PCO v. SUNY v. NOVA

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PCO v. SUNY v. NOVA (why did you choose it?)

I...
- live closest to PA and NY so those two are good choices for me since i want to stay close to family,
- am concerned about financials and would like to know whether other people have received scholarships from any of the three schools and if its not too forward, can i ask how much?
- would greatly appreciate responses about job availability after school dep on which school, board exam stats, and other related facts.

Basically...I'm having trouble deciding where to go 😕. All three schools seem really great to me! Any advice/feedback would be much appreciated. Especially regarding NOVA. Thanks!

😀
 
what are your pros and cons for nova?
 
Well... in terms of location, I've lived in FL before so there wouldn't really be any crazy adjustment period. I haven't been to the school yet but I'm pretty sure that the campus is amazing, etc. etc.

Other than that, I don't have many pros in terms of academics. It worries me that the school is relatively new and I've heard that they've lost accredidation before (not sure if that's true). Also, I think that PCO and NOVA are on two ends of the spectrum...PCO has the reputation and NOVA doesn't. It's like when you were applying to college, comparing an Ivy to all the other schools in the bunch, the other schools are not necessarily bad but you know that the Ivy is a guaranteed plus.
 
I was interested in PCO and Nova. I visited PCO and was really impressed with their facilities but it was just too expensive for me. I visited Nova as well and their campus is beautiful, plus I got the chance to talk to a bunch of students and they all really enjoy being there! I ended up choosing SCO because it's cheaper, the cost of living is much lower and yeah, the whole reputation thing bothered me (about Nova) regardless of whether it's true or not. Sorry I can't help with SUNY!
 
Everytime I ask an optometrist about Nova, I keep getting the same comment: I am not very familiar with the school, or haven't they had some accreditation issues? This makes me so angry and confused, because I loved the school when I visited it. The facilities were great and the people were awesome, but I also want to go to a school that people know about. I know that Nova is new, and a lot of the doctors I have talked to are older... Anyone have any comments on this or experiencing the same issue? I guess I have until April to decide if I want to go there for sure......
 
tInAkRiS said:
Everytime I ask an optometrist about Nova, I keep getting the same comment: I am not very familiar with the school, or haven't they had some accreditation issues? This makes me so angry and confused, because I loved the school when I visited it. The facilities were great and the people were awesome, but I also want to go to a school that people know about. I know that Nova is new, and a lot of the doctors I have talked to are older... Anyone have any comments on this or experiencing the same issue? I guess I have until April to decide if I want to go there for sure......
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My optometrist said the same thing. He actually told me not to go there because of their accreditation issues (whether or not those are real I don't think anyone really knows). It seems like a really good school, I'm not sure why it has such a bad reputation.
 
To the OP: NOVA does not offer any scholarships, but if you finds some elsewhere you are more than welcome to use them. The school was really nice. The equipment was great and the students were happy to be there. NOVA is really expensive, but I'm not too sure how it compares to PCO or SUNY. My top choice is SCO, but NOVA was my second choice and I maybe leaning towards them.

How would you compare PR and NOVA as far as reputation? Do you all think optometrists have the same rxn to both schools?
 
I don't believe NOVA has ever LOST its accreditation. I think the issue stems from the fact that when it first opened its doors to the first class in the late 80's it was not accredited, but gained it by the time the first class graduated 1993. Rumor has it that they had some issues in the late 90's, but I don't think accreditation was ever withdrawn; perhaps they were placed on the "accredited with conditions" list? ACOE will have a site visit to NOVA again in 2012.

You can view accreditation actions by the ACOE here:

http://www.aoa.org/x5161.xml

(the archives only go back to 2003).
 
I'm only a first year at NOVA, so can't say much, but so far, I love it here =) You should base your decisions off where you feel most comfortable. I interviewed at PCO, SUNY, NECO, SCO, ICO and NOVA, and for me, NOVA fit me best. It was away from CA for one (wanted to explore a lil), but it still similar to CA, environment wise...which I liked.

So, my advice is to interview at each school, regardless of cost...and see which one you think fits you the best. Originally ICO was my top choice, but after visiting, I still liked it, but figured I couldn't do a lot of the stuff I like doing (outdoors stuff) there.

Pros of NOVA:
1. High 1st time passing board scores (part 1)- 89% and 90% past 2 years. (part 3 was 100% 1st time too last year)
2. Scrubs- they're comfy, you don't have to decide what to wear in the morning, and you don't have to dress business casual like some schools.
3. beautiful/modern campus (libraries, gym, theater, etc.)
4. suburban town (close to BEACHES, clubs, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc.)
5. interaction w/ other professional students at NOVA (socials, clubs, etc.)
6. clinic RIGHT next door
7. strong patient base w/ diversity
8. extracurricular clubs, Intramural sports, school events, etc.
9. plenty of tutoring help
10. Cheap cost of living (at least compared to big cities and CA)- rent is about ~$650 for a single right next to school or ON campus.

