IAUPR 2014 Entering Class

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Hey, I was admitted to IAUPR starting 2014. I do not know anyone in PR and I have never been to PR. Just wanted to start this thread to meet my classmates prior to fall. If you are going to IAUPR fall of 2014 message me we can chat.
Thanks
Chachi
 
how did you interview for that school?
 
dr.chachi said:
Hey, I was admitted to IAUPR starting 2014. I do not know anyone in PR and I have never been to PR. Just wanted to start this thread to meet my classmates prior to fall. If you are going to IAUPR fall of 2014 message me we can chat.
Thanks
Chachi
Click to expand...

what is your stats if you dont mind ?
 
dr.chachi said:
Hey, I was admitted to IAUPR starting 2014. I do not know anyone in PR and I have never been to PR. Just wanted to start this thread to meet my classmates prior to fall. If you are going to IAUPR fall of 2014 message me we can chat.
Thanks
Chachi
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Hi. I also will be starting at IAUPR in the fall.
See you there.
Michelle
 
Shandy812 said:
Hi. I also will be starting at IAUPR in the fall.
See you there.
Michelle
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Hey,

We have a few classmates who are Facebook friends if you would like to chat with us my Facebook is Chachi Stugotz

Hope to hear from you
 
RachRod said:
I'm starting in the fall as well! Class of 2018!
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Hey,

We have a few classmates who are Facebook friends if you would like to chat with us my Facebook is Chachi Stugotz

Hope to hear from you
 
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I'm Rachel Rodesney on Facebook!
 
Incoming IAUPR Class of 2018,

Congratulation on getting accepted!

Just so you all know, I am a current 2nd year student here in IAUPR and a member of the Orientation Committee.

As of now, new volunteer student officers are being interviewed. Once all are finalize, one of those Officers will get hold of you via e-mail and help with your transition to the school. We have made a Facebook group page for the class, so watch out for that link in your designated e-mail.

If you have any questions or concerns, give me Private message.

Once again, Congratulation and I hope to see you all soon.
 
How long did it take you guys to hear back after your interview?
 
I got a letter in the mail 10 days after my interview.
 
It varies from person to person. Normally, Admission send a respond in less than 2 weeks. Personally, I found mine the same day via email.

If it goes beyond that, I suggest you call the admission office to verify your standing. PM me if you have any concerns or further questions.
 
Thanks y'all, I just got an email today! =] Haven't accepted yet but I think I will!
 
Congrats razorbacknation!

If you have any concerns or questions, don't hesitate to PM me alright.
 
dr.chachi said:
Hey, I was admitted to IAUPR starting 2014. I do not know anyone in PR and I have never been to PR. Just wanted to start this thread to meet my classmates prior to fall. If you are going to IAUPR fall of 2014 message me we can chat.
Thanks
Chachi
Click to expand...


Hi, I plan on applying to IAUPR for this upcoming semester but I am trying to decide if I should wait and apply for the 2015 school year. What were your stats and extracurricular activities when you applied??
 
Did anyone got interviews from IAUPR this month? Are you guaranteed acceptance after an interview? Has anyone been waitlisted or rejected from this school? What were your stats when you got accpeted?
 
I know people who have been rejected from IAUPR.
 
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Do you know exactly when orientation is?
Mo808 said:
Incoming IAUPR Class of 2018,

Congratulation on getting accepted!

Just so you all know, I am a current 2nd year student here in IAUPR and a member of the Orientation Committee.

As of now, new volunteer student officers are being interviewed. Once all are finalize, one of those Officers will get hold of you via e-mail and help with your transition to the school. We have made a Facebook group page for the class, so watch out for that link in your designated e-mail.

If you have any questions or concerns, give me Private message.

Once again, Congratulation and I hope to see you all soon.
Click to expand...
 
I have heard orientation is August 6-8th. And school starting on August 11th.
 
wow this is scary but thanks for sharing your experience ! did you find it difficult to get a job afterwards ? were you treatded differently with degree from puert rico ?
 
and did you find the education you received there helpful for the boards exam? were other students able to pass on their 1st attempt ?
 
IG0DDESS said:
Hi, I plan on applying to IAUPR for this upcoming semester but I am trying to decide if I should wait and apply for the 2015 school year. What were your stats and extracurricular activities when you applied??
Click to expand...
Wait if you can or improve your scores and get into a school in the us, only real reason to go here is you cant go anywhere else. this is not to be mean or disrespectful. this is just an honest graduate telling the truth. 99% of the students could not get into a US school. If you can accept that as your situation, well then that is a step in the right direction to coming here. Otherwise, just wait it out.
 
