Optometry Student to New Grad: Mentorship, Mental Health, and Patient Connection with Dr. Svetlana Nunez

Defocus Media Eyecare and Optometry Podcast Network

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 Service

First-Generation Perspective: Finding Roadmaps and Role Models

Patient Communication that Travels Across Languages

The Grind Is Real: What Training Looks Like Today

Protecting Optometry Student Mental Health

Building Wise Counsel and Support Systems

Inspiring 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 themselves in healthcare. Over time, these small gestures compound into lasting relationships, stronger referrals, and authentic inspiration for the next generation of eye care professionals.

The Grind Is Real: What Training Looks Like Today

Dr. Nunez describes the preclinical years as full-day lectures followed by full-evening study. The cadence can surprise even high achievers, and missed life events add emotional weight to academic pressure. Recognizing that intensity early helps students and preceptors plan sustainable routines. Predictable exam calendars, coordinated practical schedules, and deliberate breaks give students space to absorb material and show up more present in the clinic. Treating study blocks like shifts—with start and stop times—protects energy and sharpens learning.

Protecting Optometry Student Mental Health

The conversation kept returning to three pillars: self-compassion, scheduled resets, and a judgment-free listener. Self-compassion acknowledges that not every exam will go perfectly, and that progress is more important than perfection. Scheduled resets—whether therapy, a walk with a friend, a quiet hour with family, or a standing self-care ritual—help students recalibrate before stress accumulates. Dr. Nunez shared that caring for her dog added healthy structure and a sense of steadiness to demanding weeks. Identifying a person who will listen without judgment gives students space to release emotion and return to the work with clarity.

Building Wise Counsel and Support Systems

Dr. Glover referenced the importance of “wise counsel” (coined by Dr. Kate Ham)—a small, trusted circle that provides perspective when decisions loom. An effective support triangle includes a peer who understands current pressures, a near-peer who is one to three years ahead, and a seasoned optometrist outside the evaluation chain. Brief, regular check-ins keep the relationship active before crises arise. When the default culture is honest conversation with people who care, students develop steadier judgment and healthier boundaries that carry into patient care and team leadership.

Inspiring Students and Young Doctors

Dr. Nunez co-hosts the Depth Perception Podcast, where early-career optometrists explore business topics, mental wellness, real-world study strategies, and the personal side of practicing healthcare. Her team’s perspective is recent enough to feel relatable while still forward-looking, offering a bridge between school and independent practice. Featuring young doctor voices in grand rounds, student nights, and community events amplifies that bridge. Sharing credible student-focused content in newsletters and within learning platforms widens access and normalizes conversations about balance, identity, and growth.

Dr. Svetlana Nunez’s story shows how small, repeatable behaviors—welcoming words in a patient’s language, scheduled resets, and a circle of wise counsel—add up to professional confidence and better care. For educators and practice leaders, the path is practical: acknowledge the first-generation journey, embed well-being into schedules and expectations, and model patient communication that centers on dignity. Choose one idea from this article—language touchpoints, reset rituals, or wise-counsel check-ins—and implement it this month. Share what works so peers and students can build on it.