Hello, I am a current third year student at Salus PCO. I am from South Jersey, so pretty close (45 min) to Elkins Park, PA. My first impression of this area was that it is very different from my hometown. My hometown is a mix of rural and suburban with grass, trees, and wide open spaces, but also malls and shopping centers close by (a perfect balance, in my opinion). In contrast, Elkins Park is a hilly area that is more crowded and condensed, with barely any open grassy spaces. It is definitely more of a city feel. To get into Elkins Park you also have to drive through some rougher areas of Philadelphia, which is another downside. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this area, however, I am here to learn and get my degree, so the area was not a deciding factor for me. There are many good things about Elkins Park. For one thing, Acme grocery store is just around the corner, along with an Applebees and a few other places to eat. There is also a cute shopping strip with a couple bars, a movie theater, and a brewery. Another plus is that there is a Trader Joes about 15 minutes away which is awesome. Willow Grove Mall is also very nice. Some would say another benefit is that center city/Philadelphia is close by, about 35 minutes away, but this is far in my opinion, since from South Jersey I can be in the city in 15 minutes! I still have taken trips to go out in the city from Elkins Park with my friends, and between 6 of us splitting an uber, it is not too expensive. As for places to live, I currently live at 100 York Apartments, but I would recommend living at Wyncote House or Towers (if you can afford it), as they seem like they have less issues. 100 York looks nice and new, however we have had some issues over the years like our hot water being turned off, persistent construction, heating/AC problems, and MICE! Yuck! But on the other hand we have a very nice gym, pool, and tennis court, and are conveniently located right across the street from school. Salus has a good reputation as one of the oldest optometry schools in the country. Our professors at PCO are leaders in optometry, who have made remarkable contributions to the profession. Our clinical skills lab, Simulation Lab, and The Eye Institute are also very impressive. We consistently have doctors and corporations visiting our school to attempt to recruit Salus students after graduation. While Salus is not as known to the public, it is extremely well known in the optometry community. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
