Any current students regret choosing NECO/ICO/PCO?

[lets]

What are some things you don't like about your school? Which school would you choose instead if you are given another chance?

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[Groucho Marx]

I regret choosing PCO. There are quite a few people on here who have been giving the reasons for why a decent amount of people seem to be disappointed by this school. It's fairly basic. The tuition is way too high, the class size is much too big for the amount of professors. The equipment at school (not the clinic) is old and sometimes doesn't even work well enough for students to learn with. They put you out on externships earlier than any other school (I think) and start you seeing patients in your second year, and while that seems good on paper, it's just not that reasonable. Everything ends up feeling so crammed and rushed. It makes the experience so much more stressful than it ever needs to be. It also puts people at a disadvantage for the first part of boards.

But probably the most disappointing thing to me about this school is how they seem to be concerned with making so much money off the students. They fail people and make them repeat certain courses (sometimes even entire years) for really unnecessary reasons. It makes people really nervous and creates a negative atmosphere.

I've also personally dealt with professors who have been condescending and rude, and who seem like they're just really sick of teaching. There is a lot of disorganization with the program as a whole. It's sad because there are a lot of good teachers here who really care, but the school really needs to clean up certain departments. They're trying to implement some big changes, so I really do hope things get better, but I've been let down quite a few times

 

[Rain Clouds]

Second year at ICO. No regrets.

Well you have to deal with more cold than SCCO or Arizona, but you're comparing ICO/NECO/PCO, so I'm assuming you have a nice heavy coat. Polar vortex, now that's something I never need to experience again...

 

[BeesKnees22]

I've been on this site for a while now, though I haven't read the forums for a bit. I came back, saw this thread, and thought I would weigh in. I have also been disappointed with my experiences at PCO and wish that I could go back and choose a different school. The above poster pretty much summed it up.

This program is just way too rushed, and it's easy to see where the quality starts to drop, especially when it comes to academics. I'm forced to cram here a lot, and then even with doing well, I feel like I don't have a thorough grasp of certain important topics. They do get you into clinic early, but you can't rush something as important as being a doctor. With clinical work and exams, it's hard to ever go to class.

I also agree about feeling that certain professors can be rude. I have felt disrespected on too many occasions. I also don't like that the school will threaten to fail students in certain classes for little mistakes that sometimes aren't even the fault of the student. It definitely creates a really tense, anxious atmosphere.

I really do not feel happy here very often, just on edge about everything--wondering that the school has in store for me next. I wish I had more time to focus on the academic work before working with patients. The clinic hours can be long and tiring, especially for someone who is just starting out and who is still expected to be taking major exams.

I can only hope that the good, honest professors will start to stand up more for the students.

I've heard good things about ICO and SCO, so if I were to do things again, I would probably choose one of those schools.

 

[bluexparadise]

What are some things you don't like about your school? Which school would you choose instead if you are given another chance?

After reading 2 of the negative posts about PCO, I feel like I should put my input on here too. I honestly love PCO. When I was applying to optometry schools, I was all about SUNY/NECO. PCO was the last school on my mind, but in the end I had no choice but to come here and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I love the people I've met. Everyone here is very friendly (classmate wise). There are some good and bad professors here, but coming from a decent undergrad, I'm used to professors being vague about what they mean and how unhelpful they can be. In the end, it's all about self learning and what you can pick up from classes yourself. Your undergrad experiences should have taught you those skills already. Of course, there are also professors who are willing to help out and there are a few professors that many of the PCO graduates will remember forever (ex. Dr. Lombardi).
As for cramming, I've heard from my SUNY friends that they some skills like DO and slit lamps earlier than we do yet they aren't starting clinic earlier. That's could be why we have a couple of weeks of summer class after our 1st year while SUNY students get that full summer off. It all balances itself out in the end. I've also heard from a friend's friend who's at ICO who is extremely stressful everyday and says that in their school, they'd be lucky enough to maintain a C. This could be just her or this could be many other people in ICO. I honestly don't know. In the end, you will feel like you're cramming a lot wherever you go. It's not an easy program and it's tough, but with time management, you will be fine.
Our equipment in the lab is a bit old, things break once in a while, but they get fixed the next day as long as someone reports it. It's not such a big deal. It may be a bit concerning if on ur practical day, one of the equipment fails to work, but proctors usually are understanding of the circumstances and would make amends to make sure the practical proceeds fairly.
My only complaint would be the tuition is high and the equipment we have to purchase are also more expensive than what SUNY students or other students may have to pay. Then again, it is a private school so all prices are raised up a bit.
it's all about how well you adjust to a new environment. If you enter in with a mindset that ur gonna hate this school, then you're gonna hate it. Whatever school you pick in the future, be happy with it and think positively of it. You'll be so stressed out with exams and practicals that there will be no more time or energy spent on contemplating whether this school is really worse than other schools or not. Every school has their shortcomings and problems. Just make the best out of it.

