does anyone know anything about IAUPR? any feedback would help.
I just got accepted!
I just got accepted!
Iaupr?
- Thread starter slyOD
- Start date
Congratulation! I also got accepted to P.R. yesterday. I am taking spanish course. But I really wanna be sure the lectures are only in English.
RIEYE: i've worked at an optometrist office part time for the past 6 years as a technician & my GPA was a 3.577 from undergrad.
ZEINA: from what I heard the lectures are in english the spanish is needed mainly in the clinic because most of the patients only speak spanish..(I will be in trouble b/c I don't know it yet)
ZEINA: from what I heard the lectures are in english the spanish is needed mainly in the clinic because most of the patients only speak spanish..(I will be in trouble b/c I don't know it yet)
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The lectures are in English as well as the exams. You'll have spanish speaking classmates, so during lecture, the professor will respond in spanish to clarify concepts, topics, etc. for those students asking questions. They will also answer in English afterwards for everyone else to understand. There's only one professor (second yr course) that give lectures in Spanish but exams in English but that won't be the case starting this fall.
As far as knowing Spanish, the non-native speakers will have two semesters of conversational spanish. During orientation, an interview and assessment will be made of your Spanish proficiency and you will be put into two groups: Introductory and Basic. You'll have plenty of time to practice to be ready for the clinic proficiency on your 1st yr second semester. You will be given a step by step dialogue script that you will practice over and over. You need to know what to ask and understand or have an idea of the response of the patients and the clinicians will verify what you wrote down. You will be writing in English on the patients health record. There are a lot of Spanish-English cognates
so it shouldn't be that hard. If you can get some spanish class under your belt it's to your benefit, otherwise no need to worry.
Sorry for the long post. Any other questions, just PM me.
As far as knowing Spanish, the non-native speakers will have two semesters of conversational spanish. During orientation, an interview and assessment will be made of your Spanish proficiency and you will be put into two groups: Introductory and Basic. You'll have plenty of time to practice to be ready for the clinic proficiency on your 1st yr second semester. You will be given a step by step dialogue script that you will practice over and over. You need to know what to ask and understand or have an idea of the response of the patients and the clinicians will verify what you wrote down. You will be writing in English on the patients health record. There are a lot of Spanish-English cognates
so it shouldn't be that hard. If you can get some spanish class under your belt it's to your benefit, otherwise no need to worry.Sorry for the long post. Any other questions, just PM me.
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Okay okay. Well hello "mikepang" hehe
So we meet again
Mike is a first year, and if you've read other posts here (search for "
IAUPR: is the Puerto Rico school legit or 'plan B'?
Great news for Puerto Rico School of Optometry)
you'll see we have butted heads a little in this week of comments. But we're cool now. Our school has had problems- long standing ones. You'll also see my comments about our accreditation etc. The facts in a nutshell are:
we are in a new, beautiful building. We are accreditated until 2013 (renewed every 7 years like everyone else). We do have sucky board pass rate. We are a REAL honest-to-God Optometry school and a proud part of the 18 schools of optometry in the US. PR is considered as part of the US. As a US citizen you do not need a visa, passport etc.. to be here.
Okay, for my third-year, taken boards and failed student opinion---
If you get in somewhere else, do. You'll read my comments about our NEWS about the council cracking down on our board scores, but that won't change a thing until another 3-4 years (read the "good news" thread). I've been dissappointed in my education or lack thereof. Alot we're taught is "bad" material and in contradiction to the books/boards.
The spanish thing is changing to a positive one, but currently you are given a class of conversational spanish the first year. Then, you are expected to memorize a script for clinic. So far my class, the 2 years and the 4th years agree that if you didn't speak spanish before coming, you'll know little leaving. I myself have put more effort (i want to offer services to our Mexican community--- cash money!!) to learn, but what i know is from my own efforts. Most only know the script. And seriously, a memorized script means nothing when you cannot understand the patients response.
For regional dialect, this spanish is a bit ghetto. I have several mexican/Guatemalans in my class who didn't understand their dialect when they first came. I actually translated to some new first years who came from the states knowing spanish. Just to let you know...
I'll put it this way for you. If you can agree to the stipulations, then this school is for you:
1) self motivator
2) self teacher. You will have to teach yourself profound concepts that are not easy
3) self encourager- you will not pass some things. It will not be because you are stupid, or didn't study, it will be because the test is badly written, or the internet died and you couldn't finish the test
4) rely on student relations- they are the only thing that gets you through.
5) be about 10% dishonest- use old tests, and slight underhanded cheating...
If you can seriously "homeschool" yourself as an optometrist and learn to play a game with the faculty of twisted politics, then you will do fine. If you can go somewhere else, then go. If you can't get in anywhere else, come here and if you work hard you WILL be a doctor. Its your choice. This school is not the best nor easiest. A lot of frustrations are in your path, but you knowing that YOU accomplished it yourself (without the help of our school) does give you an ego boost.
good luck in deciding. i can give more details, be free to ask. Things should be changing for the better and the student body is the strongest family we have. we really support each other.
the first piece of advice i would like to give (one i wish was told to me) is if you are 100% you are coming:
Look and really strive to move here. Get here 2-3 weeks early to adjust, find your way around etc. Know this- the school will not help you, or offer help finding apts or whatever. We have started a "buddy" list with the student body where someone will try to help you, but nothing from the school. As of present we have no dorms. We are building some, but as things are.... who know when it will be ready. They projected a date, but again, our new school opening was told to every class for the last 10 years that THEY would be the class to move into it.
