Leah Meulendijks graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2011 and is a proud Australasian College of Behavioural Optometry member. From her student days to now, Leah has remained deeply committed to making independent eye care easily accessible for everyone, a passion that has driven her career for as long as she can remember.
“When I was a teenager, I struggled with constant headaches, especially while studying. I saw an optometrist, but due to their limited knowledge of binocular vision dysfunction, my condition went undiagnosed. It wasn’t until I became an optometrist myself that I understood the cause of my headaches. Discovering that many children suffer from similar issues ignited my passion for paediatric optometry. Helping children regain their confidence in school has been incredibly rewarding.”
Leah is passionate about independent practice because it allows her to offer her patients the best possible treatments and products. “For me, nothing compares to the autonomy of independent practice. It allows me to manage complex cases, remove foreign bodies, and provide thorough treatments for conditions like dry eye, paediatric myopia, and ocular diseases.”
“There are no limits on what we can offer: how often we can bring patients back for follow-up care or how long we can spend with them. I can take the time and extra care that I know will make such a difference to not only my patients' eye health and their quality of life as much as it reflects both my love for my work and the joy I get from working with each of my patients.”
Growing up in country Northern Victoria, Leah chose to return to her regional roots after graduation. She believes that practising in a rural setting not only strengthens her clinical skills but also gives her the chance to give back to her community in a meaningful way.
Outside of the practice, Leah enjoys competing and breeding show-jumping horses. She loves spending her weekends riding and exploring local eateries, embracing the rural lifestyle she holds dear.