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Thank you for your advice and I am sure it came from a good place, but you forgot that many of the people on here are starting a new chapter in their life and already weighed out the pros and cons about each and every school and chose this school for its pros. Every school has its downfalls, because nothing is perfect. Its graduate school, we all know that a lot of the studying will be self taught because again, its graduate school. This thread was intended to meet friends and get to know the people that will be there by our side for the next four years as we begin this new journey together, not for negativity and putting us down. So lets please keep it that way
 
OptApplicant said:
Thank you for your advice and I am sure it came from a good place, but you forgot that many of the people on here are starting a new chapter in their life and already weighed out the pros and cons about each and every school and chose this school for its pros. Every school has its downfalls, because nothing is perfect. Its graduate school, we all know that a lot of the studying will be self taught because again, its graduate school. This thread was intended to meet friends and get to know the people that will be there by our side for the next four years as we begin this new journey together, not for negativity and putting us down. So lets please keep it that way
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i fully understand this, however you wont know the cons unless you hear it from someone who has gone through the program.
 
The supposed recent grad seems to have a lot of personal input/comment about the school. He/she is entitled to it and I am not here to change his/her heart; however, I would just like to clarify some statements:

The school was recently visited by the Accreditation Council for the sole purpose of checking on the program just like in other school. With the visit, IAUPR was granted an “Accredited” status, which means “a classification granted to a program that generally meets the standards for accreditation.” IAUPR is accredited for the next 7 years. (Reference: http://www.aoa.org/Documents/students/od_program_directory_3_7_2014.pdf) If the program has a “major deficiencies or weaknesses with reference to the standards of accreditation,” IAUPR should have been classified as “Accredited with Conditions.”

Just like any other US state, there will be battles between ophthalmologist and optometrist. Puerto Rico is no exemption. However, (for question 2) IAUPR has a system to go around that since it is an educational institution. The school currently have two MDs (one is an ophthalmologist) who help signing off procedures (like for dilation drops). Several key clinics (in-school internship for 4th years) are also placed with MDs to help students practice/get acquainted in managing glaucoma, prescribing antibiotics, etc.

Not all exams are in blackboards. Some professors still preferred the good ‘ole exam on paper. Currently, the IT worked on having the internet a little faster and it did improve. We just had an exam on blackboard not too long ago and it worked just fine.

Gunshot NIGHTLY? Danger EVERYWHERE? The writer seems to be over exaggerating things. Come on now, if you’re asking for it, of course bad things will come to you (just like any other populated city). As of today, I have not heard of any optometry student getting mugged inside or near campus.

For future students: Upon coming here, expect to learn a culture. You can either learn to appreciate it or go home not caring. The school does try it’s best to accommodate how we students (state side mentality) think; however, we should also think and analyze their system. With that, hopefully we could both try to talk things out and try to meet in the middle.
 
dr.chachi said:
IAUPR recent grad-Everyone has an opinion if u want to express yours start your own thread no one hear wants to hear your negative talk. Move On!!
Click to expand...
I think what you meant to say was "no one HERE wants to HEAR" You made it into grad school and you don't know the difference between hear and here yet. I take back everything I said. You will definitely fit in very well in PR as you already are writing like a local, hehe.
 
I forgot this was English class…Only a complete ***** would care about spelling on a forum, but just to clarify here is your last reply: i fully understand this, however you wont know the cons unless you hear it from someone who has gone through the program. No capital at the beginning of the sentence? No apostrophe? You are a jackass gtfo out of this tread. Hopefully i'll c u in PR id like to personally say hello
 
dr.chachi said:
I forgot this was English class…Only a complete ***** would care about spelling on a forum, but just to clarify here is your last reply: i fully understand this, however you wont know the cons unless you hear it from someone who has gone through the program. No capital at the beginning of the sentence? No apostrophe? You are a jackass gtfo out of this tread. Hopefully i'll c u in PR id like to personally say hello
Click to expand...
You got me there, son! If you intend on becoming a Dr. you may want to pay a little more attention to your spelling and your grammar. Also, I'd like to point out that your temper, use of profanity on a forum there other students of the school routinely check out is only making you look bad not me. My guess is, your sensitivity comes from my hitting a nerve with my previous posts about IAUPR being a last resort school. I would venture a guess you have been rejected from all other schools you applied to, hell this may not even be your first run through. You probably have applied during other cycles and been rejected from all the schools you applied then as well. You act all tough on a forum but truth is, you probably really need a school like IAUPR to exist or you wouldn't stand a chance, hence the tough guy attitude over WORDS. Tough guys usually lack somewhere, apparently you lack the intellect, GPA and OAT scores to have been accepted to a state school. Just accept it as your reality, Kind sir. Good day.
 
