I want to know if current students are genuinely happy. Everyone I meet at these schools seem to go on and on about how everyone is super nice and willing to help each other, how there is a great student community, etc. How much of this do you find to be true? Do you feel that you've made life-long friends here? Also, how approachable is the faculty...really? I want complete honestly, without the up-sell that is expected when one goes on school tours.
Are you happy at ICO/PCO/NECO?
- Thread starter wd114
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 23
Disclaimer: I am an ICO student, and so really only speak from my ICO experience.
>>I want to know if current students are genuinely happy.
Perhaps I'm being a little facetious and philosophical, but genuinely happy people don't get their happiness from optometry school. If you haven't found genuine happiness outside of your career, then I don't think you'll ever find it in any career. If you can find happiness outside of your circumstances, the. You will be truly happy.
>>Everyone I meet at these schools seem to go on and on about how everyone is super nice and willing to help each other, how there is a great student community, etc. How much of this do you find to be true?
Think of the personality qualities that make a great doctor. Friendliness, approachability, genuine care. Then throw all those sorts of people in a school for four years. Future optometrists are friendly to a fault and so your statement is absolutely true. Schools self-select this population, and it's immediately evident when you get here. I've been really pushing my fellow students at ICO to be considerate and helpful to one another, and it's a challenge I really put out to everyone. Community starts with a bunch of individuals, and if you are nice and willing to help your fellow student, you'll see the same in kind done for you.
>>Do you feel that you've made life-long friends here?
Anyone who can put up with a rant about coding for blepharitis, or gets excited about divergence therapy techniques is a friend to me. Ha. It's like being in the trenches of war with the same group of people for three years. It builds friendships fast, you'll see.
>>Also, how approachable is the faculty...really?
Really? Really approachable. I mean, I think I know way too much about their spouses and kids and how many dogs they have. I probably have way too many on my Facebook friends list. Why do I know what they did on vacation? The deal is that they know everyone at school is going to be a colleague really soon. They know exactly where you've been. They've sat in that lecture room. So relatability to the max. And again see the comment about the student community. The whole community of the faculty is an extension of that. If you're not approachable, then you're probably not a very good doctor, and so you're probably not getting a job on ICO faculty.
>>I want complete honestly, without the up-sell that is expected when one goes on school tours.
The honest truth is that the community in the schools is one of the strongest communities you probably could experience. It's not like undergrad where it's a bunch of people doing their own thing and going off in different directions. Everyone is doing the same thing, striving for a common goal, and needing lots of help along the way.
The downside you're looking for is this. Optometry school is tough. It wears you down. It takes your time and energy and sucks it away with zero remorse. It's like being in the trenches, again. But your buddies right next to you and your leaders at the front line are doing what they can to get you out alive.
If you got any specific ICO related questions I'd be happy to answer.
>>I want to know if current students are genuinely happy.
Perhaps I'm being a little facetious and philosophical, but genuinely happy people don't get their happiness from optometry school. If you haven't found genuine happiness outside of your career, then I don't think you'll ever find it in any career. If you can find happiness outside of your circumstances, the. You will be truly happy.
>>Everyone I meet at these schools seem to go on and on about how everyone is super nice and willing to help each other, how there is a great student community, etc. How much of this do you find to be true?
Think of the personality qualities that make a great doctor. Friendliness, approachability, genuine care. Then throw all those sorts of people in a school for four years. Future optometrists are friendly to a fault and so your statement is absolutely true. Schools self-select this population, and it's immediately evident when you get here. I've been really pushing my fellow students at ICO to be considerate and helpful to one another, and it's a challenge I really put out to everyone. Community starts with a bunch of individuals, and if you are nice and willing to help your fellow student, you'll see the same in kind done for you.
>>Do you feel that you've made life-long friends here?
Anyone who can put up with a rant about coding for blepharitis, or gets excited about divergence therapy techniques is a friend to me. Ha. It's like being in the trenches of war with the same group of people for three years. It builds friendships fast, you'll see.
>>Also, how approachable is the faculty...really?
Really? Really approachable. I mean, I think I know way too much about their spouses and kids and how many dogs they have. I probably have way too many on my Facebook friends list. Why do I know what they did on vacation? The deal is that they know everyone at school is going to be a colleague really soon. They know exactly where you've been. They've sat in that lecture room. So relatability to the max. And again see the comment about the student community. The whole community of the faculty is an extension of that. If you're not approachable, then you're probably not a very good doctor, and so you're probably not getting a job on ICO faculty.
>>I want complete honestly, without the up-sell that is expected when one goes on school tours.
The honest truth is that the community in the schools is one of the strongest communities you probably could experience. It's not like undergrad where it's a bunch of people doing their own thing and going off in different directions. Everyone is doing the same thing, striving for a common goal, and needing lots of help along the way.
The downside you're looking for is this. Optometry school is tough. It wears you down. It takes your time and energy and sucks it away with zero remorse. It's like being in the trenches, again. But your buddies right next to you and your leaders at the front line are doing what they can to get you out alive.
If you got any specific ICO related questions I'd be happy to answer.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 23
Just to clarify, this doesn't mean that everyone is nice all the time and your personality will mesh with everyone. That's just asking too much. But compared to the average population, optometrists do tend to be of a certain personality type, and you'll see it fast.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 23
I'll upload some pics when I go back to school tomorrow. I'm not sure how it compares to other private schools, but it's certainly not public university sized...
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2008
- Messages
- 410
- Reaction score
- 55
Heh, are we comparing it to PCO's massive gymnasium? If so, then yes.
It's small but how much space do you really need for an effective work-out? Sure, there are times where it will get really busy, but you pick your spots.