Just be ready for a crazy move. You are on your own. Get in good with a classmate for a roomie etc. Hope your buddy can help you out and feel free to PM me and I will pass your name along to someone if no one is helping. Be sure to have a few thousand dollars saved up, it will be awhile before you get your first loan check (up to 2 mo)and you'll need to live. Its costly here.
Good luck!
Feel free to ask other questions. As it stands, MikePang can give you a first years perspective (and a more positive one) and I can give you the "old, grumpy and ready to get outta here" view. I will say that the whole of the upperclassmen are very negative about the school with reason. We've been screwed alot.
Again, with that "good news" thread, it looks like we're finally going to be held accountable. Thats exciting news for us.
again, Good Luck, and God bless
Dios te bendiga.
So we meet again
Mike is a first year, and if you've read other posts here (search for "
IAUPR: is the Puerto Rico school legit or 'plan B'?
Great news for Puerto Rico School of Optometry)
you'll see we have butted heads a little in this week of comments. But we're cool now. Our school has had problems- long standing ones. You'll also see my comments about our accreditation etc. The facts in a nutshell are:
we are in a new, beautiful building. We are accreditated until 2013 (renewed every 7 years like everyone else). We do have sucky board pass rate. We are a REAL honest-to-God Optometry school and a proud part of the 18 schools of optometry in the US. PR is considered as part of the US. As a US citizen you do not need a visa, passport etc.. to be here.
Okay, for my third-year, taken boards and failed student opinion---
If you get in somewhere else, do. You'll read my comments about our NEWS about the council cracking down on our board scores, but that won't change a thing until another 3-4 years (read the "good news" thread). I've been dissappointed in my education or lack thereof. Alot we're taught is "bad" material and in contradiction to the books/boards.
The spanish thing is changing to a positive one, but currently you are given a class of conversational spanish the first year. Then, you are expected to memorize a script for clinic. So far my class, the 2 years and the 4th years agree that if you didn't speak spanish before coming, you'll know little leaving. I myself have put more effort (i want to offer services to our Mexican community--- cash money!!) to learn, but what i know is from my own efforts. Most only know the script. And seriously, a memorized script means nothing when you cannot understand the patients response.
For regional dialect, this spanish is a bit ghetto. I have several mexican/Guatemalans in my class who didn't understand their dialect when they first came. I actually translated to some new first years who came from the states knowing spanish. Just to let you know...
I'll put it this way for you. If you can agree to the stipulations, then this school is for you:
1) self motivator
2) self teacher. You will have to teach yourself profound concepts that are not easy
3) self encourager- you will not pass some things. It will not be because you are stupid, or didn't study, it will be because the test is badly written, or the internet died and you couldn't finish the test
4) rely on student relations- they are the only thing that gets you through.
5) be about 10% dishonest- use old tests, and slight underhanded cheating...
If you can seriously "homeschool" yourself as an optometrist and learn to play a game with the faculty of twisted politics, then you will do fine. If you can go somewhere else, then go. If you can't get in anywhere else, come here and if you work hard you WILL be a doctor. Its your choice. This school is not the best nor easiest. A lot of frustrations are in your path, but you knowing that YOU accomplished it yourself (without the help of our school) does give you an ego boost.
good luck in deciding. i can give more details, be free to ask. Things should be changing for the better and the student body is the strongest family we have. we really support each other.
the first piece of advice i would like to give (one i wish was told to me) is if you are 100% you are coming:
Look and really strive to move here. Get here 2-3 weeks early to adjust, find your way around etc. Know this- the school will not help you, or offer help finding apts or whatever. We have started a "buddy" list with the student body where someone will try to help you, but nothing from the school. As of present we have no dorms. We are building some, but as things are.... who know when it will be ready. They projected a date, but again, our new school opening was told to every class for the last 10 years that THEY would be the class to move into it.
Just be ready for a crazy move. You are on your own. Get in good with a classmate for a roomie etc. Hope your buddy can help you out and feel free to PM me and I will pass your name along to someone if no one is helping. Be sure to have a few thousand dollars saved up, it will be awhile before you get your first loan check (up to 2 mo)and you'll need to live. Its costly here.
Good luck!
Feel free to ask other questions. As it stands, MikePang can give you a first years perspective (and a more positive one) and I can give you the "old, grumpy and ready to get outta here" view. I will say that the whole of the upperclassmen are very negative about the school with reason. We've been screwed alot.
Again, with that "good news" thread, it looks like we're finally going to be held accountable. Thats exciting news for us.
again, Good Luck, and God bless
Dios te bendiga.
