College and Beyond

When I was in high school, struggling with trying to decide what to do with my life, Allison suggested optometry. I had worked with optometrists with Amigos and this seemed like a perfect match. It was a good blend of medical, interesting, but eliminating most emergency work and night call. I chose to go to Oregon State as it had a cooperative program with Pacific University of Optometry. I could take three years in the undergraduate program at OSU and then overlap my first year at Pacific with requirements to graduate from OSU. I carried 19-20 credits a semester, but shaved a year off the time needed to get the degrees.

Oregon State was a great experience, other than the first roommate I had. She came from a family of 9 children and had never been away from home. The first hour I was in the dorm with her she pronounced that I needed to see a psychiatrist! (And I was thinking the same thing about her!!) We managed to get through the first year even though she would help herself to my clothes without permission …after that I had a wonderful roommate with no problems. We often got several girls together in the evening and played card games -- primarily hearts- while listening to Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell wail out ballads. The food in the dorm was pretty shaky with something we called seafood surprise showing up with too much frequency (something disgusting in a cream sauce on rice). We did make our way to Taco Bell and to TOGO submarines sandwiches a few times a week. I worked in the kitchen in the morning for extra money. I primarily washed dishes -- mindless work but early in the morning so it didn’t interfere with classes.

While I was going to Oregon State, I dated a boy from California. He was getting a forestry degree. Looking back at it I’m pretty glad the relationship didn’t last as he wasn’t going to be making much of his life (mom later told me she thought he was a drip and I think she had it figured). I do give her lots of credit for not interfering in our relationships or giving out too much advice- I’m sure I would have dug my heals in just to prove I was right rather than giving up the relationship.

Pacific University College in Optometry was a great match for me. In a class of 80 students, 10 of us were female. The curriculum was interesting and challenging. Tuition my first year was about $5000. I lived off campus and rent was about $100 per month. I managed to finish school with loans of about $23,000. For comparison, Judy’s tuition, room and board at BU was $24,000 after a $17,000 scholarship, at CU is about $18,000 per year and Kate’s at UPS is $37,000 after a $6,000 scholarship.

During my first year in optometry school we were paired with a senior “mentor.” I was paired with Frank Puckett- originally from Lewiston, Montana. When he walked into the room I felt that “love at first sight” you hear about. I KNEW I would be marrying him. I’m not sure he knew or felt that, but maybe I wooed him through many good meals I cooked for him!

I had several jobs in optometry school. The most lucrative one was at the Red Baron Steak House. This was at the local airfield and catered to business people. At this job I learned the importance of respecting and being pleasant to all people, even those we perceive to be in inferior positions. I certainly had some people treat me poorly since I was a waitress, but many more were really nice and appreciated the hard work that waitressing is. The tips were great since it was a steak house! I also worked at a TA for the lab where the students learned how to administer all the tests and measurements required in a comprehensive exam. Nada Lingel and I were great friends and partners in this and also traveled with the professor to teach other doctors already in practice how to use new instrumentation.