Fulfilling his dream of private practice ownership

ADAM YOUNG, OD ’14, didn’t have an eye exam until he was in college. “I saw well. I had no complaints,” he says. “In a lot of communities, if you’re not complaining, why go?”

Dr. Young finally made the appointment because of his father, who had a traumatic eye injury as a child and later developed diabetes. “I was doing research for him to help make sure he wouldn’t lose his vision,” Dr. Young says. “It piqued my interest in learning more about eyes. From there, I looked into being a doctor. Optometry had a whole lot to offer.”

Now Dr. Young is showing his patients in Duluth, Georgia, what optometry can offer to them. He and his wife, CHRISTINA PHAN, OD ’14, (the couple met at SCO) started First Class Eye Care in December 2020 to bring high-end optometry to the Atlanta suburbs. Dr. Young, who previously worked in corporate optometry, and Dr. Phan, who practiced at an ophthalmology clinic, were spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic to take their careers into their own hands.

“I always wanted to be my own boss and make decisions for the patients we take care of,” Dr. Young says. “Having that experience in the corporate world, there were things I felt we could do differently to set us apart from our competition.”

Customer service at First Class Eye Care begins before patients even enter the office. The receptionist answers the phone by asking, “How can we help you and your eyes today?” Once patients arrive, they are offered drinks and snacks. Glasses are dispensed in custom wood trays with a gift bag including a lens cloth, spray, and Ferrero Rocher chocolate. “We’re trying to roll out the red carpet for them,” Dr. Young says.

Patient visits are scheduled for every 30 minutes to provide enough time for questions and discussion. Dr. Phan practices primary care and specializes in glaucoma management and dry eye. Dr. Young, who along with primary care specializes in diabetic exams and scleral contact lenses, ends each exam by educating the patient on eye health and explaining any diagnoses or prescriptions in detail. “I want to make sure they’re coming to us for answers, versus Google,” he says.

Along with launching the new practice, Dr. Young is working with Joseph Hauser, Vice President for Student Services at SCO, on strategies to encourage minority student recruitment. A former SCO student ambassador, Dr. Young says he’s happy to give back to his alma mater — and to help more students of color learn about optometry. “We want to invest in our future leaders,” he says.

Dr. Young says he felt like part of a family at SCO. “I felt like I owed it to SCO to not only do well during optometry school, but also to be successful after graduating,” he says.

“I’m beyond grateful that they gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream.”