Optometry schools and student diversity

[WhyNeedAName]

Hi! I stopped using SDN since I'm now in optometry school, but I am back to make this one post here. Can we get some black men (and women, but mostly calling men right now) to apply and attend NOVA College of Optometry? The second year students only have about 3-4 black women and no black male. The first year students have 6 black women and no black males.

South Florida is very diverse, it's considered the Gateway to Latin America. 19.2% of Miami population is Black, 15.5% of Florida's population is black. It would be great to see some representation in class, and as future optometrists in the area.

Edit: I forgot to add this question, does your school need more Black applicants/attendees? Drop them here so anyone applying can probably add them to the list to apply to.

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[OchemOficionado]

I feel you. We’ve discussed this at my institution. Here, it’s not that Black applicants aren’t applying to a certain school, it’s that there are so few of us applying period and when we apply several schools are fighting for us. So it comes down to 1. supporting and encouraging Black STEM students earlier (high school) so that the pool of Black applicants can be larger and 2. then once they apply and are accepted doing something to make them pick your school. Sigh. So much work to be done.

 

[WhyNeedAName]

I feel you. We’ve discussed this at my institution. Here, it’s not that Black applicants aren’t applying to a certain school, it’s that there are so few of us applying period and when we apply several schools are fighting for us. So it comes down to 1. supporting and encouraging Black STEM students earlier (high school) so that the pool of Black applicants can be larger and 2. then once they apply and are accepted doing something to make them pick your school. Sigh. So much work to be done.

That makes a lot of sense! In the main URM page, can we make a section for High school students? Or go to the high school section (if it still exists) and make a URM thread there? Because, from my personal experience, I didn't know what optometry was until my junior year of high school, and I met black people who had never of it.