Hpsp bolc?

[Liz1837]

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I'm a second year optometry student with a three year army HPSP scholarship. I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out what conferences I can attend this summer, and am having a difficult time trying to figure out whether or not optometry students get orders to attend OBLC before graduation. Does anyone know if optometry students ONLY attend OBLC after graduation? My local recruiting station says its very possible I could get order to attend this summer but the MODS website says differently... so any help or information you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[USArmyHPSP]

I'm a second year optometry student with a three year army HPSP scholarship. I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out what conferences I can attend this summer, and am having a difficult time trying to figure out whether or not optometry students get orders to attend OBLC before graduation. Does anyone know if optometry students ONLY attend OBLC after graduation? My local recruiting station says its very possible I could get order to attend this summer but the MODS website says differently... so any help or information you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Optometry student will only attend BOLC after graduation. The Optometry Command feels that it is very important for optometry students to attend the class that is geared toward Medical Service Corps rather than the one that is offered to the medical and dental students.

 

[optsuker]

Optometry student will only attend BOLC after graduation. The Optometry Command feels that it is very important for optometry students to attend the class that is geared toward Medical Service Corps rather than the one that is offered to the medical and dental students.

Is a mandate or a preference?

I attended BOLC between 3rd & 4th year and still think it was one of the best decisions I made. I could start patient care right after graduation and had a jump on the rest of my year group. About a dozen other optometry students did the same thing in my group.

Disagree with the advice that MSC is more relavent. OD's careers in the military mimic dental/medical a lot more:

• Doctorate degree (most MSC are masters or less)
• 1st assignment is usually all clinical care (hospital or stand alone clinic)
• Enter as an O-3, so aren't assigned Lt. duties.
• Your rater will be a doctor (Od or MD)
• Non-optometry duties are often medical (doing triage, etc)

Optometry is too small to be its own corps, and didn't want to find itself under medicine's thumb, thus it's lumped into MSC with podiatrist, pharmacists, etc.

I still would advise making every effort to do BOLC before graduation, if possible.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

Is a mandate or a preference?

I attended BOLC between 3rd & 4th year and still think it was one of the best decisions I made. I could start patient care right after graduation and had a jump on the rest of my year group. About a dozen other optometry students did the same thing in my group.



Disagree with the advice that MSC is more relavent. OD's careers in the military mimic dental/medical a lot more:

• Doctorate degree (most MSC are masters or less)
• 1st assignment is usually all clinical care (hospital or stand alone clinic)
• Enter as an O-3, so aren't assigned Lt. duties.
• Your rater will be a doctor (Od or MD)
• Non-optometry duties are often medical (doing triage, etc)

Optometry is too small to be its own corps, and didn't want to find itself under medicine's thumb, thus it's lumped into MSC with podiatrist, pharmacists, etc.

I still would advise making every effort to do BOLC before graduation, if possible.

This is a mandate in the Army for the reasons stated plus there is a one or two week block immediately following BOLC that is Optometry specific.