Beginning Clinical Experience

[Commando303]

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Many colleges of optometry boast their students begin gaining clinical experience in just the second year of education. But, most of the schools into which I've looked make this statement, which makes me wonder, is the claim at all unique? Maybe, traditionally, second-years did not set foot in the clinic (I don't know if they did), but, nowadays, is there any merit to implying your school is doing something special by allowing them to?

Thanks.

 

[achirum]

In 2nd year at SUNY, you actually start seeing patients one on one. In first year, you do vision screenings in the clinic.

 

[Commando303]

In 2nd year at SUNY, you actually start seeing patients one on one. In first year, you do vision screenings in the clinic.

But, is that atypical? (I guess we'll need responses from attendants from a number of colleges to determine this.)

 

[JMU07]

But, is that atypical? (I guess we'll need responses from attendants from a number of colleges to determine this.)

I think it's a little atypical to start seeing patients during second year. I could be wrong but I think most schools start that during third year. During our second year, we do school vision screenings and do the pre-testing in clinic, but don't start seeing actual patients until the beginning of third year.

 

[achirum]

I think it's a little atypical to start seeing patients during second year. I could be wrong but I think most schools start that during third year. During our second year, we do school vision screenings and do the pre-testing in clinic, but don't start seeing actual patients until the beginning of third year.

It used to be 3rd year at SUNY as well, but they just changed it this year to 2nd year.

 

[XxMsICarexX]

Just a heads up for whoever doesn't know:

At Western University, we saw patient one on one after 3 weeks of school. [that's for vision screening]. We went to vision screen students at schools using our Vision Screening skill we learn in that first 3 weeks. Also, you will be send out to clerkship [sites] at varies Dr.'s offices during 2nd semester of your first year. Depends on the Dr, they will allow you to do case history, retinoscope, VA, pupil/cover test/NPA/NPC/Stero etc. on patient prior their refraction. Also, 1/2 of the Dr. will teach you do vision therapy. You will also gain more office work, lensometry, pretesting, how to cut lens, etc during this clerkship experience. Pretty much you get your experience with patient earlier than MOST if NOT ALL schools out there!

 

[Mrseyedoctor]

Do they teach you the theory behind those tests/techniques that you are performing on patients too? Doing the tests/tech is not hard but analyzing the data and understand why this and why that happen is the hard part and that's what differentiate between a doctor and a technician. If the doctors teach you guys how to analyze the data then I think that's an excellent way to learn then. Starting clinic earlier is a good thing but do you guys get enough time to learn book work too? Maybe you guys practice on real patients instead of practice on other students in lab like us then. hehehe.. you guys are very lucky then because at our school, we can't do anything to real patients until we passed a pre-clinical proficiency test (like a real national part 3 board test) on all techniques that we've learned over the first 2 years......

 

[Commando303]

Mrseyedoctor, to which school do you go?

Of those I've explored, P.C.O. (at Salus) seems to put students in the clinic, earliest (beginning of Spring of second year); I.C.O., latest (beginning of Fall of third year).

 

[XxMsICarexX]

The lecture were taught at the same as practical. So we were taught what they're, what we do, and what it means if we get what. The vision screening we did on patient after the first 3 weeks basically focus on:
VA, + lens induce VA, NPA/NPC, Stereo, Color, Eye/Hand dominant, EOM, Cover test ... these stuff were taught and practice in class with student within the 1st three weeks. After that we had our first proficiency & go on to school to start our vision screening.

It was really cool to get findings and results from students. We did our VS on K-12 in Pomona school district. I think being a new program seem like a risk to a lot of people, but we do have things that older program doesn't provide. I think being able to see patient [outsider, not just students] while we practice every single skill we learn is a big plus. That's one big thing I am prooud of my program for!

 

[Mrseyedoctor]

MsICare:
that's really cool that you guys get to work with Doctor outside of school like that. We get to do vision screening too but only at volunteering sites not in school clinic though (I guess it's because patients pay for the visit so we can't practice on them.... but OD1 and OD2 observe OD3 and OD4 students giving the examination approximately 4 times a year at the school clinic).

Commando:
I am from NOVA. we don't start clinic until 2 weeks after second year. The OD2 will have their pre-clinical proficiency this week and start clinic during the summer.

