PCO vs NECO

[jamieyum]

Here is the thing.

I've been accepted to PCO about 3 weeks ago. Being a Delaware resident, I thought I could get the state contract grant but apparently the spots were all filled and I don't know what kind of scholarships or grants I would get anymore.

I also have been accepted to NECO today, and I always have this fantasy living in Boston area (well, don't ask why....this is a fantasy ). And I loved the school's location and neighborhood.

However, it is a bit hard for me to compare which has better clinical program and better preparation for the board exam. Anyone can help me on this issue?

Thanks.

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[hawkster]

Both are excellent schools and will more than adequately prepare you for boards. PCO has a significantly better clinical program.

 

[clutzie16]

Hi..congrats on your acceptance..do you mind sharing your stats? Thankyou!

 

[sharpshooter24]

if i had a choice between PCO and NSUCO..... PCO is my choice...


they have a rock solid clinical rotation program. 18months out of campus to be exact. talked to 4th year rotation students near my house, and they like it.

i may be choosing PCO over most schools because of one thing. NBEO is changing in 2 ways

1) its more clinically oriented
2) its give in the 3rd year( dont know what semester)

spoke to Nancy the admissions counselor there about this at PCO. she assured me that their cirriculum meets this change

my eye doctor went to NECO, nice school but super expensive. housing there is expensive school. but both schools are good.

 

[jamieyum]

my stats were

GPA 3.65
Science GPA 3.7
OAT 350
Science OAT 370

Thanks for all of your replies!

 

[LYanof]

Congratulations on your acceptances!

I am 2nd year student at NECO, so I cannot tell you much about PCO, but here are some details about our school's clinical program.

I think the best part about it is that it is immediate, gradual, and they will always fully prepare you for your duties. For example, the first thing we learned was how to take Visual Acuities, and in my second week of optometry school, I was already practicing on our pre-school screenings. Each test I learned how to do was added to my list of responsibilities and practiced on real patients every time I went to clinic.

-OD1s participate in pre-school screenings and observations
-OD2s have clerkships
-OD2 summer is when we start doing full primary care examinations and contact lens fittings
-OD3 is 2 days a week at clinic
-OD4 is 12 months of full time rotations

Boston living is going to be a bit more expensive, although if I remember correctly, its tuition was a little less than PCO. Many students find cheaper housing in boston 'suburbs' (such as Allston, Brookline, and Fenway), a 20-30 minute train ride, and a great way to get a little extra studying done.

Both schools are great and both will give you the classwork and the lectures to prepare you for boards. Studying for boards also takes a lot of personal initiative. Knowing this, when I was deciding which optometry school to attend, I basically chose the lifestyle I wanted to live.

A long post but I hope it was helpful. Best wishes to you and anyone else making this difficult decision.

 

[TheZoosh]

my stats were

GPA 3.65
Science GPA 3.7
OAT 350
Science OAT 370

Thanks for all of your replies!

did u apply to any other schools??

 

[jamieyum]

did u apply to any other schools??

I applied to PCO NECO and SUNY.

 

[jamieyum]

Congratulations on your acceptances!

I am 2nd year student at NECO, so I cannot tell you much about PCO, but here are some details about our school's clinical program.

I think the best part about it is that it is immediate, gradual, and they will always fully prepare you for your duties. For example, the first thing we learned was how to take Visual Acuities, and in my second week of optometry school, I was already practicing on our pre-school screenings. Each test I learned how to do was added to my list of responsibilities and practiced on real patients every time I went to clinic.

-OD1s participate in pre-school screenings and observations
-OD2s have clerkships
-OD2 summer is when we start doing full primary care examinations and contact lens fittings
-OD3 is 2 days a week at clinic
-OD4 is 12 months of full time rotations

Boston living is going to be a bit more expensive, although if I remember correctly, its tuition was a little less than PCO. Many students find cheaper housing in boston 'suburbs' (such as Allston, Brookline, and Fenway), a 20-30 minute train ride, and a great way to get a little extra studying done.

Both schools are great and both will give you the classwork and the lectures to prepare you for boards. Studying for boards also takes a lot of personal initiative. Knowing this, when I was deciding which optometry school to attend, I basically chose the lifestyle I wanted to live.

A long post but I hope it was helpful. Best wishes to you and anyone else making this difficult decision.

Thank you very much for your insights. This is more that what I heard from the tour.

 

[JAZZEYE]

boston is a nice clean medium size city 560k people

philly is one of the largest metropolitan cities in the country about a million and a half people has lots to offer good and bad

both cities and schools are expensive

both schools have a long standing reputation for excellence and will give all you need to pass boards

nice choice to have

 

[sharpshooter24]

ive heard of PennCO reducing their 18month out of campus rotations to 12months due to the new NBEO given in the 3rd year... please let me know very important to me.

 

[jamieyum]

ive heard of PennCO reducing their 18month out of campus rotations to 12months due to the new NBEO given in the 3rd year... please let me know very important to me.

as far as I heard from PCO counselors it is absolutely NOT true. Students only need to come back to school to take board exams or they could take it wherever they are doing externships.

