It's hard to say which school is best since it is subjective. Everyone will tell you that you need to do your research on each school to decide what appeals to you. Where your degree is from won't make a difference on your paycheck. You will be paid what is appropriate for the practice location and work (cost of living, hours, production bonuses, etc). Doctors will hire the best applicant who can bring the most income into a practice whether by charming demeanor or added specialty services. Also, knowledge of a specialty or residency experience may help you get the job, but do not be fooled into thinking that they will bring you much, if ANY, increase in starting salary. A wide array of externship sites to choose from is fine and dandy, but you shouldn't rely on that to place you into a practice. You may find that there are locations hiring in the area your externship is in, but you don't want to be floundering around in your fourth year hoping for someone to hand you a job. There are many other sources that are equally helpful in finding a job such as the alumni network of the school (larger school=larger network!) or personal contacts you have made throughout school.
You will determine your practice
mode (private, corporate, academic, research).
To really maximize earning potential, ownership is what you should strive for.
Typically, I'd look at the board pass rates, clinic, and location:
Board pass rates, while not the end all, be all, are a good indication of how prepared a school's class is for the board exams. It is, ultimately down to the test-taker to pass the test so small differences aren't really a big deal (and they also may depend on the number of students in a class. The smaller the class size, the more % drop 1 nonpassing student will make.
The school's
clinic is one of the bigger draws for me. I was looking for a large clinic that had a wide patient base. Since actually seeing patients is the most important part of optometry school, it made sense for me to go to a school where the clinic would receive many patients with medical problems. You need to focus on quality and quantity. Seeing young college students all day will make you a refracting god, but you want to get a wide variety of experiences from fitting contact lenses to treating and managing glaucoma, etc. You will need to research school websites and query students/alumni to find out more about the clinic.
Location is also important to me because I want to live in a place that has things to do outside of school. Although free time is limited in optometry school, it still is nice to be able escape if only for the weekend. Another consideration is the scope of practice in the state. Maybe someone who knows can weigh in on how treatment and drugs are handled in the curriculum if they are out of the scope of the state. The local area will also determine the types of patients that you will be seeing in clinic. Some schools are near low income areas (see more advanced disease) while others have satellite clinics in many different locales (see different risk factor groups).
The best school for you will depend on your needs and wants. If you want to specialize in something, it will be for your own benefit because you want to or think that you can bring that service to your own community. Do not forget one of the biggest factors: cost. If you can't afford to pay off your loans, it doesn't really matter if you went to the school with the best everything. Likewise, if one school is giving you a fat ride, take it!
plug: ICOs latest 1st time board pass rates (
http://www.ico.edu/admissions/faq/#passrate).
ICOs clinic also sees many low income patients with state aid and also many patients with eye conditions of various stages.
