What makes each/your school unique?

[JeffChou]

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I think it would be a good idea to have a thread about why each school is unique. It would be helpful for those applying to school to be able to read up on what sets X school apart from the rest, or at least most of the rest. I've been reading plenty of catalogs and sifting through plenty of threads but I'm hoping that we can have one dedicated thread based on the more unique qualities of the school

Some examples:
X school has the largest clinic. This on-site clinic provides the student with such and such experience.
Y school has dorms
Z school and N school have a pass rate of XX while the national avg is YY.

Please try to be specific and refer to sources if possible.

Thanks people!

 

[alferec]

I think it would be a good idea to have a thread about why each school is unique. It would be helpful for those applying to school to be able to read up on what sets X school apart from the rest, or at least most of the rest. I've been reading plenty of catalogs and sifting through plenty of threads but I'm hoping that we can have one dedicated thread based on the more unique qualities of the school

Some examples:
X school has the largest clinic. This on-site clinic provides the student with such and such experience.
Y school has dorms
Z school and N school have a pass rate of XX while the national avg is YY.

Please try to be specific and refer to sources if possible.

Thanks people!

I see that you're from Diamond Bar...have you considered SCCO? It's not too far from where you are! Have you visited our school? The clinic is AWESOME, the faculty are superb, and the students here are among the friendliest people you'll ever meet. PM me if you have specific questions regarding SCCO.

 

[paulclin]

I can only reply on the basis for UCBSO, Berkeley School of Optometry class of 2000 graduate. You can ask the admissions for the latest pass rate when you contact each school. Berkeley is usually one of the top schools. The clinic is excellent, has a very high-end professional dispensary, and with all the latest in technologies. Also, the tuition is the lowest of all the Optometry schools. More importantly, you will be residing for four years at the school, and Berkeley is right across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. We would oftentimes go the the "City" on weekends. I grew up in San Gabriel, and I'm glad I didn't stay around Southern CA for another four years. In addition, you are next to a college campus, so there are dorms, apartments, and also rooms in houses for rent. Berkeley is not a "commuter" school. I'm sure each of the schools have lots to offer, but look at the full picture...this is your last chance to "move" and try a new locale. Hope this helps.

 

[JeffChou]

I see that you're from Diamond Bar...have you considered SCCO? It's not too far from where you are! Have you visited our school? The clinic is AWESOME, the faculty are superb, and the students here are among the friendliest people you'll ever meet. PM me if you have specific questions regarding SCCO.

Actually, I won't be applying to SCCO. I'm actually looking to get out of southern California as I've been here for all my life. I've heard many good things about SCCO but it's just not in my interests right now.

I was wondering if anyone could comment on how inconvenient it is for them to go to clinic off campus as opposed to on-campus clinics like at UCBSO and SUNY. Also, how are you guys liking the environment around each school? Academics are still a top priority for me but after four years of undergrad at UCI, I've grown tired of having nothing to do after 8 PM. Has anyone who is going to or went to their top choice school had any second thoughts/regretted it?

Thank ya'll for your responses.

 

[POJO]

I think it would be a mistake to go to an optometry school without considering the clinical experience that school can get you.

But if it is fast action and night life, why don't you consider Nova, SUNY, PCO or ICO? They are in large cities where the night life is rich. With that criteria, you should avoid Pacific, Northeastern, Michigan (Ferris?), Ohio State, Indiana Univ or UAB. They are in small towns.

 

[posner]

I only have experience with SCCO and Berkely since I am from California. However, I did have the chance to work with students from several other schools on rotation and in residency. I will tell you that without a doubt, SCCO students were FAR better clinicians with vastly greater confidence and skills than just about any other students I came into contact with(for clarification, I mainly interacted with Berkeley, Pacific, SCO and Houston students). By the time I STARTED my fourth year, I had already seen more than 1000 patients. I saw another 1900 as a fourth year, and damn near 3000 as a resident. Some of the students on my first rotation had just finished their complete eye examination on mom or dad in the school clinic just prior to going on rotation. Furthermore, it was widely known by outreach facilities that SCCO students, as a general rule, were very well prepared clinically.

I am not saying that other schools have not stepped up their clinical experience for their students or that it is not possible to receive a good clinical education away from SCCO, but the SCCO clinic and outreach program are hard to beat.

However, I still say piss on SCCO.

Posner

 

[luckyfool]

😀

Definitely come to SUNY if you want some wild night life after 8PM.

 

[leelee]

But if it is fast action and night life, why don't you consider Nova, SUNY, PCO or ICO? They are in large cities where the night life is rich. With that criteria, you should avoid Pacific, Northeastern, Michigan (Ferris?), Ohio State, Indiana Univ or UAB. They are in small towns.

Ohio State is in a small town???!?!? I don't think Columbus is considered a "small town" -- more like a large city. Plus it has one of the largest campuses ever in the US (going by enrollment numbers, not acres... who knows, maybe acres too). Oh and GO BUCKS!!! WE ARE #1!!!!!

 

[sethuel1]

Oh God someone riled up a Buckeye.

 

[cpw]

I will tell you that without a doubt, SCCO students were FAR better clinicians with vastly greater confidence and skills than just about any other students I came into contact with(for clarification, I mainly interacted with Berkeley, Pacific, SCO and Houston students).
However, I still say piss on SCCO.

