail.com, and I will call you for an interview.
If you have any questions, give me a call at the office at (858)571-8835

Location 1:
Tierrasanta Vision Center
Located at 5990 Santo Road.
San Diego CA 92111.
Phone: (858)571-8835
Fax: (858) 571-6364
Location 2:
Total Vision Care
16840 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 150
San Diego, CA 92128
Phone: 858-487-5555
Fax: 858-487-3654

Sincerely,
Loan Trinh
Doctor's Assistant
Insight Secretary 2005-2006

UCSD Pre-Optometry Students!!!!

2007-06-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Insight offically has a website. We will keep it updated throughout the summer for any new jobs, internships, and/or volunteer work that is available. But this will be definately be updated frequently once the school-year starts.

Congratulations to the new 2007-2008 Cabinet and Commitee Members!!!

To the 2006-2007 Cabinet memebers - Thank You for all your time and hard work that you've put into Insight. We will miss you all. Congratulations on graduating and getting into Optometry School!!!! Come back and visit whenever you are in San Diego.

*Remember to check the website throughout the summer or at the start of Fall quarter for any updates.

Have a fabulous Summer!