SUNY students- how much shadowing did you do?

[CanadaODhopeful]

I noticed with some older posts that students applying to SUNY were told they did not have enough exposure to optometry at their interviews. How much exposure and shadowing experience did most SUNY students have when they were admitted into the program?
What would be a sufficient amount of exposure to optometry from the prospective of the admittance committee?
Thanks

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[hello07]

I never attended SUNY. thank God. From what I know about the school, they think too highly of themselves when they really shouldn't. They are not the best OD school out there. I can tell you with certainty, that they are the most malignant OD school out there. Now, can anyone answer me why?

 

[KHE]

I never attended SUNY. thank God. From what I know about the school, they think too highly of themselves when they really shouldn't. They are not the best OD school out there. I can tell you with certainty, that they are the most malignant OD school out there. Now, can anyone answer me why?

Well, I attended SUNY and had a very positive experience. I didn't find anything malignant about the school or the faculty and I found the overwhelming majority of the faculty to be quite UNarrogant.

Not sure I understand where that post came from....

 

[still_confused]

I never attended SUNY. thank God. From what I know about the school, they think too highly of themselves when they really shouldn't. They are not the best OD school out there. I can tell you with certainty, that they are the most malignant OD school out there. Now, can anyone answer me why?

Yep, this pretty much sums up this forum, random post that doesn't answer the original post other then add some negativity.

as for the OP, best to shadow at least one day in each mode of practice (commercial, private, institutional (if possible), and I even did an opth) and you should be golden.

 

[hello07]

KHE,
I don't mean to be controversial, but you are entitled to your opinion. I know several people that graduated from your school and have told me it is a hostile school/ environment. Indeed, most of your faculty are excellent and I always enjoy listening and learning from their CE lectures anywhere in the USA. Unfortunatley, you got some big loosers starting from administration all the way down to faculty from years ago 8-12 years ago. i don't know how they are now, but read the person who posted his question.
Again, no disrespect to your alma mata and colleagues there BUT I am no fan of SUNY optometry.

 

[nc2tarheels]

To the guy above me, STFU! Geez. These are the kinda people that I wish the forum didn't have. Didn't even come close to answering the original question.

Anyway, I'm looking at SUNY and they told me anything beyond 30-40 hours is considered VERY HIGH. I plan on doing a lil more than that.

 

[KHE]

KHE,
I don't mean to be controversial, but you are entitled to your opinion. I know several people that graduated from your school and have told me it is a hostile school/ environment. Indeed, most of your faculty are excellent and I always enjoy listening and learning from their CE lectures anywhere in the USA. Unfortunatley, you got some big loosers starting from administration all the way down to faculty from years ago 8-12 years ago. i don't know how they are now, but read the person who posted his question.
Again, no disrespect to your alma mata and colleagues there BUT I am no fan of SUNY optometry.

Well, I attended from 1996-2000 and did a residency there in 2001 which would be right in line with your 8-12 years ago so I would be interested in hearing where these thoughts of yours are coming from. Please feel free to PM me if you prefer to not discuss it in public.

 

[hello07]

KHE,
Listen, you might have enjoyed the school and might have been favorable among everyone their. But the few people I know have told me the school is malignant and does not act on students behalf if need be. this ofcourse is a generalization on my part but i can't get into specifics on public. In addition, there are a few faculty members at SUNY as in all professional schools that are downright nasty.
"Where are my thoughts coming from?"..................i am making this up since my obsessions are getting the best of me again. I'll go take my haldol immediately.

 

[KHE]

KHE,
Listen, you might have enjoyed the school and might have been favorable among everyone their. But the few people I know have told me the school is malignant and does not act on students behalf if need be. this ofcourse is a generalization on my part but i can't get into specifics on public. In addition, there are a few faculty members at SUNY as in all professional schools that are downright nasty.
"Where are my thoughts coming from?"..................i am making this up since my obsessions are getting the best of me again. I'll go take my haldol immediately.

Without naming former students names, I think you would need to cite some more specific examples rather than a few people telling you the school is malignant and doesn't act on students behalfs. In what way is the school malignant, or in what way does the school not act in student's best interests?

Of course there are a few faculty members who are nasty but that is like that in every professional school, college, university, high school, middle school, elementary school in the universe.

I'm genuinely curious. Please PM me if you wish. Discretion assured.

 

[hello07]

KHE,
This is something I do not want to discuss with citing examples and so forth. It serves no purpose. You were there for 4 years. I am sure you were not oblivious to anything and you were well awre of injustices to students both academically and clinically by faculty.
I don't know if you are faculty there or associated with them in any way, but you sure arekissing their a@@ every which way.
You have stocks in that corporation or school?

 

[KHE]

KHE,
This is something I do not want to discuss with citing examples and so forth. It serves no purpose. You were there for 4 years. I am sure you were not oblivious to anything and you were well awre of injustices to students both academically and clinically by faculty.
I don't know if you are faculty there or associated with them in any way, but you sure arekissing their a@@ every which way.
You have stocks in that corporation or school?

