Alice Kim, class of 2025, received the 2024 Best Practices award from CooperVision. The award enables standout third-year optometry students to learn directly from the best of the best in the profession by participating in the annual Best Practices educational summit.

Students were selected based on their academic standing at a US optometry school, their demonstration of leadership and participation in school or community activities, academic honors, and additional optometry-related experience.

“As a student, I am a novice to the business aspects of real-world optometric care,” Kim said. “My goal is to absorb knowledge and gain insight from those who achieve success in the current landscape of optometry. Being open to new technologies while staying informed on evidence-based strategies is just one part of being an excellent clinician. I want to learn how to make a positive impact in the day-to-day lives of my future practice, staff, colleagues, and future patients.”

I hope to use this opportunity to discuss novel solutions to emerging issues in the profession, including teleoptometry, myopia control and management, and policy regarding practice scope and reimbursements. My ultimate goal is to amplify the voice of young ODs and foster a growth mindset in the ever-changing field.”

Serving as class president, Kim has excelled as a leader during her tenure as an optometry student. She has also been involved in the community, becoming one of the first UAB optometry students to be named an Albert Schweitzer Fellow by the ASF Alabama Foundation. 

Kim teamed with a classmate to collaborate with the UAB School of Nursing, Foundry Farm and Changed Lives Christian Center to serve the vision and eye health needs of the community. Their project focused on helping those in addiction recovery who are marginally housed. 

The school’s Community Eye Care team, including students and doctors, traveled to Foundry Farm to provide care as part of Kim’s ASF project. She will use this experience in the future to facilitate disease management and prevention programs in her community.

“Alice is quite deserving of this award,” said UAB School of Optometry Dean Kelly Nichols. “It is rare to find an applicant as good on paper as she is in person—insightful, curious, dedicated, and very good with patient interactions. I am proud to have her represent our school in this way and excited to see the contributions Alice will make to the industry and to her community as a practicing optometrist.”