Award presented by previous Santa Clara County Optometric Society Optometrist of the Year Recipient, Dr. Rodney Lum.
The “OD of the Year Award” is this society’s highest honor, given to a doctor for HER service to our profession, to HER community and to HER fellow man. My committee of past OD of the Year recipients Keith Chow and Chris Kavanagh are happy to have found a woman equal to or even surpassing us in accomplishments. Certainly, surpassing us guys in the good looks department too.
Our OD of the Year was selected for her many achievements, and for her quiet yet decisive leadership. To quote a colleague: “she does her job with a willing attitude and a steadfast smile to boot. “
Our OD of the Year is mentioned by another young colleague as a "real role model" to her, as both a doctor and as a leader.
Our OD of the Year is both a Brainiac and an overachiever: She has a bachelor’s in Molecular Biology from Cal, and her OD from SUNY with a Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society on top of it.
She did her residency in Low Vision at Palo Alto VA Hospital and still had time to go on Vision trips to Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
This is not her first award: She was our own Society’s Young OD of the Year in 08 and COA's Young OD of the Year in 09.
Our OD of the Year has stepped up several times when she was put in a difficult position:
She stepped up to become your current society president when others demurred from taking the job.
She also has organized the last few BAOC meetings when others were not up to the task.
In her spare time, she recently started up her own practice “cold”, with some help on the office setup from her family.
In what little spare time she has remaining, she reads Novels, plays guitar she likes findings New Restaurants, Snowboards and Runs with her Lab Retriever named Indie. And she enjoys life with her family and her significant other Danny.
DRS., please congratulate your OD of the Year, Dr Elaine Chung
