Best Optometry Schools

[tybjk21]

Which optometry schools are considered the most reputable and difficult to get into by rank?

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[cpw]

there is no formal ranking of optometry schools.

 

[TravisP]

That would be Berkeley. They have the highest GPA's and scores of incoming students.

 

[UABopt]

That would be Berkeley. They have the highest GPA's and scores of incoming students.

While Berkeley does have the highest OAT score average, UAB has the highest entering GPA (http://www.opted.org/info_profile2.cfm), and has had the highest entering GPA for quite some time now. As previously stated there are no formal rankings.

 

[stompy]

Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Berky doesn't necessarily have the highest first time board passing rate consistently for every year

 

[TravisP]

Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Berky doesn't necessarily have the highest first time board passing rate consistently for every year

Yeah but they are the only prestigious school from the pack.

 

[JennyW]

Yeah but they are the only prestigious school from the pack.

I have never known there to be "prestige" associated with ANY school.

It's not the same as medical school where if you say you went to school at Harvard, or Yale, or the Mayo Clinic people will be impressed by that.

No optometric patient is going to be impressed whether you say "I went to Berkeley or I went to PUCO, or SUNY or NEWENCO" so I'm not sure what sort of "prestige" you are referring to.

Jenny

 

[TravisP]

I have never known there to be "prestige" associated with ANY school.

It's not the same as medical school where if you say you went to school at Harvard, or Yale, or the Mayo Clinic people will be impressed by that.

No optometric patient is going to be impressed whether you say "I went to Berkeley or I went to PUCO, or SUNY or NEWENCO" so I'm not sure what sort of "prestige" you are referring to.

Jenny

Well here in the midwest, we never heard of PUCO, SUNY or NEWENCO. But everyone knows University of California - Berkeley and Stanford when it comes to schools in California. I would rather say I am a OD from Berkeley then UMSL or SUNY.

 

[hoosier1]

It doesn't matter which optometry school you attend. Patients are not going to ask which graduate school you came from.

 

[cpw]

It doesn't matter which optometry school you attend. Patients are not going to ask which graduate school you came from.

EXACTLY ! your patients don't care. they only care that you graduated.

 

[leelee]

Personally, I'd look into the board passing rates of the schools to decide where to go rather than any so-called "prestige", but that's just my opinion.

 

[jcaco]

yeah, as i was told by a professor, no one really cares, even with medicine (the only time it matters is if you're planning on doing research or admin work in the future). and UAB's stats speak for itself, UAB is a great school for health professions and a well respected school for its medical related research as well. but then again, it doesn't really matter 🙂

 

[r_salis]

I think it's important to base part of your decision on where you want to practice when you graduate -- the people you go to school with (students, and clinical faculty) will become your collegues and contacts after you graduate.

 

[cpw]

but, you can also go where you want to live for four years in school and go away on rotation where you want to practice when you graduate to make conacts. 😀 😀

 

[r_salis]

but, you can also go where you want to live for four years in school and go away on rotation where you want to practice when you graduate to make conacts. 😀 😀

Where I'd *like* to live for four years is somewhere near a beach chair under a palm tree instead of in a flourescently-lit room with 75 seats.

(But I hear ya -- you make an excellent point. 🙂 )

 

[cpw]

Where I'd *like* to live for four years is somewhere near a beach chair under a palm tree instead of in a flourescently-lit room with 75 seats.

(But I hear ya -- you make an excellent point. 🙂 )

you can come vacation at my new place next year and have a beach day
😎 (or two) I'll make umbrella drinks. 😀

 

[polkadot]

Well here in the midwest, we never heard of PUCO, SUNY or NEWENCO. But everyone knows University of California - Berkeley and Stanford when it comes to schools in California. I would rather say I am a OD from Berkeley then UMSL or SUNY.

Yes, but I think the average person in the midwest (let's say, Janesville, WI) would be just as happy, if not more so, to know that an optometrist graduated from ICO, U of I, or UMSL as opposed to Berkeley. If it is that important to you that UCB sounds better than UMSL or SUNY, then apply accordingly. Bottom line is that you don't get an asterisk after the OD just because you graduated from the "most prestigous" school.

 

[Caverject]

Well here in the midwest, we never heard of PUCO, SUNY or NEWENCO. But everyone knows University of California - Berkeley and Stanford when it comes to schools in California. I would rather say I am a OD from Berkeley then UMSL or SUNY.

Midwest eh? That's sort of silly. If you want to compare schools from a less educated midwesterner patient prespective,(of course thats if the patient really cares) my top schools would be the University of Illinois, University of Indiana, and Ohio State University.

 

[scraders]

because many optometry schools are dedicated solely to teaching optometric education, the majority of the population won't even know about these schools. of course the general public will be more impressed by an OD who graduated from a national reknowned school (Berkeley) than an ICO or PCO alumni, but within the optometric community, this isn't necessarily true. and while some schools are more difficult to get into, it doesn't always mean that they offer a better education.

(is it just my connection, or is sdn slow?)