Ummmmm.....

First of all, it's part of the State University of New York....so there's no stocks to be had.

Secondly, I am not on faculty or affiliated with them in any way.

Thirdly, you're throwing around these second hand accusations of malignancy and that the school doesn't look out for students interests based on reports from "friends" or collegues. Your hesitancy to discuss any particular situation leads me to believe that perhaps I may know someone involved or that a description of the problem with identify the former student. That's understandable but I recall no incidents of anyone in my class, or the class ahead of me or behind me having any problems with instructors beyond the general problems that all students have with some faculty members at all levels of education from time to time. I can not honestly recall any instances of malignancy or any case where the school did not look out for a students interests. I can't say for certainty that this didn't happen, but I recall SUNY being a fairly closed knit community due to the small class size and because of that, most of us were pretty in tune with what was going on.

As a former student, I can honestly say that I had a good experience, as did the majority of people that I knew. Most people who had bad experiences generally had trouble with living in a large city, not with the institution itself. I can not recall any instances of "malignancy" or injustice towards any student beyond the few faculty members who were chronically cranky, which is universal in any educational setting. I felt that almost to a man, the faculty cared about my academic and clinical development and made themselves available to assist in that. I know of no one that experienced any sort of "malignancy" so I honestly have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Sorry you're hesitant to be more specific in your accusations. It was not my experience.

 

[hello07]

I am happy to hear it wasn't any part of your experience. You have every right to defend your alma mata and stick by them like bread and butter. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to gain or loose by stating what I said; without getting specific. let each and every student who will attend SUNY optometry experience for themselves whether what I say is true or not.
This is the end of my discussion. BTW- you do a great job to sell SUNY Optometry on line to preoptometry students. Advertising and marketing is a strong point for you.
I'm done..................

 

[Framecontrol]

Shadowing is fun!

Do as much as you can.

Build connections!


I am studying abroad in the UK right now and I plan to shadow an Optometrist over here...

Why not ya know?

 

[KHE]

I am happy to hear it wasn't any part of your experience. You have every right to defend your alma mata and stick by them like bread and butter. I have nothing, absolutely nothing to gain or loose by stating what I said; without getting specific. let each and every student who will attend SUNY optometry experience for themselves whether what I say is true or not.
This is the end of my discussion. BTW- you do a great job to sell SUNY Optometry on line to preoptometry students. Advertising and marketing is a strong point for you.
I'm done..................

A couple of things....

1) I am not defending my alma mater. I am simply saying that what you have described has not been my experience nor anyone elses that I know. I was particularly interested in your claims since you referenced a time frame that was right in the middle of when I was there. I did not see anything that resembles what you described. Of course, that does not mean it did not happen. I simply was not aware of anything like that.

2) I do not recommend or discourage anyone from attending SUNY. I had a positive experience, but students should pick the school that is right for THEM. SUNY may or may not be that choice.

 

[hello07]

Well said KHE. Eloquently spoken. You are a true diplomat. Politically correct. Now I know why my mouth has gotten me in trouble throughout my life. i am no diplomat. i speak the truth whenevr i can and let's all face it- sometimes people do not want to hear the truth. the truth hurts.
did i hurt you?

 

[KHE]

Well said KHE. Eloquently spoken. You are a true diplomat. Politically correct. Now I know why my mouth has gotten me in trouble throughout my life. i am no diplomat. i speak the truth whenevr i can and let's all face it- sometimes people do not want to hear the truth. the truth hurts.
did i hurt you?

No....not at all. I'm really ambivalent to the whole thing. Mostly I was just curious because you referenced a time frame in which I was there. However, I think it is generally unwise to make blanket statements like "a school is malignant" or that a school "doesn't look out for the best interests of students" without at least making a reference to a specific instance because without that context, the statements really mean very little. It certainly isn't going to help students make a good decision on which school to attend.

 

[still_confused]

"Where are my thoughts coming from?"..................i am making this up since my obsessions are getting the best of me again. I'll go take my haldol immediately.

liar

 

[hello07]

KHE- I see your points. Peace my fellow colleague.

still confused...i was being sarcastic. you really thought I actually lied or are you not too sharp to read between the lines when I was joking and said it sarcastically.

 

[usa2009]

hello07!
I don't know why u hate SUNY that much but it seems they reject u or something of this sort. U did not give good explanation why u dont like SUNY..it seems u r jelous...

 

[SarahNC]

To be fair, I feel that way sometimes about PCO, so it depends on who you speak to. Lets not make generalizations about schools, especially those in which you did not attend, based on what a few of your friends said. Some people wouldn't be happy anywhere and everyone's experience is different.


NOW, back to the OP, where are you in applying? For 2009, 2010, etc? If you have the time I would spend a week or so at each kind of practice. You're not going to get the best exposure only doing 40 or so hours at only one kind of practice. Do as much as you can, go on Saturdays, nights, see how its different for practices that work different hours and provide different services.