I am currently a third year student at PCO so I'm hoping I can offer some insight to help you out. I did not apply to NECO so I cannot compare the two, but I can offer some information about Salus! I chose this school because it was close to my home in Delaware, and I know/worked for several doctors that went to PCO. When I interviewed, I loved the school and all it had to offer. The campus was pretty and every one was extremely friendly. I also liked that there is a gym on campus in the student center. Elkins Park is a nice suburban area that isn't too far from Center City Philadelphia, so I liked the accessibility to different things. PCO's clinic, The Eye Institute, was just redone in 2011 and offers a modern clinical setting for learning.
During my time here, I feel that I have gained a very strong clinical education. We start performing full eye exams on our own during the Spring of our second year. This was very beneficial for me because I learn best with a more hands on experience. When I leave for my rotations in March (the first of five externships) I feel that I have a strong knowledge base to take with me since I will have been doing full exams for over a year at that point. The doctors in the clinic are extremely knowledgeable.
A major concern about PCO has been the low board scores, which is a validated concern and something I feel I should elaborate on. I am currently scheduled to take Part 1 of boards in March. When last year's board scores were released from the class above us, Dr. Trego, the dean of PCO, immediately took action with our class. Previously, we were allowed to leave campus for our first externship in February before actually taking boards. Students spent 4 days a week seeing patients out on rotations, and were given one day off per week to study until they took Part 1 at the end of March. This did not appear to give students adequate time for studying, however. Since the release of last years boards scores, our schedule before boards has changed drastically.
When we return to campus in January for the spring of our third year, we are remaining on campus until the end of March when we take Part 1 of boards. We now will not leave for our first externship until after we have all taken Part 1. Up until we take boards, we are at The Eye Institute 1-2 days per week to keep our clinical skills sharp, while the rest of the time is devoted to helping us review for boards. We are given the other days during the week to devote solely to studying. In addition to the KMK review course, professors will be scheduling their own review courses. We will be having practice exams pertaining to a particular section every Friday, as well as full practice exams on the computer to help us prepare. Dr. Trego has met with us a few times and explained how she will do whatever it takes to help us all pass the first time. She has also made it clear that we need to take responsibility for ourselves as well and start studying early. The school is also currently working on a new curriculum for incoming classes to help students retain the information they need to pass boards, which I believe will be extremely beneficial. However, this means I cannot offer much insight on the didactic course schedule you would have because incoming students will have a different curriculum.
While the low scores in the past are disheartening for such a prestigious Optometry school, changes are being made with the benefit of the students in mind. Dr. Trego has made it very clear that she is here to help us in anyway possible, and has made that evident to the students in many ways. Like another student previously said, our Part 2 and 3 boards scores should not be overlooked when deciding on a school. We get an awesome clinical education here at PCO. With all that being said, I would not change where I chose to attend school. I love the people and doctors I have had the chance to meet here and I am excited about my future in this profession. Let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this helps!
