OD Spotlight: Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee

OD Spotlight: Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee

Nowadays, everyone you talk to has a busy schedule. Between work, family and extracurricular activities, it's always a scramble to find time to get everything done.

Dr. Bridgitte Shen Lee is one optometrist who seems to have found the answer. On top of helping run a successful eye care practice, being a consultant for a number of industry companies, and taking care of her family with young children, she has also found the time to run a travel CE business and volunteer with an organization dear to her heart.

A Whole New World

Born in China, Shen Lee immigrated the United States at the age of 14 with her parents who were both physicians. "They were some of the very first wave of physicians that were invited to the U.S. to do research," she recalled.

Although she considers herself an American having grown up in the U.S., Shen Lee has worked hard to also maintain her Asian heritage as she speaks fluent Chinese and she also is raising her two daughters to be bilingual and bicultural.

After opening Vision Optique in Houston with her partner in 1999, Shen Lee participated in a few CE traveling programs, but realized at the time none were taking trips to Asia. This, plus her Chinese knowledge and background, spurred her to form her own CE travel company, iTravelCE.

Great Wall

Attendees from iTravelCE's 2012 trip pose for a group photo on the Great Wall of China.

For the past five years, Shen Lee has been single-handedly coordinating yearly trips to China that include sightseeing, education and networking opportunities for optometrists and their companions. Shen Lee prides herself on being able to offer her guests once in a lifetime types of activities, such as a cruise down the Yangtze River or a trip to the Great Wall, and also offer them a real culinary experience by taking them to non-tourist restaurants.

"And the doctors really enjoy it because they’re traveling with someone they really trust and they have this great experience where everything is planned for them — they literally worry about nothing," Shen Lee added. "They just wake up and enjoy the day." 

While on the trip, each morning optometrists take part in the CE portion of the program. According to Shen Lee, all courses she offers are COPE approved and endorsed by her alma mater, the University of Houston College of Optometry. She Lee said the speakers she invites — who are some of the best in the industry — all have a long list of class options, which allows her to customize and pick the most current, relevant topics. "I always try to pick about a third of the lectures that are discussion-style friendly so we can learn from each other, kind of like best practices and pearls — the doctors really enjoy that," she added.

Additionally, optometrists on the trip have the opportunity to meet with local doctors and sometimes tour local optometry schools and eye clinics, giving them a real opportunity to learn how doctors operate in Asia. "When the entire eye care industry comes together — ophthalmology and optometry on a global scale — it benefits both the patients and the industry and everyone in the industry," She Lee said.

For the first time, iTravelCE is offering a trip to Japan in October 2016. In addition to CE in the morning, the trip's itinerary includes a tour of modern Tokyo, scenic Mt. Fuji and Hakone, and traditional Kyoto. And Shen Lee is currently in the planning stages for her 2017 trip, which will be to South Korea.

On Point

In addition to her love of traveling, Shen Lee also has another passion — ballet.

Although she always loved the art of ballet, she was never able to take it herself until she decided to take elective classes while pursuing her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in Austin. She also spent time volunteering for the school's on-campus theater so she could watch the performances for free.

China Counsel

Dr. Shen Lee (third from left) poses with members of the Counsel General of China at the Houston Ballet. As a member of the board of trustees for the Houston Ballet Foundation, Shen Lee will be assisting the Houston Ballet with going back to China.

About 10 years ago, Shen Lee was offered the chance to become involved in the arts community of Houston as she was appointed by the mayor to serve on the advisory board of the Miller Outdoor Theatre — a full-stage outdoor theater that offered free performances from March through November. "My goal was to make sure it wasn’t hidden — I wanted it to be public," she said.

After serving for five years, Shen Lee left the board due to family obligations. Then a few years later she was given the opportunity to get involved with the art form she so loves and now sits on the board of trustees for the Houston Ballet Foundation. And once again her bicultural background will be helping others as Shen Lee will be assisting the Houston Ballet with going back to China. 

For Shen Lee, being part of the community where she has her business and home is incredibly important. "I have been very active in the community because it’s a relationship that goes both ways," she explained. "With so many doctor choices around us, (patients) can choose to go to any of those other doctors but they give us their business. I think part of the reason ... is when patients see that we are an important part of the fabric of the community, they don't even think about it — they just want to support us."

And, she said, when living in a community everyone has to do their part to help make sure it’s safe, strong, and family-friendly and stays that way. “Part of doing so is by giving back in your talent, your time, your resources — whatever it is that you can give back.”

 

OD Spotlight takes a look at what interesting and unique things optometrists are doing outside of their practice, from hobbies to community work. If you'd like to be considered for a future OD Spotlight or would like to nominate someone, contact ODWeb's Content Director Corrie Pelc at [email protected]

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