Current or recent IAUPR students

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Pre-optometryStudent33

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2014
Messages
25
Reaction score
6
Hey guys,
I have been accepted to IAUPR and another school. I was leaning heavily towards IAUPR mainly because of much lower costs and some other reasons. I am aware of the negativity towards the school and some of its flaws. I have a few major concerns though. First is the self-study aspect..i know its a graduate school and independent study is required and expected but a 2011 graduate told me that sometimes lectures were basically overview and they had to go out and research the terms mentioned to learn what they meant and were basically google-taught. I wanted to know if thats true and that proper lecture notes are not provided? Second I was told that students have to maintain a very high gpa (~3.5) in order to stay in the school. Is that true?
Any information would be really helpful! And to those who did not go to this school please dont reply with 'dont go here' posts. I have my personal reasons for prefering IAUPR over the others.

Members don't see this ad.
 
IAUPR was my first choice as well. The lower cost of the tuition was definitely a big draw as I was out of state for every other school. I also liked the Spanish aspect. Another plus of IAUPR is the class size of 60. We all know our professors, and they know us. They are easy to approach. I also recommend getting involved in clubs, the AOSA, and other school activities as there are many opportunities.

As far as the curriculum, a 2011 graduate had different courses than a current student. They revamped the curriculum right after that class graduated. I hear the current curriculum is much better.

I feel like the professors present us with a lot of information. I can't compare our school to any other schools as I have not attended anywhere but IAUPR. I do read books in addition to lectures for a better understanding, but I find that normal practice as I did that in undergrad. The classes range in difficulty. Some I take a lot of notes during lecture in addition to given materials and reading books and others are sufficient with just listening and reading the power point presentations outside of class for studying. Sometimes, I feel prepared for the exams, and they are more difficult than I had anticipated. I don't believe any optometry school is going to be "easy." I don't feel like I am teaching myself the material; instead, I am studying the material. I will begin studying for boards this summer, and then I will for sure know if I feel adequately prepared or not.

As far as the 3.5 GPA. That is false!! Or a lot of people would be in trouble.

And if your personal reasons include the lovely weather and beach, that's okay.
 
First is the self-study aspect..i know its a graduate school and independent study is required and expected but a 2011 graduate told me that sometimes lectures were basically overview and they had to go out and research the terms mentioned to learn what they meant and were basically google-taught. I wanted to know if thats true and that proper lecture notes are not provided?
This is the biggest joke of a school I could possibly imagine and it was the worst mistake of my life to come here. Absolutely the courses are google-taught. Maybe 2-3 of the ~15 or so professors actually has any clue what they are talking about. Proper lecture notes are not provided.

Second I was told that students have to maintain a very high gpa (~3.5) in order to stay in the school. Is that true?
Don't know where this came from. 2.0 is the gpa and below that you get kicked out.
Any information would be really helpful! And to those who did not go to this school please dont reply with 'dont go here' posts. I have my personal reasons for prefering IAUPR over the others.
Don't go here. I wish I would have put more weight into the advice of the posters on this and other forums. It takes a particular disdain to come back onto a forum like this and try to warn others. We are not taught anything and must do everything ourselves including in clinic.
Whiterabbit, i'm pretty sure the creator of this post already said don't make "don't go here" comments. You should respect the wishes of the poster and take your disgruntled comments elsewhere. Thank you
 
Members don't see this ad :)
As loptometriste said the 2011 class was the last class to have the old curriculum. The new curriculum was created after their class to better reflects what is on boards. Lectures are a general overview of what you should know but the teachers speak in great depth about what is on the slides. They do spend time explaining concepts and if there is something you do not understand you can ask the teacher in or after class, go to their office hours to discuss any questions, or read the textbook to understand.

The GPA required to remain in the school is a 2.0. If you have anymore questions please feel free to message me!
 
You should respect the wishes of the poster and take your disgruntled comments elsewhere.
6ik4Ah
 
First is the self-study aspect..i know its a graduate school and independent study is required and expected but a 2011 graduate told me that sometimes lectures were basically overview and they had to go out and research the terms mentioned to learn what they meant and were basically google-taught. I wanted to know if thats true and that proper lecture notes are not provided?
This is the biggest joke of a school I could possibly imagine and it was the worst mistake of my life to come here. Absolutely the courses are google-taught. Maybe 2-3 of the ~15 or so professors actually has any clue what they are talking about. Proper lecture notes are not provided.

Second I was told that students have to maintain a very high gpa (~3.5) in order to stay in the school. Is that true?
Don't know where this came from. 2.0 is the gpa and below that you get kicked out.
Any information would be really helpful! And to those who did not go to this school please dont reply with 'dont go here' posts. I have my personal reasons for prefering IAUPR over the others.
Don't go here. I wish I would have put more weight into the advice of the posters on this and other forums. It takes a particular disdain to come back onto a forum like this and try to warn others. We are not taught anything and must do everything ourselves including in clinic.

First of all, whiterabbit74, if you did not expect to do some self-studying in a doctoral level, I highly recommend you re-evaluate your time management and study skills because that is highly encouraged and taught throughout high school. The whole notion of 'teach a man how to fish, and not fish for them' strongly applies here. I know students that purely used their notes to study for boards, and of course the recommended reading material/books, and they passed with flying colours. Clinically, this school is great in a sense that they really throw you out there to learn. You cannot learn just by watching.

Everything is taught in clinic, and if you have any misunderstandings or issues, the clinicians are more than happy to help. Upon request, the clinic is often open on saturdays so students get more practice. I must stress that this is not elementary school anymore; nobody should be spoon fed. If you expect someone to hold your hand throughout the program, then apologies, but this is not the right school for you, nor is it the right profession.

It is unfortunate that this student feels this way, but there is going to be one of those and each and every school. Do your research and choose wisely. You've gotten this far, so trust what you know, and compile all your resources to make, what i hope to be, a decision best suited for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top