Dr. Samuelson was born and raised in Southern California. She received her undergraduate degree in human biology from Stanford, where she competed with the women’s basketball program in two Final Fours across 4 years. She then went on to receive her Doctorate of Optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry, where she met her husband, with Summa Cum Laude honors in 2020.
Dr. Samuelson completed externships with Orange County Retina and Coastal Vision where she received training on posterior and anterior segment disease in addition to dry eye management. She also co-managed LASIK/PRK patients, post-cataract surgery patients, and corneal cross-linking referrals. Additionally, Dr. Samuelson completed a rotation at the University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Los Angeles where she focused on pediatric vision care of all ages as well as fit specialty contact lenses for irregular corneas. Dr. Samuelson also completed an externship at the Long Beach VA where she treated veterans with a variety of ocular conditions, with a focus on managing glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Dr. Samuelson is national board and glaucoma certified, and licensed in the use of diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents. She is also passionate about community service, having made mission trips to Mexico to provide comprehensive eye exams, and volunteering in the Special Olympics healthy eyes program. Dr. Samuelson’s favorite part of her job is getting to know her patients and providing them with the best eye care possible. When she is not at work, she enjoys traveling to new places and watching movies with her husband. Her other interests include playing basketball with her two younger sisters, Karlie and Katie Lou, playing tennis, walking her two black Labradors, and going to the beach.