MELODY ONG

Melody Ong is a therapeutically qualified optometrist, she completed her Bachelor’s degree with Hons, at the University of Auckland. Melody is fluent in English, Mandarin and understands Hokkien and Cantonese. During her final year, Melody undertook an honours research project on the psychological connection between Colour and Mood. This research study won Melody second place in the New Zealand College of Optometrists Awards as well as a Research Scholarship.  

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Whilst completing her Cambridge International Examinations Melody was thinking about career options when she was introduced to optometry by a family friend who was training to become an optometrist.  After completing the first year of biomedical sciences, Melody was offered a place at the school of optometry and has never looked back. 

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Whilst studying Melody participated in many industry voluntary screening initiatives; such as low decile school vision screening, Essilor School Screening and conducting eye examinations on athletes with disabilities competing at the Special Olympics held in Wellington. Melody has also done volunteer work for the Dove Hospice, street collections for the Cancer Society and the Blind and Low Vision N.Z and is still a volunteer at Everybody Eats. Giving back to the community has and continues to be extremely important to Melody.

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Melody has had the opportunity to explore optometry outside of Auckland, this involved observational placements during her final year in Hamilton and Whakatane. Not only did she get hands on experience with interesting cases that most only read about in text books she was inspired by the connection the staff members had with the patients. This is an integral part of Melody’s career as she has for two thirds of her life worked in a local family business. Melody enjoyed the sense of community and being part of something bigger. Needless to say, Melody went back to Whakatane for her externship, this time as a practicing optometrist.

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Melody has since been practicing around central Auckland until an opportunity became available to join the clinical team at Mortimer Hirst. This was an amazing opportunity that few get the opportunity to apply for, working with and being mentored by one of the leading clinical teams in New Zealand whom are renowned internationally.

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Melody’s other interests are  tutoring A Level and NCEA scholarship, spending her spare time volunteering as a kitchen hand for an organization called “Everybody Eats” as well as practicing Ashtanga yoga.

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