 

[Notorious Desi]

Hey Jamieyum,

I'm having the same dilemma as you. I've been accepted to both PCO and NECO and can't really seem to decide which one to go to. I still think I'm being considered for the Maryland contract seat but I'm having issues about being locked into working in Maryland for 4 years afterward to receive the tuition reduction. I'm not originally from Maryland and don't really have an attraction to live here after Optometry school.

Here's the way I see both schools which is pretty in line with your views I think:

Location: NECO is IN a really great part of Boston and PCO is in a so-so suburb of Philly. The clinic is definately not in the finest areas to say the least. To me, NECO seemed lively - stuff happening all around you whereas PCO was kinda stale and maybe a little dreary but that could be cause it was overcast. WINNER: NECO

Academics: Both schools seem to be right on top of their curricula. Both are old and established schools. I believe PCO does have better board pass rates however. I don't think you'd get short changed at either school in the didactic years. WINNER: TIE

Clinicals: From what I gather from all the posts on here, the clinical training and exposure you get at PCO is right at the top. The clinical facility is in a "ghettoish" area (for lack of better words) but that being said you do get a population with more ocular disease thereby improving your clinical exposure. Then again, NECO just showed us their main state-of-the-art eye clinic which most students don't get a rotation in so from what I understand, you get to see a lot at NECO too but you may have to hoof it all around Boston depending on your assigned clinical site. WINNER: PCO

Facilities: I thought PCO had better equipment and the school itself seems like a school (not an old converted mansion - which has its charm as well). PCO's cafeteria dismantles NECO's hole in the ground cafe and PCO does have their really nice gym/community center which is free of charge. The clinic again is rather run down but the diagnostic equipment inside is better than what NECO has from what I saw. WINNER: TIE (for different reasons)

Cost: Both very expensive and amongst the most expensive optometry educations in the country. Even without the contract, NECO is still 10% more expensive than PCO with housing and everything included. PCO will come to be approximately $50,000 a year and NECO $55,000 for the average student. You'd need a car at PCO for sure and it'd be quite idiotic to have one at NECO so its about even cost wise. WINNER: PCO (by a hair - more so with the contract)

Finally, The Intangible: Where do you want to spend the next four years of your life? Where do you think you'll succeed best? In the end, you're getting an O.D. from a good school either way. Personally, I'm leaning toward NECO cause I see myself living in Boston over Elkins Park but different people thrive in different atmospheres. PCO would be closer to home for me and I think my parents would sleep better at night if I went there. WINNER: NECO (for me).

In any case, I hope my views on the situation helped a little. Did you end up making a choice yet? I know I'm still debating!

Also, if anyone else would like to chime in.. maybe I'm wrong about something - maybe I missed something... I'd appreciate your opinions.. Thanks and good luck to everyone!

 

[mencantatodo]

thanks for the posts! i'm debating between these two schools as well.... for me i'm leaning towards NECO due to the diverse clinical experience. i've heard about their spanish speaking clinics, and would love the chance to work in there and learn how to serve different populations.

but i'm still debating because it seems like living in Boston will be expensive! i can't choose...

Hey Jamieyum,

I'm having the same dilemma as you. I've been accepted to both PCO and NECO and can't really seem to decide which one to go to. I still think I'm being considered for the Maryland contract seat but I'm having issues about being locked into working in Maryland for 4 years afterward to receive the tuition reduction. I'm not originally from Maryland and don't really have an attraction to live here after Optometry school.

Here's the way I see both schools which is pretty in line with your views I think:

Location: NECO is IN a really great part of Boston and PCO is in a so-so suburb of Philly. The clinic is definately not in the finest areas to say the least. To me, NECO seemed lively - stuff happening all around you whereas PCO was kinda stale and maybe a little dreary but that could be cause it was overcast. WINNER: NECO

Academics: Both schools seem to be right on top of their curricula. Both are old and established schools. I believe PCO does have better board pass rates however. I don't think you'd get short changed at either school in the didactic years. WINNER: TIE

Clinicals: From what I gather from all the posts on here, the clinical training and exposure you get at PCO is right at the top. The clinical facility is in a "ghettoish" area (for lack of better words) but that being said you do get a population with more ocular disease thereby improving your clinical exposure. Then again, NECO just showed us their main state-of-the-art eye clinic which most students don't get a rotation in so from what I understand, you get to see a lot at NECO too but you may have to hoof it all around Boston depending on your assigned clinical site. WINNER: PCO

Facilities: I thought PCO had better equipment and the school itself seems like a school (not an old converted mansion - which has its charm as well). PCO's cafeteria dismantles NECO's hole in the ground cafe and PCO does have their really nice gym/community center which is free of charge. The clinic again is rather run down but the diagnostic equipment inside is better than what NECO has from what I saw. WINNER: TIE (for different reasons)

Cost: Both very expensive and amongst the most expensive optometry educations in the country. Even without the contract, NECO is still 10% more expensive than PCO with housing and everything included. PCO will come to be approximately $50,000 a year and NECO $55,000 for the average student. You'd need a car at PCO for sure and it'd be quite idiotic to have one at NECO so its about even cost wise. WINNER: PCO (by a hair - more so with the contract)

Finally, The Intangible: Where do you want to spend the next four years of your life? Where do you think you'll succeed best? In the end, you're getting an O.D. from a good school either way. Personally, I'm leaning toward NECO cause I see myself living in Boston over Elkins Park but different people thrive in different atmospheres. PCO would be closer to home for me and I think my parents would sleep better at night if I went there. WINNER: NECO (for me).