CONS
1. 4th year rotations pretty limited (one in China, couple outta state, but mostly in FL)
2. strict failing/drop out policy (they give you redeeming chances though)
3. Weather when it's humid or raining; otherwise, it's wonderful
4. Exams EVERY Monday, or even twice a week- in the end, it makes sense, so they don't cram it all in one week.
5. Everything else is pretty much generic of all schools...too much studying/ busywork, cost, etc.
6. Reputation: newer = less known in the OPTOMETRIC community (your patients won't care which school you go to as long as you have a degree and are competent). Also doesn't matter to me b/c I plan on going private, and doing residency.

I could probably add to either one of these lists, but I can't think of anything else right now.
Again, this is after only being here for about 4 months, so don't take my word for everything. Just come on over, ask a bunch of questions to your tour guide (which might be me =) and see whether NOVA is for you.

Oh, and finally, NOVA did lose their accredidation, or at least didn't obtain it, years ago. I think it did have something to do with being new, but I forgot. In either case, they're accredited until 2012, and I'm sure they won't have any problems in the future (from the good marks I hear they've received in the recent reviews). You can ask the the dean or associate dean about it, they'll be honest about it and tell you.


GL and hope this helps!
 
I asked the professors that interviewed me about the accredidation issue and they said they never lost their accredidation. When they first started the optometry school they had a provisional accredidation which they say all new schools have initially. Then when they were up for review they were told to fix some stuff which they did and now they are fully accredided.
 
a1bui said:
I'm only a first year at NOVA, so can't say much, but so far, I love it here =) You should base your decisions off where you feel most comfortable. I interviewed at PCO, SUNY, NECO, SCO, ICO and NOVA, and for me, NOVA fit me best. It was away from CA for one (wanted to explore a lil), but it still similar to CA, environment wise...which I liked.

So, my advice is to interview at each school, regardless of cost...and see which one you think fits you the best. Originally ICO was my top choice, but after visiting, I still liked it, but figured I couldn't do a lot of the stuff I like doing (outdoors stuff) there.

Pros of NOVA:
1. High 1st time passing board scores (part 1)- 89% and 90% past 2 years. (part 3 was 100% 1st time too last year)
2. Scrubs- they're comfy, you don't have to decide what to wear in the morning, and you don't have to dress business casual like some schools.
3. beautiful/modern campus (libraries, gym, theater, etc.)
4. suburban town (close to BEACHES, clubs, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc.)
5. interaction w/ other professional students at NOVA (socials, clubs, etc.)
6. clinic RIGHT next door
7. strong patient base w/ diversity
8. extracurricular clubs, Intramural sports, school events, etc.
9. plenty of tutoring help
10. Cheap cost of living (at least compared to big cities and CA)- rent is about ~$650 for a single right next to school or ON campus.

CONS
1. 4th year rotations pretty limited (one in China, couple outta state, but mostly in FL)
2. strict failing/drop out policy (they give you redeeming chances though)
3. Weather when it's humid or raining; otherwise, it's wonderful
4. Exams EVERY Monday, or even twice a week- in the end, it makes sense, so they don't cram it all in one week.
5. Everything else is pretty much generic of all schools...too much studying/ busywork, cost, etc.
6. Reputation: newer = less known in the OPTOMETRIC community (your patients won't care which school you go to as long as you have a degree and are competent). Also doesn't matter to me b/c I plan on going private, and doing residency.

I could probably add to either one of these lists, but I can't think of anything else right now.
Again, this is after only being here for about 4 months, so don't take my word for everything. Just come on over, ask a bunch of questions to your tour guide (which might be me =) and see whether NOVA is for you.

Oh, and finally, NOVA did lose their accredidation, or at least didn't obtain it, years ago. I think it did have something to do with being new, but I forgot. In either case, they're accredited until 2012, and I'm sure they won't have any problems in the future (from the good marks I hear they've received in the recent reviews). You can ask the the dean or associate dean about it, they'll be honest about it and tell you.


