Schools "specialty"

[diirooz]

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Does anyone know what the below schools focus is in (research, clinical, vision therapy, etc)? THANKS!!

SUNY, SCCO, SCO, Berkeley and UHCO

 

[JeffChou]

I'm sure each of the schools below will provide a competent education in all of those areas but from what I've gathered, UCBSO (Berkeley) has a strong emphasis in research. I'd imagine it has to do with it being a part of the researched oriented University of California system.

SCCO is also more involved in research I've heard but I'm not sure to what extent. They also require each of their OD students to perform a research project.

SUNY State College of Optometry is a very clinically oriented institute. They have the largest (from what I've been told) public eye clinic which is in house (on one of the 18 or so floors of the building the school occupies) which sees a very wide range of patient cases. Dr. Johnston, the Vice President of Student Affairs came to speak at our club here in Irvine and emphasized the clinical cases students will encounter at SUNY. Vision therapy experience can be more familiar with the diversity of patient cases they handle.

And for those who are just curious about NECO, they also emphasize that they place students in clinical environments beginning OD year 1 unlike some other schools. Students will not be practicing that soon, but I'd expect observing and assisting would be in line for students at NECO. Normal clinical practicing should follow in the later years.

This is not meant to be a conclusive summary of each school's focus so if I have overlooked something, feel free to append to it. If I have made any gross errors, then please speak up.

Almost every school has some research activity available for students but IN MY OPINION, Berkeley seems to be one of the strongest in focus. I also think that SUNY seems to have one of the strongest clinical focuses. Again, this is all personal impression of these schools since I'm not yet an optometric student and haven't visited any of the schools. Each of these schools has a optometric center for the public but the best advice I can give is to check each school's website out and request literature about each school.

 

[iiiimonica]

🙄

we don't even have to do an od thesis to graduate anymore! berkeley's program is very clinically focused. we are in preclinic from day 1 and we start seeing patients by ourselves the summer of our second years. (we do observations and 3-4 student exams earlier than this, but we fly solo the summer before we become 3rd years)

now if you want to do research then there is plenty of opprutinity, but only a few students from each class chose to do this.

so stop saying berkeley is research focused, it might have been more true 10 plus years ago, but it hasn't been the case since at least the mid 90's. (i have a good friend that graduted in 2002, and he says that research was never the focus)

 

[iowaeyes]

I have visited SCO and they emphasized that they are a clinically focused school. They are moving clinic experience up earlier in the curriculum due to the change in Nat'l Boards. They do have 2 research projects that students can participate in, but I was told by 2 seperate faculty members that if research was your main interest SCO is probably not the school for you.

I have not yet visited UHCO but have spoken in depth with a professor and associate dean about the school over the phone. They emphasized that they have many research projects to participate in and even a summer research program that pays with a stipend.

Hope that helps!

 

[cpw]

I have not yet visited UHCO but have spoken in depth with a professor and associate dean about the school over the phone. They emphasized that they have many research projects to participate in and even a summer research program that pays with a stipend.

Hope that helps!

They have many many research opportunites at UHCO, but it is in NO WAY pushed on you. You can apply and participate in summer research but you don't have to (and most students don't).

UHCO has a VERY strong clinical focus.. and their low vision and ocular disease/glaucoma clinics are FABULOUS! They also, from what I am hearing, are opening a MS clinic with the in-house neuro-ophthalmologist Dr Schiffman.