Pacific University

[DeterminedOpto]

Does anyone have any input on Pacific University College of Optometry? Any current students there want to chime in? Or anyone in the process of applying?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[styfles]

hello! I am in the process of applying, have you submitted the supplementary application yet?

 

[thecgrblue]

Does anyone have any input on Pacific University College of Optometry? Any current students there want to chime in? Or anyone in the process of applying?

I was accepted and was going to matriculate until I ultimately changed career paths. If you had more specific questions I may be able to pitch in.

 

[Optic3y3llusion]

I recently got accepted to Pacific University and I'm planning to attend this school next fall. Pacific University was one of my top picks because of the beautiful campus, small town setting, and comprehensive optometry program. At first i was worried about the diversity of the patient base since forest grove is such a small community. After i interviewed, i learned that Pacific has six separate clinical locations to give there students access to a wide range of patients. Now i have no doubts about how awesome the school is.

 

[thecgrblue]

I recently got accepted to Pacific University and I'm planning to attend this school next fall. Pacific University was one of my top picks because of the beautiful campus, small town setting, and comprehensive optometry program. At first i was worried about the diversity of the patient base since forest grove is such a small community. After i interviewed, i learned that Pacific has six separate clinical locations to give there students access to a wide range of patients. Now i have no doubts about how awesome the school is.

I was VERY unimpressed with the on campus facilities. The only reasons that I was going to go were proximity to home, overall Pac NW location, and the welcoming environment. I was concerned with their clinical locations, some of the 3rd and 4th years said you would have 2 or 3 students huddled around 1 patient b/c the number of visits would be very low.

If you stuck SCO in Portland...that'd be the best school, ever.

 

[QueenieCSS]

I am a current 4th year - what kind of information are you looking for specifically?

 

[DeterminedOpto]

I am a current 4th year - what kind of information are you looking for specifically?

Just wondering if you like the program? And what do you like about it, clinical experience, pros cons etc. Any input would really help! thank you!

 

[QueenieCSS]

Just wondering if you like the program? And what do you like about it, clinical experience, pros cons etc. Any input would really help! thank you!

I do like it! I am really glad that I choose PUCO over my other options. Not because the others were bad but more that Pacific was the right choice for me. I liked the feel I got from everyone on my interview day. The students and professors were very friendly and I just felt like it had more of a family feel.

My classmates were very helpful with each other. They were constantly sending out study guides they made to the whole class. We were very collaborative and not so competitive (except with ourselves!)

Clinic wise there are goods and bad - I like that we have 5 clinics so you get a chance to see different things in different parts of the city. There are days in clinic that you don't have a ton of patients. But I felt pretty prepared for my 4th year rotations - though I know I still have a lot to learn. Primary care wise clinic is really awesome, specialty wise it has some improvements that can be made. But that is why our 4th year rotations need to be spread out with different practice types. I have seen so much disease at the site I am at right now that it for sure makes up for it. And we have a lot of options for external rotations.

I think cons for me was the smaller number of patients we see in our internal clinics and the small town location. I loved the northwest but I am from a larger city so it was kind of tough to be out as far from Portland as it was (which was still only like 35-40 min so really not that big of deal). But it was nice to have less distractions when trying to study

I am not sure if that helps or not - if you have more specific questions about one thing or another let me know and I will be happy to share my experiences.

 

[Optic3y3llusion]

I am a current 4th year - what kind of information are you looking for specifically?

I was wondering if you had advice regarding starting your first year at Pacific. I'm planning to matriculate in the fall and i could really use some pointers on how to transition to optometry school from undergrad.

 

[QueenieCSS]

I was wondering if you had advice regarding starting your first year at Pacific. I'm planning to matriculate in the fall and i could really use some pointers on how to transition to optometry school from undergrad.

I always tell everyone it isn't that the material itself is that much harder. It is that there is SO much of it. I think that can probably be said for any optometry school. The biggest thing is to STAY organized. Remember when things are due, when you have quizzes, when you have exams. And don't get behind on studying for them. With so much material you really need to be good on managing your time.

The nice thing is that everyones schedule is the same. So everyone is studying at the same time as you are. It isn't like in undergrad when half your friends have no exams and you have to be up studying instead of hanging out. I think that helps a lot. Especially since once the exams start they don't really let up for the rest of the semester.

Good luck! It's tough but I am sure you will love it!

 

[Optic3y3llusion]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the help

 

[eyeballdoc]

Hi! Current first year at Pacific! I am loving it. The best thing is how tight and non-competitive our class is. I guess some of the schools can be competitive because they base rotation selections in 4th year based on GPA. Pacific uses a lottery system and so none of us feel like we have to be better than others and hoard our study information. On our facebook group, we share EVERYTHING, study guides, lecture notes, extra information we found, tips for proficiencies, and even just reminders for what is due the next day. It is such a collaborative atmosphere and you can tell that everybody really values each other as colleagues.

