From remote eye care to national leadership in optometry

For Sophie Koh, optometry has never been a single job or a straight-line career. It has been a platform - one that has allowed her to combine public health, leadership, governance and even a parallel life as a professional musician.

Now Manager of Professional Services at Optometry Australia (OA) and Chair of the Australian College of Optometry (ACO), Sophie is helping shape the profession at a national level while championing the people within it.

A career built on purpose and possibility

Sophie’s path into optometry was not conventional. After finishing high school, she initially enrolled in a Bachelor of Music/Arts, driven by a passion for classical piano. Two years in, she realised that while music would always be part of her life, it wouldn’t be her sole career.

“I remember seeing footage on television about an eye team providing eye care in remote Australia,” she recalls. “Something sparked - I knew I wanted to work in healthcare, particularly with underprivileged communities.”

Those early influences, combined with her own experiences as a long-term optometry patient, led Sophie to transfer into optometry at the University of Melbourne. What began as an interest soon became a lifelong commitment to public health and equity in eye care.

Learning beyond the clinic at Melbourne

Reflecting on her time at Melbourne, Sophie describes the Bachelor of Optometry as “well-rounded” and deeply formative.

“The breadth of clinical exposure really set me up for practice,” she says. “The final year externship really cemented my technical knowledge and opened my eyes to career possibilities well beyond traditional practice.”

Sophie completed externships in Darwin and East Timor, experiences that would later shape much of her professional life. Just as important were the people she learned from.

“I had excellent educators as a student, many of whom have since become friends and part of my professional network. That diversity of teaching and mentorship stays with you long after graduation.”

Optometry without borders

After graduating, Sophie took up her first role in Darwin, working part-time in corporate practice and part-time alongside an ophthalmologist, flying or driving into remote communities to deliver care. She went on to volunteer in East Timor and later worked in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Image: Sophie working alongside an ophthalmology team in remote communities across the Northern Territory

Back in Australia, her career spanned public health clinics, clinical teaching at ACO Eye Health, casual work across regional Victoria, and metropolitan practice - across corporate, independent and ophthalmology-led settings.

“Optometry gave me incredible flexibility,” Sophie says. “I’ve been a part-time optometrist for most of my career, which allowed me to continue touring, performing and recording music. I’ve always had employers who understood that a happy, fulfilled person performs better at work.”

That diverse clinical background, combined with strong communication skills and a genuine desire to help others, ultimately led Sophie to her current national role at Optometry Australia.

Supporting the profession from the inside

As Manager of Professional Services at OA, Sophie leads the national Optometrist Advisor Help Desk – a core member service supporting optometrist members with everything from complex clinical questions and Medicare matters, to workplace issues and patient dilemmas. This work gives her a close view of the real pressures facing optometrists across the country, and a unique opportunity to support them at every stage of their career.

“In 2025 alone, we received nearly 2,000 queries from optometrists across Australia,” she says. “We support everyone from students and new graduates through to highly experienced clinicians, helping them navigate real-world challenges so they can practise with confidence. No query is too big or small, and my team takes pride in being a trusted sounding board for optometrists when it matters.”

Alongside this role, Sophie serves as Chair of the Australian College of Optometry, a position she has held for four years after eight years on the Board. In doing so, she became the first female Chair in ACO’s more than 80-year history.

“I care deeply about both organisations because they exist to serve communities and protect the profession,” she says. “Leadership in the not-for-profit sector requires purpose, yes - but also strong people skills, ethical leadership and an understanding of good governance, finance and business.  I’ve been lucky to be able to learn some of this on the job.”

Advice for future leaders in optometry

For students and early-career optometrists interested in leadership, governance or public health pathways, Sophie’s advice is clear:

“Lean into uncomfortable or unfamiliar territory. That’s often where the biggest growth happens.”

She suggests practical ways students can do this:

• Consider regional or remote work. Especially for students who have always lived in cities. Immersing yourself in a regional community (whether through work, local health networks, sporting clubs or social groups) builds confidence, adaptability and professional relationships.
• Volunteer locally or internationally. Even when it means taking unpaid leave. These experiences often expose students to public health challenges, interdisciplinary teamwork and leadership opportunities that don’t exist in traditional practice settings.
• Seek variety in your work. Holding two part-time roles with different employers can broaden clinical exposure, expand networks and accelerate professional growth.
• Build a wide professional network. Sophie encourages students to stay connected beyond their immediate workplace:
  • Join professional bodies such as Optometry Australia and engage with member opportunities.
  • Attend conferences, workshops, and introduce yourself to someone new. Even something as simple as saying hello to someone in front of you at the coffee queue.
  • Take time to speak with exhibitors and industry representatives to learn about pathways you may not have considered.
• Protect your life outside optometry. Maintaining hobbies, passions and interests outside the profession helps develop people skills and teamwork - all essential traits for effective leadership.

Optometry doesn’t mean you stop being who you are. “If you look after your personal life and passions, your professional life will only get better.”