 

[JennieJoy]

At ICO you start working in the clinic in your first year. In your second year you do exams on patients as far as you know how to do then you turn it over to a more educated third year.

 

[Commando303]

I'm unclear to what it means that you begin working in the clinic during your first year: what do you do, there? It's not as if you're trained for anything; I suppose it would be wrong to let you simply start poking around on patients. Do you just observe? Fetch the coffee? If students only begin working on one another, to my knowledge, this happens in first-year at every school of optometry.

 

[JennieJoy]

I'm unclear to what it means that you begin working in the clinic during your first year: what do you do, there? It's not as if you're trained for anything; I suppose it would be wrong to let you simply start poking around on patients. Do you just observe? Fetch the coffee? If students only begin working on one another, to my knowledge, this happens in first-year at every school of optometry.

I forget what it's called but you can walk patients through from the omemnt they step in the clinic until they walk out. You can also get work study hours in the clinic.

 

[achirum]

I forget what it's called but you can walk patients through from the omemnt they step in the clinic until they walk out. You can also get work study hours in the clinic.

What?

 

[JennieJoy]

What?

I was told when I interviewed at ICO that there is a program where you greet the patient when they come in the door and stay with them through their exam all the way until they leave. It's just so you can get a feel for how the clinic works I think.

 

[Commando303]

I was told when I interviewed at ICO that there is a program where you greet the patient when they come in the door and stay with them through their exam all the way until they leave. It's just so you can get a feel for how the clinic works I think.

O.K., so, it isn't really "'hands-on' clinical experience"; I imagine that couldn't possibly start until into one's second year.

 

[cloud99]

I was told when I interviewed at ICO that there is a program where you greet the patient when they come in the door and stay with them through their exam all the way until they leave. It's just so you can get a feel for how the clinic works I think.

That's called observation.

 

[lovelydisaster]

UHCO students see patients the summer after 2nd year, with observation/vision screenings throughout.

 

[JennieJoy]

That's called observation.

I realize that. But, that's not what they call it, lol.

 

[cloud99]

I know, it's funny how they can spin it. Advertising how soon you get into the clinic seems to be the thing alot of schools are doing now to compete with each other.
You're "in the clinic" and "seeing patients" first semester can mean you're doing screenings, or it can mean you're greeting patients at the door.

 

[achirum]

I know, it's funny how they can spin it. Advertising how soon you get into the clinic seems to be the thing alot of schools are doing now to compete with each other.
You're "in the clinic" and "seeing patients" first semester can mean you're doing screenings, or it can mean you're greeting patients at the door.

So true.

 

[eyepdesai]

Hey! I was just wondering if anyone has more detailed information about the clincial program at UHCO. Do first-year students have the opportunity to do vision screenings/observation. Also, can you please give us more information about the Mobile Eye Institue. Can student volunteer there? As I understand, students must pass a competency exam the first semester of their second year and then they begin seeing patients in the spring semester of the second year. Is this correct?

The main point of an optometric education is to become an excellent clinician, so in my opinion the earlier we are introduced to the clinic, the better.

Thanks!

 

[Commando303]

Hey! I was just wondering if anyone has more detailed information about the clincial program at UHCO. Do first-year students have the opportunity to do vision screenings/observation. Also, can you please give us more information about the Mobile Eye Institue. Can student volunteer there? As I understand, students must pass a competency exam the first semester of their second year and then they begin seeing patients in the spring semester of the second year. Is this correct?

The main point of an optometric education is to become an excellent clinician, so in my opinion the earlier we are introduced to the clinic, the better.

Thanks!

Well, first, the "main point of an optometric education" does not have to be preparation to become an excellent clinician; for a number of O.D. students, clinical optometry is not, in fact, the goal.

Second, I can't speak directly to U.H.C.O.'s program, but, as I've seen, schools tend not to put students in the clinic with patients until the spring semester of the second year (this being the earliest I've found). They do boast putting them in "clinic setting" from the first semester of the first year, but this is "practice clinic" — students practice on one another. Honestly, I'm not sure it would be a great idea to be thrown into clinic without the education/science behind the practice, anyway. I feel people too often want to "skip the background" and run to memorize the practical skills of a trade; the background, however, is what prepares you to handle the practical stuff effectively and meaningfully — besides, it's often really fun to learn 🙂idea🙂.