I can't comment much on clinic. First years don't get clinic time, at least not that I know of. I know at other schools they really emphasize that you start clinic right away first year. I don't mind not being in clinic, I think possibly at those schools you just kind of do shadowing, and basic optometric tech work. At Pacific, they want to teach you everything first and second year so you have a super strong academic background going into clinic.

One other thing I just learned is that there are a lot of different approaches to optometry. Some are more straight forward and medical based and others are more behavior based. I think it's really important to learn about them all. I have been really impressed with the comprehensive, well-rounded education I have been getting so far. I feel free to chose what kind of optometrist I'm going to be. I've heard that not all schools teach you using all the different approaches to optometry.

As far as how to make the transition... it's harder for some people than others. You will have the first two weeks to ease into it, but after that, so far it has been SOO much work. But you will love it anyway. You just have to prioritize, we are all still learning that we need to continuously study, rather than cram... that's just a learning process. Honestly don't worry about this until you start school. In the meantime... enjoy your free time!!

Let me know any other questions you have!

PS: don't let rainy Oregon scare you away. It's gorgeous here until October. And then the rain just helps you study.

 

[DeterminedOpto]

Hi! Current first year at Pacific! I am loving it. The best thing is how tight and non-competitive our class is. I guess some of the schools can be competitive because they base rotation selections in 4th year based on GPA. Pacific uses a lottery system and so none of us feel like we have to be better than others and hoard our study information. On our facebook group, we share EVERYTHING, study guides, lecture notes, extra information we found, tips for proficiencies, and even just reminders for what is due the next day. It is such a collaborative atmosphere and you can tell that everybody really values each other as colleagues.

I can't comment much on clinic. First years don't get clinic time, at least not that I know of. I know at other schools they really emphasize that you start clinic right away first year. I don't mind not being in clinic, I think possibly at those schools you just kind of do shadowing, and basic optometric tech work. At Pacific, they want to teach you everything first and second year so you have a super strong academic background going into clinic.

One other thing I just learned is that there are a lot of different approaches to optometry. Some are more straight forward and medical based and others are more behavior based. I think it's really important to learn about them all. I have been really impressed with the comprehensive, well-rounded education I have been getting so far. I feel free to chose what kind of optometrist I'm going to be. I've heard that not all schools teach you using all the different approaches to optometry.

As far as how to make the transition... it's harder for some people than others. You will have the first two weeks to ease into it, but after that, so far it has been SOO much work. But you will love it anyway. You just have to prioritize, we are all still learning that we need to continuously study, rather than cram... that's just a learning process. Honestly don't worry about this until you start school. In the meantime... enjoy your free time!!

Let me know any other questions you have!

PS: don't let rainy Oregon scare you away. It's gorgeous here until October. And then the rain just helps you study.

thank you! this really helps!! Just gotta cross my fingers and hope I get in!

 

[OptomLady]

I'm in the process of applying. Just have to finish the supplemental application!
Best of luck to you.

 

[pudgie84]

i'm trying to get a budget together for forest grove. can someone tell me how much you pay each month for heat and electricity (and the size of your apt/house)? thanks

 

[QueenieCSS]

i'm trying to get a budget together for forest grove. can someone tell me how much you pay each month for heat and electricity (and the size of your apt/house)? thanks

When I was there (2009-2011) I paid between 30 - 70 for electricity - the higher amounts during the winter months because heat was electric. I lived in one of the two bedroom apt complexes right near Safeway with a roommate so it wasn't too bad for utilities.

 

[pudgie84]

When I was there (2009-2011) I paid between 30 - 70 for electricity - the higher amounts during the winter months because heat was electric. I lived in one of the two bedroom apt complexes right near Safeway with a roommate so it wasn't too bad for utilities.

was that the amount you split with your roommate or did you each pay that?

 

[QueenieCSS]

was that the amount you split with your roommate or did you each pay that?

Sorry - that was the total bill - so split it in half. I'm moving from one rotation to another right now and I think my brain stopped working well

Most of the time our electric bill was in the $40s. $70s were only like Dec, Jan and Feb if I remember right.

 

[pudgie84]

Sorry - that was the total bill - so split it in half. I'm moving from one rotation to another right now and I think my brain stopped working well

Most of the time our electric bill was in the $40s. $70s were only like Dec, Jan and Feb if I remember right.

that's not bad. thanks for the info!