Alumni Focus on Mark Orso (OD'86)
DR. ORSO'S STORY
Hometown
Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently living in Fairfield Township, Ohio.
Which degree(s), related to optometry, did you earn at Ohio State?
OD'86
Who were your mentors at the College of Optometry? Who had a positive effect on your education?
I was Jackie Davis' (OD'81, MPH) first mentee, and she was my biggest supporter and inspiration to pursue optometry. The late William Riley, PhD, (head of Ohio State's physics department) was a positive influence on my education. I was an undecided major at Ohio State, and during an undergraduate organic chemistry lab, my TA told me about her friend who was looking for students to investigate the field of optometry. She invited me to explore the college and introduced me to LaMar Zigler (OD/MS'81). I shadowed Dr. Zigler on two occasions and fell in love with optometry. Angela Brown, PhD, taught optics during my first and second years, which was a very difficult subject for me. On several occasions Dr. Brown tutored me and encouraged me to study harder and spend more time on the subject. Mike Polasky (OD'69) also inspired me to not give up on obtaining my OD degree.
DR. ORSO'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY
Name of your employer(s) and title, including location.
I have been self-employed for 34 years at Dr. Mark Orso and Associates, Inc., sole proprietor, located at 9593 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati Ohio.
Give us a glimpse of your typical day as an optometrist.
I usually arrive at work at 10 a.m. I do administrative work and see patients until 6 p.m.
Which optometric issues concern you the most?
The lack of optometrists of color concerns me the most.
Why did you choose a career in optometry?
My shadowing experiences with Dr. Davis and Dr. Zigler were very instrumental in my choice to study optometry.
Where do you hope to see your optometric career in five years?
In the next five years I hope to be semi-retired, having two full-time optometrists on staff and seeing patients on an as-needed basis.
What is one piece of advice you can give OPT-IV students as they prepare to graduate and begin their optometric careers?
Be proud of their accomplishments and realize that optometry school has prepared them to be successful.
What does eye health, and eye care, mean for you?
This means that I am on the forefront of the overall health of patients. I truly believe that the eye is the window into the body.
DR. ORSO'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE
What were your most memorable moments at Ohio State?
My most memorable experiences were study sessions with my classmate, David Marshall (OD’86, MS’89). David was a genius and would make me a practice test for most classes. He would always say, “Don’t hassle it, man,“ when times were tough.
What do Ohio State and the College of Optometry mean to you and your family?
Ohio State and the College of Optometry saved me from a life of poverty. Being the youngest of eight kids being raised by a single mother, my future was not bright. Through education, I was able to be successful.
How do you stay connected with the College of Optometry?
I try to bring students up to campus for Admissions Visit Day, which will take place this year on September 28. I am very active in keeping track of the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) students. I attend the I-DOC program in the summer, and annually I attend the Dr. Welton Brunch. I recruit on a constant basis.
DR. ORSO'S FUN FACTS
What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?
I attend career fairs at elementary schools, I like putting puzzles together, and I golf a lot. My passion is the National Optometric Association (NOA) , and I'm currently the president-elect. This is tremendously important, as the NOA is constantly working to introduce more doctors of color to the great profession of optometry.
What is a fun, random fact about you?
My golfing friends call me Doc, and most of them do not know my real name!
What’s the best eye joke you’ve ever heard?
What has eyes but cannot see? A potato.
If not an optometrist, I would be …
A train conductor.