gross anatomy in optometry school

[Bob_Barker27]

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I was wondering what gross anatomy labs were like in optometry school? Are they as intensive as the ones at medical schools? Do you dissect the entire body or just the head / eyes? How many gross anatomy labs do you have? What are the exams like in an gross anatomy lab? Thanks for any info.

 

[r_salis]

At SUNY, our gross anatomy course deals with the upper trunk and head only, and in lab we use pre-dissected cadavers and models.

(I think this topic has been discussed here before -- try doing a search in the optometry forum for more discussion on this. 😉 )

 

[jefguth]

Anatomy at UW involves the anatomy of the eye, cardiovascular supply to the head and the nervous system.

 

[Bob_Barker27]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I guess there is nothing to be apprehensive about? I went to see cadavers at a medical school on a field trip in high school, and it make me sick, it could have just been the formaldehyde they keep the bodies in. I am assuming you get use to working with them after awhile.

 

[cpw]

you really do get used to it. Honestly, you get so envolved in learning everything you start to forget what you're actually doing. UHCO uses full cadavers that are pre-dissected by the anatomy prof so he's knows exactly what to show you when he helps you through labs. (he's also a really great guy !)

 

[UABopt]

At UAB we, just like all of the other health science students, dissect our own cadavers (in groups of about 5) , and while we do focus on the head and neck, it is gross anatomy, so we get at least a "crash course" in the remaining anatomy. It can be a little strange at first, but most of us were used to it by the end of the first lab. In the end seeing the cadaver and doing the dissection (if you take it seriously), to me at least, really seems like the best way to learn the material. In addition to dissecting the cadaver we also dissected both human and bovine eyeballs in various labs. In the end I would not chose a school based on what goes on in gross lab.

 

[Amanda56]

At UAB we, just like all of the other health science students, dissect our own cadavers (in groups of about 5) , and while we do focus on the head and neck, it is gross anatomy, so we get at least a "crash course" in the remaining anatomy. It can be a little strange at first, but most of us were used to it by the end of the first lab. In the end seeing the cadaver and doing the dissection (if you take it seriously), to me at least, really seems like the best way to learn the material. In addition to dissecting the cadaver we also dissected both human and bovine eyeballs in various labs. In the end I would not chose a school based on what goes on in gross lab.

Hi UABopt,
I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about UAB. Like what you think about it pros and cons. I live in New Orleans and I am thinking about applying to UAB.
Anything would be helpful

 

[UABopt]

Hi UABopt,
I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about UAB. Like what you think about it pros and cons. I live in New Orleans and I am thinking about applying to UAB.
Anything would be helpful

Amanda-

I think that UABSO is, in general, a great optometry school. There certainly are far more pros than cons in my opinion. It would be really hard for me to compare the school to any other optometry school, seeing as I have only attended UAB. I personally like the fact that the school is part of a university, and a heavily medically oriented university at that. In addition to a school of Optometry, there are schools of medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, as well as nursing among others. This allows for a certain amount of integration and pooling of resources (ie. a medical library), in fact optometry students take some general science classes with dental students and medical students. This is also seen for example in our gross anatomy course, we have the facilities and the professors to be taught gross anatomy with a lab in which we the students do the dissection on our cadavers. I love our small class size of 40 students, with such a small class size the school can afford to be picky. As such not a single person in my class does not deserve to be there.

The faculty of UAB is great, and most are at the forefront of their respective fields. Many texts used here and at other schools were written at UAB by UAB faculty including Dr. Oyster’s The Human Eye Structure and Function, Dr. Whikehart’s Biochemistry of the Eye among many, many, many others. While we have a brand new clinic that opened this year (and is beautiful btw), when I came to my interview here, I was sold not by flashy buildings and equipment, nor was I sold by the confidence of the administration that this was a wonderful school, rather I was highly impressed by how friendly all of the students at the school were to the interviewees. Everyone I spoke to knew that they had made the right choice and were getting a really great medically oriented optometric education.

All of that being said, do not come to this school without the expectation that you will be working very hard, academically speaking, the program is not at all easy. In addition I don’t really like UAB’s campus; it does not have that real college campus feel that I was used to.

 

[stompy]

What are the first time board passing rate for this school?

 

[Amanda56]

UABopt,

Thanks so much. I was wondering just how selective UAB is. If you don't mind, how did you do on the OAT and GPA? I know it may be personal, but I am just trying to figure out how well I have to do on the OAT and what league I am in as far a GPA. UAB is the closest school to New Orleans, where I currently live, so I would be more comfortable moving there.

Thanks

 

[UABopt]

UABopt,

Thanks so much. I was wondering just how selective UAB is. If you don't mind, how did you do on the OAT and GPA? I know it may be personal, but I am just trying to figure out how well I have to do on the OAT and what league I am in as far a GPA. UAB is the closest school to New Orleans, where I currently live, so I would be more comfortable moving there.

Thanks

Sure, I’ll tell you how I did, I had a 3.62 GPA overall and scored a 370 science 350 overall on the OAT, but I don’t know how much that will help you. You can find the averages for each of the schools here http://www.opted.org/info_profile2.cfm that may be a bit more helpful.

 

[cpw]

Amanda I would also look at UHCO. We're only a 6 or so hour drive from New Orleans. 🙂

 

[r_salis]

Amanda I would also look at UHCO. We're only a 6 or so hour drive from New Orleans. 🙂

SUNY is only a 3-hour plane trip from New Orleans. 😀