NOVA students

[chrissystar]

Hi!

I was wondering if current NOVA students can post their experiences. I would like to know what kind of clinical exposure you get during your initial years, and what you think of having classes with other professional students. Any other comments on living, lifestyle,etc would be great too!

Your honest opinions are appreciated! Im trying to choose between schools! Thank you!

 

[Optiman]

I am only a first year student at NOVA and so can only tell you of what I understand to be true of the next few years.
I have no problems with NOVA. I feel that most students will get out of a program what they put into it. As far as clinical experience, the first year we shadow a third year student a few times a semester. Second year is the same as I uderstand it. Third year you work in the clinic 1-2 times a week (not sure). Fourth year is all clinical rotations. You rotate between clinics getting experience in different settings/specialties.

I dont have a problem with studying with other proffessional school students for the few classes we study with them. All combined school classes are basic science classes (Gross Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroanatomy, General Pharmacology). Even micro was optometry only so we could concentrate on occular microorganisms and treatments. The only thing I dont like is that dental students have been kicking our butts lately

I can tell you that in my proffessional experience (optician) the doctors that have graduated from NOVA have been very competant in the clinic. Although the sample I have worked with is small. The best doctors I have worked with have all come from SCO (or were proffessors there). However I base this on remakes etc, not as much medical. I cannot judge that aspect. SCO doctors by far seemed to have the most common sense, something lacking from doctors I have worked with from "elite" schools, however, that probably has nothing to do with the school.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[chrissystar]

thank you!!! ne other NOVA students out there want to share their experiences?

 

[Optiman]

One addition, I was told by a proffessor today that the last NOVA class to take the national board practical had like a 97-98% pass rate, and was among the top OD schools in the country with that kind of percentage. At NOVA they make you take practical profficiencies that are supposedly set up like the nat'l boards.
The comradery at nova is also good. Everyone helps one another, no competition, etc.
The area is nice but expensive.

 

[sco1styear]

Are there schools that don't have that high of a passage rate on those skills? It would surprise me if there were lower scores than that, I know we are almost always at 100% and our practicals are set up to simulate the NBEO's, I would assume most schools do this...?

 

[cpw]

You take the NBEO practical exam (part 3) a MONTH before you graduate. I would hope EVERY school has a 98% or higher pass rate.

 

[carizma12]

How is the weather in Florida during the school year (which i guess is pretty much year round) - does it really get that bad? or are you probably too busy to notice it anyways since you're always in class/clinic/labs/library studying.

 

[yvipine]

is it true that NOVA lost their accreditation this year??? anyone hear of this?

 

[swiftiii]

OI! Don't be perpetuating rumors . Nova hasn't come anywhere close to losing their accreditation.

For he who asked about the weather, I must say it is the best part about being here!! I think about my other choices, and while I realize weather is not an important reason for choosing a school, I must say that it helps me to stay motivated. I'm from the midwest, and there is nothing that gets me down more than the cold.

But I get why you ask. This year, we haven't had very many problems. We did, however, get the equivalent of a snow day...a hurricane day! Two, in fact. I guess last season though, Hurricane Andrew (or was it Wilma-not sure) was problematic, but everyone survived and I have yet to hear any horror stories.

There is only one thing in hindsight I wish I had taken into more consideration and that is class size. I really, really wish the class sizes here were smaller. The teachers here know me and I have very good repoire with some, but there are others for which I can't help but feel like a number. Having said that, it's really up to the student. You can get more involved with your teachers...I am just not about to fight for the attention from some of my other more...determined classmates.

 

[carizma12]

i dont believe this to be true - but do a lot of people end up failing/dropping out of opt at NOVA? thats what someone posted, so I wanted to make sure..

do you knwo what the board pass rate/ retention rate is?

 

[swiftiii]

The drop-out rate at Nova has been very, very low...about 97-98% graduation rate...until recently. I don't know what happened with our entering class, but we lost about 9 people. From what the second and third years told me, our classes were a lot harder than theirs ever were, so that may have something to do with it. You can only take retakes a total of three times, and only twice in one semester. So for those who didn't leave for personal reasons, and I know there were a couple, the others just failed too many classes. I really don't think we are going to lose too many more people, so if you consider that we started with 120, I personally don't think it's a big deal to only graduate 110.

BTW Dropping out is entirely up to the student. The curriculum is challenging so that you become a better doctor. You're not here to party. Unfortunately, there were a few who thought they could do the minimum and be ok. Anyway, if there is a subject you are struggling with, the school offers tutors and there are a number of subjects that have a free weekly recitation. I guess what I am trying to convey to future OD students is that you can't blame anything on the teachers/school. They do their jobs very well.