GL and hope this helps!
Click to expand...


got interviewed there and waitlisted.... ill pick Penn CO anyday if i get it.. Got me an interview in December 20th. Nova is freakin ******ed, they do gross anatomy even worse. it is done all over the place like uterus here and a internal pudendal nerve and the left recurrent laryngeal nerve over there... i really loved to go to nova but i have my doubts even they have my application since september.
 
sharpshooter24 said:
got interviewed there and waitlisted.... ill pick Penn CO anyday if i get it.. Got me an interview in December 20th. Nova is freakin ******ed, they do gross anatomy even worse. it is done all over the place like uterus here and a internal pudendal nerve and the left recurrent laryngeal nerve over there... i really loved to go to nova but i have my doubts even they have my application since september.
Click to expand...

are you drunk.
 
pienfoo said:
are you drunk.
Click to expand...


i guess some noob did not do their research.


PCO has a very respectable module cirriculum. talked to some PCO 4th year rotation students yesterday for a good 2 hrs. exam schedule is all spread out 1-3 exams in a week . most of the time one exam per week. Nova has this nasty habit of cramming 4-6 exams in one week. and most professional schools are like that too.

Boston university school of dentistry has a similar approach to PCO ( 1-2 exams per week) and a high rate in the NBDE.

next PCO has an 18 month off campus externship. their whole entire cirriculum is based on the clinical aspects of optometry. Nova is the opposite: more time in the classroom and less time in the clinic. PCO teaches visual rehabilitation, opthalmic lasers, and head and neck anatomy. Nova teaches gross anatomy and then head and neck anatomy. I have taken gross anatomy already at the graduate level. believe me when i say this, doing lower extremity, upper extr, head and neck, thorax and abdomen is very nerve wracking. thank god i got an A in the class.

i think PCO is more bang for the buck . plus you do contact lens in your second year. Nova does contact lens in their third year. the only problem i have with PCO is that its more credits per semester than Nova. your first semester in PCO is 27 credits, nova is at least 20 something at least. i have heard lots of good things about PCO over the last 2 years.

anyway im almost done with my masters in Barry University. take care folks and study hard.
 
yea... u really are drunk. Or you're just really funny.
Needless to way, the way you explain things are self contradicting and leave more holes than Swiss cheese. Maybe you should work on sounding coherent at your interviews.

sharpshooter24 said:
i need you to forget about some of the noobs here and listen close to what i am saying because i know all about both ends of the field, doing well and doing poorly. stop worrying about how many bad grades you have because you seem depressed like i was back then. focus on learning, what learning is all about, learn your materials well, and you will succeed. dont worry about GPA's OATs' MCAT's DAT's and all that crap. let the admisssions committee people deal with that.
Click to expand...


yes, don't listen to all the n00bs, but listen only to the Master, because getting good grades and a good OAT score means nothing since it only appeals to the "admissions committee people".

sharpshooter24 said:
if you cant handle undergrad, what makes you think you can handle the grad program i am in let alone optometry school.
Click to expand...


You should be a master optometrist doctor master.

sharpshooter24 said:
focus on learning, focus on loving what you do, master your craft to become a master.
Click to expand...


Thank you Yoda.

sharpshooter24 said:
what good is it to have a killer GPA , killer OAT' MCAT and going to professional school only to have poor grades and getting kicked out.
Click to expand...


I think there's a positive correlation with getting a high GPA/OAT and successfully completing optometry school… or am I wrong.

Wait.. did u mention you go to Berry College or somethin'….

On a more serious note. Although completing a graduate program is helpful, after talking to admissions counselors from most schools, it seems like they prefer students to take upper division human biology classes and repeat any pre-reqs that you did poorly during undergrad rather than completing a graduate program. Most graduate programs are run differently from pre-professional programs so it doesn't entirely reflect upon your readiness for a pre-health program like opt, dental, pharm, or med. The most determining factors to be invited for an interview are a good pre-req GPA and a good OAT score. G'luck to ya.
 
Strong with sharpshooter the force is
A Jedi master he is not
 
fonziefonz said:
A young Jedi hopeful Sharpshooter is. Sense great fear in him I do. Fear is the path to the darkside...:corny:
Click to expand...


i had fears before in undergrad. fear leads to the darkside where the darkside promises untold, unfathomable power at a price..

yes i was my own anakin skywalker who turned to the darkside and became darth vader.


when i was in barry university.. it was my chance to redeem myself, hence darth vader died and anakin skywalker returned to the light side of the force. 😍............ i can say with all honesty, i am ready for OD school. i have bleed , cried, agonized here in the option I year program where they have no mercy, and survived only to emerge a stronger person.
 
sharpshooter24 said:
i had fears before in undergrad. fear leads to the darkside where the darkside promises untold, unfathomable power at a price..

yes i was my own anakin skywalker who turned to the darkside and became darth vader.


when i was in barry university.. it was my chance to redeem myself, hence darth vader died and anakin skywalker returned to the light side of the force. 😍............ i can say with all honesty, i am ready for OD school. i have bleed , cried, agonized here in the option I year program where they have no mercy, and survived only to emerge a stronger person.
Click to expand...