Last edited:
dr.chachi said:
I forgot this was English class…Only a complete ***** would care about spelling on a forum, but just to clarify here is your last reply: i fully understand this, however you wont know the cons unless you hear it from someone who has gone through the program. No capital at the beginning of the sentence? No apostrophe? You are a jackass gtfo out of this tread. Hopefully i'll c u in PR id like to personally say hello
Click to expand...
By the way, your spelling was impeccable. It was the incorrect USE OF WORDS and probably a complete lack of understanding of what those words MEAN that lead you to use them incorrectly. Only a complete ***** would have overlooked the fact that I was criticizing incorrect use of wording, and not spelling, capitalization or apostrophe use.
 
Ha! Wonderful coming from the guy who just graduated from IAUPR. Might as well shoot off your own foot
 
dr.chachi said:
Ha! Wonderful coming from the guy who just graduated from IAUPR. Might as well shoot off your own foot
Click to expand...
Apparently you do not know the symbol for a female. I, unlike you, make no effort to deny why I was there. I am not about to glorify a school because that is where I went. You make no effort to deny any of my claims which means I hit the nail right on the head. Don't worry little buddy. You will one day come to terms that you are a reject too. There there now.
 
We're an Optometry school. We're not in school to become writers/novelists/journalists or whatever. We're here for the scientific knowledge to become doctors. Many of the best scientists and doctors in the world are not great at "English" and it has nothing to do with writing or speaking phonetically. Even though you graduated from here, you must of had some wild experience if you're hating it so much. And honestly, after reading all of that, did you even take away any actual optometry while you've been here? Please tell me where you're located, so I never step foot into your office (if you even have one).

1) Not everyone who attends this school only based on a "last resort" low GPA/OAT scores. If you did attend here and met the students you would know different statistics to that. Also, if you just graduated "recently" then you were on an older curriculum which was not that good. The newer curriculum now is much more challenging, cohesive, and integrated.

2) Even though Puerto Rico optometrist might not be as licensed to prescribe some drugs, doesn't mean when you go and work in the states you will not be able to. You actually will be able to in the states. Going to school here is just an institution to learn. And you do learn believe me. Other schools, provide you a lot of slides and information in notecards and power points in the beginning of the semester but they do not spoon feed you the information. All optometry schools make you work for your degree. They are and we are here a professional graduate university. It is not an undergrad. Maybe you thought it was an undergrad and you expected for everything to be straight forward and easy. Well sorry to tell you, graduate school is just not like that. But, I guess after graduating you still didn't notice.

3) Many professors EVERYWHERE have a bad side if you cross not just here. We go to a professional school and are expected to act professionally. It is up to the students to act accordingly and respectfully. I also already addressed that self-studying is expected in all graduate programs. My Master's program and PhD was self-study. Yes, you go to class just like you would here and any other school, but then go home read extra material, read the books, online sources, and then really try to understand the stuff being taught. There is not enough time in a lecture period for a professor to go through EVERY possible thing.

4) The internet is bad, I have to agree with you there and it drives me nuts.

5) The professors for the most part are pretty professional. But, remember, it is also an island, so the mentality here is a little different than in the states. Also, they treat you just how they are treated. If they treated you poorly or unprofessionally, you probably deserved it. Just saying.

6) If you rely on old exams, are you NOT going to make it through your boards and will not be a successful doctor. I do not know how YOU are as a doctor now that you've graduated. An assumption makes me believe you are having a hard time finding a job and blaming IAUPR. But, please, do tell me if I am wrong on that one. =D. A lot of the professors know there are old exams floating around and they change their questions dramatically. It always take some getting used to a different professor because each one asks questions differently.

7) The picture they show is a furnished place. If you believed that the place you get looks like that, maybe you were the one who had to go to a "last resort" university and then labeled it as such. We have pictures of dorms unfurnished that are shown to incoming students. Plus, the rooms are WAY more spacious than the pictures actually even make it seems to be. But, the internet is slow =(. People are not "routinely" mugged. The area isn't the best of all areas, but many university's are set up in not to so great neighborhoods. Temple, UPenn, Salus, New England School of Optometry, and thousands more c'mon seriously. But there are no gunshots daily. I haven't heard one since i've been here. I've seen shady people, but also let's be real, it's puerto rico. I've been here for 2 years and of all my classmates and myself, there has not been 1 issue I can honestly think off. And I run late at night every day.

8) The Coqui's were MAD annoying when I first got here (the frogs). But now, when I go home to Brooklyn and I hear gunshots, I can't fall asleep without those frogs. I got used to them really fast. It is just something you will tune out rather fast. And if not, get some earplugs.