In any case, I hope my views on the situation helped a little. Did you end up making a choice yet? I know I'm still debating!

Also, if anyone else would like to chime in.. maybe I'm wrong about something - maybe I missed something... I'd appreciate your opinions.. Thanks and good luck to everyone!

 

[pienfoo]

i chose PCO because of its high board passing rates and its clinical program's great reputation. i've heard that neco had one of the lower board passing rates in the past couple of years.

 

[tennisanyone]

I called NECO and they told me their pass rate for the boards is usually in the 70s. My PCO tour guide told me PCO's is usually high 80s/low 90s...

I'm still trying to figure out which school is for me and am paying attention at the pass rates but at the same time I know that if we focus and study hard we should be able to pass the boards and I'm sure each school will give us the tools we need. In addition, I've heard that boards is going towards a more clinical basis so that may change some things (although I'm sure PCO will still do well with that change)

 

[sharpshooter24]

I called NECO and they told me their pass rate for the boards is usually in the 70s. My PCO tour guide told me PCO's is usually high 80s/low 90s...

I'm still trying to figure out which school is for me and am paying attention at the pass rates but at the same time I know that if we focus and study hard we should be able to pass the boards and I'm sure each school will give us the tools we need. In addition, I've heard that boards is going towards a more clinical basis so that may change some things (although I'm sure PCO will still do well with that change)

sorry to say im choosing PCO over NSUCO. although PCO is not the most glamerous looking school like NSUCO, they do have an awsome clinical program there. PCO does not have to change that much, they just do what they do best: make sure in 4 years you are a highly trained OD able to deal with various clinical situations.

but then again PCO has been around since 1919 if i remember correctly. i have worked with 4 year rotation students at Bascom Palmer Eye inst. they are highly trained in their craft.

 

[itzsohz]

c u guys at PCO. any1 making facebook for 2012?

 

[mencantatodo]

nope somebody probably should...

 

[jamieyum]

it seems that most of us choose PCO over NECO, including me. See you all at PCO!

 

[mencantatodo]

does anyone know if NECO offers any scholarships? i know PCO does... http://www.pco.edu/optometry/od_scholarship.htm

just curious! one more reason i'm kind of leaning towards PCO

 

[Oilersfan69]

does PCO hand out scholarships once they get all the seats filled up? Then they'd review everyone's profiles and send out the scholarships. Or do they hand out scholarships to the entering class on first come first serve basis? Thus, a person would more likely to get a scholarship if they interviewed in November/December than if they interviewed in February?

 

[sharpshooter24]

does PCO hand out scholarships once they get all the seats filled up? Then they'd review everyone's profiles and send out the scholarships. Or do they hand out scholarships to the entering class on first come first serve basis? Thus, a person would more likely to get a scholarship if they interviewed in November/December than if they interviewed in February?

they do give out several scholarships based on merit or need i believe. these decisions are made several weeks after your first semester starts.

 

[SarahNC]

I think if I remember correctly, they said there are only about 2 scholarships for 1st years, all of the rest are for 2nd years and up.

 

[anchan]

I called NECO and they told me their pass rate for the boards is usually in the 70s. My PCO tour guide told me PCO's is usually high 80s/low 90s...

I'm still trying to figure out which school is for me and am paying attention at the pass rates but at the same time I know that if we focus and study hard we should be able to pass the boards and I'm sure each school will give us the tools we need. In addition, I've heard that boards is going towards a more clinical basis so that may change some things (although I'm sure PCO will still do well with that change)

the most recent boards past rate for neco was 86%, so that may factor into your decision. but overall, is boards really the be all end all? probably not, look into other aspects the school has to offer, and what you want to get out of optometry school. in my opinion, on paper, pco is the superior school of the two, but neco still has one of the top programs in the country.

 

[aDubs]

Im just going to give my two-cents here. I've been to both schools for interviews and as of now, I am leaning towards NECO. My reason may be stupid, but I feel the four years I will spend in optometry school will be more exciting in Boston. I loved the city. I must admit that the clinic at PCO is probably better than NECO, but I could not find anything to do in the PCO vicinity. I personally need a live place to keep me entertained.

With that said, I don't think that NECO is an insufficient school when it comes to academics. I believe that NECO has a great program, good enough to provide the opportunity for ALL the students to pass the boards.

So, if you are someone like me, who is looking for a happening school environment with a sufficient program and clinic, I would suggest NECO. This choice is also made in comparison to SUNY and ICO, places I visited.

 

[optEXTREME]

yeah, what the heck is there to do at PCO? the area seemed a little to ghetto for me.