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NVS Welcomes a New Intern

photo (3)Northampton Vision Specialists is pleased to welcome Ivan Liaw as our new intern this spring. Ivan was a practicing optometrist in England prior to entering the New England College of Optometry to complete his education two years ago.

His experience working in another country has given him a unique worldview of optometry, as well as a passion for treating the whole patient – not just a person’s eyes. “The scope of optometry is very different in other countries,” Ivan said. “Here, you take care of the person rather than just their eyes. So while we’re treating patients here with vision therapy, therapeutic lenses or sometimes medicine, in other countries they’re just looking at eyesight. There’s no focus on the person as a whole.”

Having experienced these differences first hand, Ivan has become passionate about developmental optometry. “At Northampton Vision Specialists, we treat every patient as an individual with different needs and different eye problems,” he said. “After being here for just a few weeks, it was obvious that an eye exam with Dr. Ruggiero was not a typical exam. She listens to every patient to understand their specific needs. It’s really great.”

After he graduates this spring, Ivan wants to begin a career in developmental optometry. He also looks forward to visiting family in his home country of Singapore and spending more time scuba diving – one of his favorite past times. “If I was back in England, I’d go to Egypt to dive,” he said. “Now that I’m in the United States, I’m going to try the Caribbean.”

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