9) I don't know who promised you that everyone speaks english here, but that is not the case. Many people when you go to get food or shopping do not speak english or refuse to speak english. However, you can easily get around with pointing, trying to speak whatever spanish you know, going with a spanish speaker, or having a translator app on your phone. Plus, you take 1 year of spanish. That is enough to honestly make you at least get by. And definitely be able to get through an exam.

10) It is a small school and everyone does know everything. But MANY small schools, small graduate programs and PhD programs have these issues. It might feel like high school sometimes, but if you do not feel like dealing with that sort of BS, DO NOT GET INVOLVED. It is very simple when you try to not involve yourself with these things and then they do not concern you.

11) Some exams are harder than others. But it does not mean they you didn't study enough or hard enough. If you study hard, and not just, oh memorizing the stuff on the slides, then you will be fine. Putting in that extra effort to look into books, online resources, and journals are always beneficial and definitely. Help. They helped me and my classmates so far.

12) It seems there is some kind of favoritism toward puerto ricans, but that can be said about any school where the students are not from that country or area. I had that happen to me when I was England and France. Does that mean that I bad-mouthed the school and such. Of course not. But hey, that is just me.

13) Sometimes finding things out last minute is a problem. But that is also why having a president of your class which is on top of their game and just as annoying to the professors and administration that information and things do get pushed. Some things you do have to take into account is that we are living on an island the "island life" is a little slower than we're used back in the states. Doesn't mean they work slow in the states. How many times have you had to call the cable guy to come fix your cable at home and they tell you 8 am to 5 pm be home and they arrive 4:50 pm after the guy called you at 10:20 am telling you he is on his way.

14) The library on campus does close late, but I have not had any issue of it being loud or anything like that. Getting a car as soon as you get here, is definitely worth it to see the island and explore. It also helps when doing mass grocery shopping or taking a break once in a while. I did not have a car my first year and half here and honestly I was perfectly fine without one. I actually did some studying when I had down time.

15) I do not know how much that really applies to stepping on upper class-men toes. When I got here, I was the loud, free speaking person who people instantly knew and didn't like. But I didn't really care. I am here to learn and become a doctor. Not make 300 friends to go to prom with. Maybe that is why you had the experience you had and made it feel like a high school for yourself. I have no issues with anyone here now, but I do not go out of my way to stir up drama.

16) The way that you attack this school really makes me wonder why you chose to enter IAUPR and be an optometry student. I know you say you didn't have the stats but then maybe you should have waited an extra year and went to another school, where you would have relied on old exams and then failed out of that school. You basically slander and attack indirectly and directly the people who currently go here, do well, retain information, and are on their way to become great doctors.

The people here are actually very helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. The way you choose to approach them and how you choose to make the next 4 years of your life here, is all dependent on you and your attitude. Good luck to you!!
 
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Edit number 14 " The library on campus does not close late"
 
Not everyone’s experience is the same.

Personally, I really like it here, and I am glad that I picked IAUPR. This was my first choice school and not a last resort for me.

First of all, Puerto Rico is not third world. It might not be the same as every neighborhood in the states, but it is definitely not third world.

I am not sure where iauprrecentgrad is from, but I personally find that the cost of living in Puerto Rico is not expensive. It is much cheaper in comparison to other cities where optometry schools are located.

For the most part, food is right on par from where I am from in the upper Midwest +/- a few cents. Fruit is much cheaper here than at my home and much fresher. A package of Oreos cost $2.50 here whereas at home for me they are sometimes on sale for $3.00. However, milk is $5.58 for 3.55 liters. Yet, you can always buy the cartons of UHT milk that is similar to the pricing in the states. Personally, I don’t have a problem supporting the local farmers.

Gas is not much different than where I am from, and housing isn’t that bad. Things like electricity and water are more expensive, but the climate here is very nice. I have not used an air conditioner since last fall. At that, I barely used it. I usually have the windows open and a fan if I need it, so my bills are low.

Driving here is different, but it isn’t something that is difficult to understand. You will get used to it after a few weeks. Traffic here is not fast. I can barely get up to 40 MPH most of the time because people are driving 10 to 20 MPH in both lanes. Even when the speed limit is 65, it is hard to actually go that speed because you are constantly trying to pass slower vehicles. They don’t always pay attention to the road, so you need to be cautious while driving. As far as pot-holes, I don’t find there to be that many. Most of them are easy to avoid. There are a lot of speed bumps however.