Wow. You know what, I hope you get into PCO because I'd love to see you there. Instead of here. Go far, far away, Darth, and find a really good counselor.
 
od2bn2009 said:
Wow. You know what, I hope you get into PCO because I'd love to see you there. Instead of here. Go far, far away, Darth, and find a really good counselor.
Click to expand...


dont be hating m8. geez. you sound like a kid. i am just putting my 2 cents thats it, im not here to bash anyone. even though i feel like it after a long hard day at the office.


if i go to PCO, its more of a gain than a loss to me.
 
SUNY is a solid school in a great location, and their tuition is low for an optometry school. I pick SUNY.
 
Since this got a little off-topic, as usual, I will comment on my time at PCO.

PCO is the only school I applied to. Being from a state that has no agreements with any Optometry school (not sure about Illinois) I had the fine distinction of going where I wanted without regard to tuition. It would have been about the same for me to go anywhere in the country (Southern probably the cheapest). If you are from a contract state you can save a bit of money on tuition. They also have a nice loan program (not sure about other schools) where PCO is the lender and you save a few hundred dollars a year on fees that other lenders charge. If you are from a non-contract state you can still get a nice chunk of change to off-set their higher tuition rate, depending on your undergraduate credentials. I got a 4000 a year (renewable w/ GPA above 2.5) for four years. You are eligible for many more scholarships 2nd year and beyond.

I chose PCO because of their extended externship program and their emphasis on clinic. That was the selling point for me. Their module-based curriculum was very intriguing as well.

The housing prices are a little high here, as they are most places, so I decided to rent out a room to save a bit of money this year. Coming to PCO was less of a financial decision and more of an educational decision. I choose PCO for their curriculum. You can get creative when it comes to saving/pinching your money and I think that shouldn't be the decisive factor when choosing a school. Frugality isn't very hard to learn.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
 
hfpepperbean47 said:
Since this got a little off-topic, as usual, I will comment on my time at PCO.

PCO is the only school I applied to. Being from a state that has no agreements with any Optometry school (not sure about Illinois) I had the fine distinction of going where I wanted without regard to tuition. It would have been about the same for me to go anywhere in the country (Southern probably the cheapest). If you are from a contract state you can save a bit of money on tuition. They also have a nice loan program (not sure about other schools) where PCO is the lender and you save a few hundred dollars a year on fees that other lenders charge. If you are from a non-contract state you can still get a nice chunk of change to off-set their higher tuition rate, depending on your undergraduate credentials. I got a 4000 a year (renewable w/ GPA above 2.5) for four years. You are eligible for many more scholarships 2nd year and beyond.

I chose PCO because of their extended externship program and their emphasis on clinic. That was the selling point for me. Their module-based curriculum was very intriguing as well.

The housing prices are a little high here, as they are most places, so I decided to rent out a room to save a bit of money this year. Coming to PCO was less of a financial decision and more of an educational decision. I choose PCO for their curriculum. You can get creative when it comes to saving/pinching your money and I think that shouldn't be the decisive factor when choosing a school. Frugality isn't very hard to learn.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Click to expand...


ill take PCO over Nova.
 
I was kinda lost in the personal attacks few posts back, but now I remember what I want to say.

I get interview to all 3 schools, been to SUNY and PCO, and will fly down to NOVA in two weeks.

The impression I got from SUNY was really good, it seems like they really have good anatomy classes (using cadavers instead of pictures), and the optometrist told me that they share the same professors as the SUNY med school. The students there seem to be sharper and have good relations with e/o bc of the small class size. overall good atmosphere.

whereas PCO used to be my top choice bc it's closer to where I live now, and they have a long history, 18 months of clinics are very appealing, plus the Bascom Palmer externship sites for disease, and my boss, an OMD, who was trained at U Penn recommended PCO. But when I went in there last week, it didn't seem as good as I thought it would be. First I found out the state tuition reduction are very limited, awwwww....and then the person who interviewed me has some knowledge about optometry but sometimes during the conversation I feel that we might not be on the same page bc of her different background. Then when I asked about the specific externship sites...the students doesn't seem to know about Bascom Palmer, and when asked for certain questions by some of the visitors during tour (ie: what's the limitation of OD, and when do you draw the line between OD and OMD) the student didn't really give a good answer....but good thing is they seem to be really big on contact lens.

I mean these are all minor things about PCO that I personally experienced, I won't make generalization about which one is better, bc there are always good students and not so good students in a class, but unless I heard something really drastic about SUNY, I feel like I am now leaning more toward NY than Penn.

but that's just my personal experience, plus I am still waiting for the results.
 
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