 

[BeesKnees22]

After reading 2 of the negative posts about PCO, I feel like I should put my input on here too. I honestly love PCO. When I was applying to optometry schools, I was all about SUNY/NECO. PCO was the last school on my mind, but in the end I had no choice but to come here and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I love the people I've met. Everyone here is very friendly (classmate wise). There are some good and bad professors here, but coming from a decent undergrad, I'm used to professors being vague about what they mean and how unhelpful they can be. In the end, it's all about self learning and what you can pick up from classes yourself. Your undergrad experiences should have taught you those skills already. Of course, there are also professors who are willing to help out and there are a few professors that many of the PCO graduates will remember forever (ex. Dr. Lombardi).
As for cramming, I've heard from my SUNY friends that they some skills like DO and slit lamps earlier than we do yet they aren't starting clinic earlier. That's could be why we have a couple of weeks of summer class after our 1st year while SUNY students get that full summer off. It all balances itself out in the end. I've also heard from a friend's friend who's at ICO who is extremely stressful everyday and says that in their school, they'd be lucky enough to maintain a C. This could be just her or this could be many other people in ICO. I honestly don't know. In the end, you will feel like you're cramming a lot wherever you go. It's not an easy program and it's tough, but with time management, you will be fine.
Our equipment in the lab is a bit old, things break once in a while, but they get fixed the next day as long as someone reports it. It's not such a big deal. It may be a bit concerning if on ur practical day, one of the equipment fails to work, but proctors usually are understanding of the circumstances and would make amends to make sure the practical proceeds fairly.
My only complaint would be the tuition is high and the equipment we have to purchase are also more expensive than what SUNY students or other students may have to pay. Then again, it is a private school so all prices are raised up a bit.
it's all about how well you adjust to a new environment. If you enter in with a mindset that ur gonna hate this school, then you're gonna hate it. Whatever school you pick in the future, be happy with it and think positively of it. You'll be so stressed out with exams and practicals that there will be no more time or energy spent on contemplating whether this school is really worse than other schools or not. Every school has their shortcomings and problems. Just make the best out of it.

I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your Salus experience. Do you mind my asking what year you're in? I am just curious--not trying to be argumentative. I only ask because I do think that the school might be trying to make some positive changes (new dean, new president, etc.). In my time here, I have seen quite a few students (and professors) angry and disappointed with certain policies, lack of technology, old equipment, and general disorganization that I can only hope that the school is starting to listen about these problems. I think that the problems are at least being talked about and admitted to much more than they were before. Admission is the first step toward change.


I won't deny that I've had many genuinely disappointing and frustrating experiences here, but if things are looking up, then that's something I like to hear. Personally, I still would not consider coming here again. I think that things like the very high tuition and large classes are still rather detrimental. Maybe they've improved the lab and the practicals because when I was in that boat it often was a huge deal. Equipment broke and there wasn't enough when it came time for the heavy practicing. Also, if you had broken equipment during a practical it could really affect your results, and I saw times where this wasn't taken into consideration. I saw a lot of unfairness involved with this class, but I think that the students started to get really vocal about these issues, so perhaps it's getting better. I really can't say.


Yes, the volume of material will likely be high in any doctoral program, but I do think that there are many times where the early clinic overlaps in a negative way with the academics. I think that at other schools one wouldn't be forced to cram as much. You're balancing full work days with academics. It adds to the stress. Some people don't mind it as much, but I think that the school should make these differences more clear to prospective students. I'm not doing poorly here, but I just think that this different approach isn't favored by everyone. I even think that some of the doctors here tend to agree that maybe clinic shouldn't be started so soon. It's a personal issue, I suppose.


Like I said, I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying your experience so far. But I do disagree with your statements about coming in with a positive or negative mindset. I came in very positive and tried to remain positive for as long as I could. I still try to look for the positive. However, when it comes to your lived experiences, there are times when positive thinking isn't going to do enough to outweigh a bad experience. Sometimes you just have to admit to yourself that things aren't how they should be (this could really go for any aspect of life.) To tell someone to be happy with his or her choice and not think about other roads is easier said than done. There is value in comparing schools and in drawing attention to issues because it brings about change. I might also add that just because your undergrad professors were also vague and unhelpful in certain circumstances, it doesn't excuse professors here or anywhere else. A lot of people (myself included) do tend to teach themselves a lot of the material at this level, but clear instruction should always be an option.


Anyway, I hope your post is a sign of good things to come at this school. It will be interesting to see if things like the academic board scores, student donation rates, and average incoming test scores and GPAs improve. I hope that I can someday check back in with this school and hear that a lot of the major issues have been fixed. I will agree that there seem to be a lot of nice students in the various classes.

Good luck with everything.

 

[drumstix]

Second year at ICO. No regrets.

Well you have to deal with more cold than SCCO or Arizona, but you're comparing ICO/NECO/PCO, so I'm assuming you have a nice heavy coat. Polar vortex, now that's something I never need to experience again...

this is you for ICO lol:

 

[Rain Clouds]

Drink the kool-aid, drumstix.