I feel very safe. I am not from a large city, so this is different for me. I use common sense and have never felt threatened. I know there are areas that I don’t want to live and living in a gated apartment or community is a good idea. I have never heard gun shots. I hear a lot of fireworks and other things that make sounds at night. The coquis have never bothered me, and I really enjoy the sounds of summer all year. People here like to have parties in their drive-ways and play loud music until 4 a.m.

I have not been home since I moved here. It is a beautiful place that just takes some time to get used to. There is nothing that I can’t find here that I need or want.

I have never lived in the dorms as I live off-campus. I have been in them, and I don’t feel like they are sub-par living.

I am not involved in any drama or school gossip, but perhaps that is because I live off campus. It is not something you need to take part in. It is a small class, but personally, I like that I get to know the professors and my classmates.

There are ways to be active in the community outside of school as well. I am very glad that I have a vehicle and can go places when I want/need.

I have lived abroad, and I would never expect others to speak with me in English. I try my hardest to speak Spanish, and I knew very little when I arrived. I have a much better understanding of it now, and I plan to work on it over summer to improve even more. We are able to learn more about the Puerto Rican culture living here, and if someone doesn’t take advantage of that, they are truly missing out.

I would not go back in time and apply to other schools. I am happy with my decision. Plus, when there are free times, I can go to the beach!
 
Hello iauprrecentgrad,

I'll keep this short and sweet and straight to the point for now....

I'm sorry if you had a bad experience at IAUPR, but come on, why would you go on the page where new students are accepted and bash the school? That's just disrespectful. If you didn't have the experience you wanted here, or whatever personal experience you had, it should be your business and yours only.

Think before you speak. I'm not trying to talk down to you, but I'm currently a 1st year here and I know that I've read my fair share of posts and if I read those messages you had posted before I came here, I would feel really discouraged reading about my future school of studying something that I passionately care about.

Everywhere has it's pros and cons and telling people about YOUR personal CONS on a page for new students is not nice. Don't you think? Good luck to you. I'm sorry IAUPR wasn't your dream school.

TO ALL THE FUTURE STUDENTS ACCEPTED HERE: I'M VERY EXCITED FOR YOU ALL TO START HERE! IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM, YOU WILL COME OUT GREAT DOCTORS, IF YOU WANT TO COME OUT SPEAKING FLUENTLY IN SPANISH TOO YOU CAN AND IT WILL HELP YOU IN THE FUTURE, THE ISLAND IS BEAUTIFUL, YOU WORK HARD AND YOU BECOME A SMART AND SUCCESSFUL DOCTOR. I KNOW A RECENT GRAD AND SHE IS LOVING LIFE NOW 🙂
 
Reminder: Everyone is entitled to their opinions. SDN does not allow personal attacks. Continued back and forth statements involving ***** and jack*** will result in account bans and closure of this thread. SDN is a professional forum. Please keep it civil.
 
Hi,
Wow...I haven't checked the forum in a bit, but I didn't expect to see this war. Well, I must add to this (and hopefully put our minds at ease).

Yesterday, a patient came into the office and the doctor told that I will be an optometrist. He's a dentist and told me about his former assistant who was supposed to go to Dental School, but changed her mind and went to Optometry School. She is now very successful in New York.

He told me about how she loved school and the field of Optometry so much more than Dentistry. I expected him to tell me that she stayed local for school (NSU) because he spoke so highly of her education. When I asked him where she went, he told me IAUPR! (This made me really happy because I hadn't told him where I was going yet.)

I just thought I'd share this info...especially after reading some recent posts.

Have a great day everyone! See you in PR!!!
 
Best of luck to the new incoming class!
Feel free to message me about IAUPR (current 4th yr about to graduate)
 
when do you get the admission package in mail? is it after you pay the deposit fee?
 
eye.believe said:
when do you get the admission package in mail? is it after you pay the deposit fee?
Click to expand...
Admission package normally comes in after you paid your deposit.
 
Mo808 said:
Incoming IAUPR Class of 2018,

Congratulation on getting accepted!

Just so you all know, I am a current 2nd year student here in IAUPR and a member of the Orientation Committee.

As of now, new volunteer student officers are being interviewed. Once all are finalize, one of those Officers will get hold of you via e-mail and help with your transition to the school. We have made a Facebook group page for the class, so watch out for that link in your designated e-mail.

If you have any questions or concerns, give me Private message.

Once again, Congratulation and I hope to see you all soon.
Click to expand...
 
So I don't do facebook, but I just got my accepted. Can anyone tell me where I might find an academic calendar for 14-15? It isn't updated on the website yet. Or perhaps how I might get in touch with the Orientation Committee without facebook? My email is [email protected]. Thank you so much for your time!
 
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