SCO vs. UAB

[alleigh79]

I'd like to hear from those going to these schools and from those who have visited/applied to both.

One thing that I have heard from a SCO alumni (whose partner is from UAB) is that SCO clinic is superb in comparision to UAB. And that UAB is taught "by the book" and SCO is more hands on, practical.

One of the things I like about UAB (other than the fact that it is closer to home) is the class size.

And - if there are any non-traditional students that have children - I'd like to know about school systems in Memphis and Birmingham. Thanks for the advice!

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[blueeyedOD]

Hey,
I got accepted to both, and I'm going to UAB next year. I saw the same pros and cons of both as you. However, while UAB may be more "by the book" (as some people have said), they have a beautiful clinic (though not as big as SCO - but then again there are much fewer students competing for patients). You get in the clinic as soon as at SCO, so I'm sure you're getting as good hands on exposure. Also, I like that UAB has a strong research program and receives lots of funding for research - it shows they are serious about optometry and have a good reputation in the field. I also thought Birmingham would be a nicer place to live and has better job opportunities for my husband. That being said, I'd love to hear any comments from UAB students about what they like or dislike about the program.

 

[JMU07]

My optometrist (who went to SCO) recommended UAB for me, because it has a really good reputation. However. I cannot justify spending that much money on tuition - the out of state tuition is ridiculous! If I lived in Alabama I probably would have applied. If it's closer to home and more convenient for you, I say go for it. I wouldn't be surprised if Birmingham had better school systems, either. I chose SCO because of it's clinic and the cost of tuition/cost of living. To each his own!

 

[alleigh79]

Thank you so much to those who finally answered!

Does anyone know how out of state seats work at both schools?

 

[JMU07]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but I know that at SCO the majority of students are out of state (or "non-regional", meaning they don't pay the regional tuition). They definitely do not give preference to those living in or near TN.

 

[alleigh79]

For some reason I was thinking that they only offered the regional tuition to a certain number of out of state students? I could have been wrong.

 

[JMU07]

Oh, you're right.. there are a limited number of regional seats, but I'm not sure what the numbers are since I don't live in a regional state.

 

[blueeyedOD]

They have a few seats for students from nearby states. If you call the school, they'll tell you how many seats are available for each state, because it varies. When they offer you acceptance, they should also tell you if they're offering you regional or nonregional tuition. At least, they did for me.

 

[alleigh79]

Cool - thanks!

 

[spanisheyes]

I originally thought I would prefer a smaller class size but when i visited UAB and saw what 40 people actually looks like, I realized its too small for me. I come from a fairly large university where even my smallest classes have 30 people in them and I couldn't imagine only having class with 40 people for 4 years straight.
At SCO, when i saw the classroom, it didn't look as big as I thought. Plus, you break into groups for clinic.

just something to think about..