Posner

But, you're not biased at all ....

For the record: UHCO students start clinic second year, not right before externship.


But, your last statement pretty much killed any good things you just said about SCCO.

 

[SydneyB]

To: LeeLee Buckeye

Did you know the overall student graduation rate at OSU is 58% (!!)
At Michigan, it's 84%.
So in the Real World, who are really the winners??

John Stewart: "What IS a buckeye? Is that like a gay acorn?"

 

[sco1styear]

I only have experience with SCCO and Berkely since I am from California. However, I did have the chance to work with students from several other schools on rotation and in residency. I will tell you that without a doubt, SCCO students were FAR better clinicians with vastly greater confidence and skills than just about any other students I came into contact with(for clarification, I mainly interacted with Berkeley, Pacific, SCO and Houston students). By the time I STARTED my fourth year, I had already seen more than 1000 patients. I saw another 1900 as a fourth year, and damn near 3000 as a resident. Some of the students on my first rotation had just finished their complete eye examination on mom or dad in the school clinic just prior to going on rotation. Furthermore, it was widely known by outreach facilities that SCCO students, as a general rule, were very well prepared clinically.


Posner

Funny, I always hear about how SCO students, "as a general rule", are very prepared/ well-known for their clinical abilities. I'm sure each school has their own version...

But - back to the topic...
SCO has the largest clinic in the US and it is only a few years old - it's very very nice. We also have one of the top board passing rates, consistently. This year on part one we were 98%(that was my class 😀 )!
SCO also is located in a city where there are lots of things to do. Memphis is very diverse and although not all my classmates love it, it's really grown on me! It definately doesn't EVER close down at 8!

 

[4eyed]

I was wondering about how many patients students at ICO see throughout their experience at the school? I know Chicago is very diverse, so I would assume that the patient base is quite diverse as well. .. am I right?
Thanks 🙂

 

[Opii]

Oh God someone riled up a Buckeye.

Go Bucks... That's a good way to calm them down

 

[WoodyJI]

To: LeeLee Buckeye

Did you know the overall student graduation rate at OSU is 58% (!!)
At Michigan, it's 84%.
So in the Real World, who are really the winners??

John Stewart: "What IS a buckeye? Is that like a gay acorn?"

"To: SyndneyB"

I love OSU-UM comparisons! Generally, I like to talk football (which has been a lot of fun this year, especially!), but since we're normally talking about Optometry in this forum, did you know that the graduation rate at UM for Optometrists is...well...0%? I'm sure you did.

The Daily Show really came to Ohio State, not UM, but here's what he could have said about "Wolverines," if John Stewart thought your school really was more worthy of visiting than ours:

"Why are they called 'Michigan Wolverines?' The simplest reason for the wolverine nickname would be that the animal was abundant in Michigan at some time. However, all the evidence points otherwise, as there has never been a verified trapping of a wolverine inside the state's borders, nor have the skeletal remains of a wolverine been found within the state's 96,705 square miles. Maybe the people in Michigan simply traded a lot of wolverine fur...that works, right? Perhaps, but there is a theory which makes more sense than that: Michigan was first settled by the French in the late 1700's. The appetites of the French were judged to be gluttonous or 'wolverine-like' and therefore, the nickname wolverines was conferred upon them. During the border dispute between Michigan and Ohio in 1803 (often referred to as the 'Toledo War') Michiganders were called wolverines. It is 'unclear,' however, whether the Michigan natives pinned this name upon themselves to show their tenacity and strength, or whether Ohioans chose the name in reference to the gluttonous, aggressive, habits of the wolverine. So there you have it." Go Bucks.

 

[Elfego Baca]

At least by "losing" the war, Michigan didn't end up with Toledo. See "Pyrrhic Victory"......

 

[RSLilly]

I think it would be a mistake to go to an optometry school without considering the clinical experience that school can get you.

But if it is fast action and night life, why don't you consider Nova, SUNY, PCO or ICO? They are in large cities where the night life is rich. With that criteria, you should avoid Pacific, Northeastern, Michigan (Ferris?), Ohio State, Indiana Univ or UAB. They are in small towns.

I don't think you can ever count Bloomington, Indiana as a downside. I'm not going to argue that it's a big city- it's not. But talk to any IU-Bloomington student- undergraduate, optometry, or otherwise- and they all have one thing in common: no one wants to leave Bloomington. I even remember at my interview, the administrators joked that there was talk of moving some of the optometry stuff up to the Indy campus, but it won't happen because no one in the staff wants to leave Bloomington.

 

[DrSpontaneouz83]

I just thought it was funny that when I was applying earlier this year for a seat in the 2007 class ..every school seemed to claim they had "the best state of the art clinic" and almost every school was "the leading optometry school." It's kind of funny to have 14 "top" schools of optometry out of a possible 17 in the nation. Many threads on here are obviously going to be biased...so just be cautious and take opinions on here as a grain of salt.

 

[Canadian26]

PCO I know is exposed to clinic right in their first year, and Im pretty sure UMSL is the same way.

 

[4Eyes]

PCO I know is exposed to clinic right in their first year, and Im pretty sure UMSL is the same way.

Actually, not exactly (for UMSL). It seems they are in the process of making some changes, but I'd be surprised if 1st years do much in clinic anytime soon. Right now, 1st years just come in to observe 3rd years in clinic a few times. I think.