A Short Conversation with Dr. Mark Colip, ASCO President

A Short Conversation with Dr. Mark Colip, ASCO President

During ASCO’s Annual Business meeting in June, ASCO swears in a new President for the upcoming 12 months. This year, Dr. Mark Colip was sworn in as ASCO’s President.

Dr. Mark Colip is currently serving as President of Illinois College of Optometry (ICO). As testament to his values, passion, and vision, ICO’s Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Dr. Colip as the right President for ICO in 2018. He had worked closely with three previous presidents of ICO and had been involved in many phases of ICO's development. Prior to his inauguration as President, Dr. Colip served at ICO for more than 25 years and today leads efforts to advance the College’s mission and celebrated ICO’s 150th anniversary last year.

Dr. Colip chatted with ASCO’s Director of Communications, Kimberly O’Sullivan to talk about the upcoming year.

ASCO: Dr. Colip, congratulations on becoming ASCO President. It seems like the pandemic is (hopefully) firmly behind us and things are back to normal. Meetings are in person, students are back in the classroom, etc. Would you agree? How have things been with you these past several months getting things back to normal?

Dr. Mark Colip: Yes, it does seem like the international pandemic has subsided, and for the most part, schools seem to be getting into the new normal for operations. We are all enjoying being back to in-person meetings and conferences and having students in the classroom. Masking seems to be a thing of the past as well.

I certainly prefer present conditions over what we all went through in the early months of the pandemic. One of the best things that came from the pandemic, however, was the fact that it brought my fellow optometry institution’s Deans and Presidents closer together as a group. We now gather monthly to share information, best practices, challenges and solutions, and fellowship. I, for one, am happy these informal Zoom conversations have continued. 

ASCO: I understand your background is in student affairs. Is that true? How has your experience in student affairs allowed you to excel as President of ICO and ASCO President?  

MC: Yes, I spent 25 years of my career in optometry admissions and student affairs before I moved to the President’s Office at ICO five years ago. Prior to going to optometry school, I was a paramedic. I worked on ambulances, fire department rescue engines, and on a helicopter at a major hospital and trauma center in Indianapolis. During those last three years, I was teaching at that same hospital, which is likely where I got the bug for going into optometric education. All of our life experiences contribute to the people that we become and the interests that we pursue. 

ASCO: Very well said. Thank you. Now let’s talk about ASCO. What are you looking forward to most as President of ASCO? What will be some of your top priorities this year?

MC: It will be important that we continue to advance ASCO’s new Strategic Plan. ASCO has progressed quite a bit in the past few years, and a lot of people have worked diligently to get the organization to where it is today. ASCO’s public awareness campaign, Optometry Gives Me Life (OGML), remains our number one priority, and we are making progress in increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of the applicant pool. Our last application cycle showed promising results with an increase the applicant pool. There are many health professions with a decline in applicants, as well as a decrease in undergraduate admissions, so we are happy to see an increase in optometry school applications.

I also will be working with ASCO’s CEO/EVP, Dawn Mancuso, and the Executive Committee to fully staff the organization. ASCO has benefitted from a small, yet wonderful and dedicated staff and without them, the work doesn’t get done. And I would be remiss without mentioning the commitment and passion of our volunteers.

Providing for the future of ASCO by making sure our finances are in order and sustainable is also a priority. I’ll be attending events and working alongside those planning and helping prepare the next generation of leaders in optometric education.

ASCO: Let’s get to know you better on a personal level. Why did you choose the career of optometry? Tell me more about your path to you becoming the President of ICO. What did you find most appealing about the field of optometry, particularly academia?

MC: Like many, my own Doctor of Optometry was the one that inspired me to pursue optometry as a career. Previously, I had been on the pre-med track, but that all changed when I spent time shadowing my OD during my sophomore year of college.

It seemed to me that he was offering his patients everything that I thought I would do as a family practice doctor after medical school. He loved what he was doing, took great care of his patients and made a comfortable living.

After optometry school, I went into private practice, which I really enjoyed, but something was missing. I realized that I missed the educational environment and the challenging patients that we saw at ICO and the Illinois Eye Institute. So, I went back to complete a residency and then went into administration and student affairs.

I really enjoyed helping young people learn about all that the profession has to offer in a career, and then helping them with their planning to complete the curriculum and pre-requisites required for admission to ICO.

ASCO: I don’t think we talk enough about academic optometry. Can you elaborate more about being a Doctor of Optometry working in academia?

MC: Academia really presents a great career pathway for optometrists. You are surrounded by intelligent people, students, and residents that really keep you on your toes, all while keeping abreast of emerging technology, relevant and improved teaching techniques, and solutions and treatments that we can offer our patients. Having the opportunity to inspire the next generation of optometrists and healthcare providers is a really special opportunity. 

ASCO: Tell me more about ICO.

MC: ICO is a great place and it has been my second home since I was a student. We just celebrated the school’s 150th anniversary and with that brings many traditions and people that are experts in their field. The neighborhood and patients that we serve are also quite special. Without ICO being located where it is, those patients would not have opportunities to be examined and treated by some of the brightest minds in eyecare. Our facilities and equipment are state-of-the-art and the people who work there are like family to me.

ASCO: Thank you. Speaking of Illinois and Chicago, what are some of your favorite places to go? What would you recommend people visit when they are in town?

MC: Chicago is a world-class city! Museums, galleries, sporting events, neighborhood festivals, music venues, the lakefront and beaches, some of the best restaurants in the world and two major airports are for all to enjoy. There is so much to do depending upon your interests, all I would say is to plan your visit for several days since, even then, you will only scratch the surface of all that Chicago offers.

ASCO: This may be the most important question I ask: Where would you recommend people go if they want authentic Chicago-style pizza? 

MC: There are lots of great pizza places. UNO’s has sentimental value for me because that is where I told my date (at the time) that I had a good feeling about us and that someday she would marry me. We just celebrated 37 years of marriage.

ASCO: I love that so much! And now I want pizza. Lol. We like to ask everyone we speak with to say something about the field of optometry that people may not know. Or, what would you say to someone with the aptitude for optometry but may not know about the field?

MC: A career in optometry is such a great way for a doctor to provide excellent patient care in an environment that is comfortable for both the doctor and patient, and the result of that care is tremendously impactful on the everyday lives of our patients.

I would ask those with an aptitude for a health care profession if they knew that sometimes a Doctor of Optometry is the *first* healthcare provider to diagnose diabetes. People may know ODs diagnose and treat glaucoma, but did they know that they also can diagnose heart disease? There’s emerging research indicating that some of the specialized instrumentation that we use in our offices allow ODs to see signs of dementia earlier than other healthcare providers. Being a Doctor of Optometry, in my opinion, is one of the best healthcare professions available.

A great place to begin an exploration of a career in optometry is with a Doctor of Optometry. In fact, ASCO is launching a service very soon that will match ODs with aspiring students for shadowing opportunities either in-person or virtually. It’s called Eye Opener Sessions and more information can be found on the futureeyedoc.org website.    

ASCO: Please tell us a little about your life outside of the workplace. What do you like to do outside of work?

MC: I love spending time with my wife and our children. Whether for family dinners or doing something fun together. My favorite place is at a lake house where we all enjoy water sports.

Thank you for your time Dr. Colip! We look forward to having a very productive year ahead!