puco vs. pco

[kayy]

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oregon is beautiful, and the small town feel is definitely different from what i'm use to...which was why i applied. i feel like there is a bigger emphasis on academics than on clinical..but the promise of 4(or 5?) different clinics serving different types of populations is enticing. however, i didn't get to visit them so i don't really have any impressions.

pennsylvania is well, very different. smog, grafitti, and busy busy busy. their clinic was def the most impressive. it was huge and BUSTLING when i saw it. although not as fancy or easy on the eye as SCO, it looked like an agar plate for learning lol.

the cost is about the same, with pco being about 1k more i think...so thats not much of a factor. anything else i should consider? i like both a lot, and can definitely picture myself happy at either so =\

edit//
im interested in CL, and would prefer an externship in FL.....

 

[kayy]

yeah, i've been getting that a lot...opposite ends thing. i figure i'm not going to be driving distance from my home anyway, so it doesn't make much of a difference how long my flight will be. i adapt to change pretty easily.

is there much of a difference in the student body when comparing the west coast to the east coast that anyone's noticed...other than that they are generally from the surrounding states? although i didn't get that vibe...guess what im driving at is: will i seem like too much of an outcast on the west coast? everyone knows how to snowboard! lol

 

[Shasta03]

I'm from the east and ended up at one of the west coast schools. I've found that people from the various regions tend to somewhat stick together (midwest, canadians, west coast, etc.). I don't feel like an outcast or like I stick out, I just found my own group to hang with, which just happens to consist of people more from the eastern half of the U.S. I think people from similar regions naturally gravitate toward each other. And don't stress out, you didn't make a "big" mistake by not checking out the clinics at any of the schools. What YOU find most important in a school is up to you, and the "feel" you get from a clinic by going to see it won't change what you can learn there! New, old, bustling, stale, your clinic experience can depend a lot on what you make of it - how active you are in keeping your ears open for "this crazy thing that just walked in," and where you practice your skills outside of the school's designated clinic (which, by the way, are not the ONLY locations you can learn things!). Best wishes making your decision - decide what is most important for you and your experience to be successful in optometry school, make a decision, and don't look back!

 

[kenabso]

Im a first year at PUCO. It's great. I bet Pitsburg is great too.
One thing to consider about Oregon is this: the school is in a small town, but it's only 30 minutes to downtown Portland. you can experience the big(ish) city, but study in the quiet small town.
There are less North-West students than I thought there would be. East coast, midwest, california; It's all over the map.
Sorry, but I can't tell you much about our clinics. I'm just a first year with my nose in the books. 🙂

Make a descision on what you think is best for you. Either school will give you great training.

 

[Shasta03]

Though Philadelphia is a larger city than Portland, you can't ignore that 5 clinics are better than 1! You will see lots of pathology in both locations, whether you went to check out the clinics yourself or not. There is a large hispanic population in the Portland metro area, specifically walking into the downtown and Virginia Garcia clinics, bringing with them plenty of rare and fascinating eye conditions. Either school is a great choice when comparing just the clinic experience. Look to other things that you find important to break the tie.