10/20/2008

NECO-New England College of Optometry
-Clinical program: community health centers (multidiscipline) where dentists also work
-nontraditional service: homeless service, pediatric school health programs and rehabilitation programs
-student involvement:
-1st year: screenings
-2nd year: clerkships
-3rd year: primary care rotations
-4th year: full-time patient care
-Community-based health center…VA….China…etc.
-summer between year 1 and 2 AND year 2 and 3
-get about 300 hrs of patient care during year 3 and up to 2000 during year 4
-TBA: OD/PhD degree in partnership with Boston University
-small private college
-15-20% of student body from So. Cal 15-20% from Canada
-Boston and the Back Bay
-cultural center and educational leader
-top business in Boston are: health care and education
-1mile from Fenway Park
-On the Boston side of the Charles river right across from MIT, Cambridge
-class size 115 (739 apps) 260 interviews
3.34 avg. GPA, 330 OAT
-Interview Day 2 interviews (1 with a faculty member, 1 with a student)
-tour of the campus
-oportunity to talk to students
-want to see how well you communicate, emphasis parts of application, explain weaknesses in application
-most boards pass students above 3.0
- students pay tuition with student loans
-rolling admissions
-look at whole portfolio ~3.0 GPA >300 OAT is a good starting point
-use Baron’s to rank undergraduate schools and take into account which classes were taken where (ex: community college vs. 4-year university)

SUNY- 10/16/2008

Dr. Johnston SUNY- State University of New York
-Fewer course req. than most
-OAT deadline February 1st of the year you enter
-letters of req. 2 from professors (in math or science)
-GPA not very important; want to see TRANSRIPT (3.0 at UCSD better than 3.0 at a JC, TRENDS important)
-if didn’t do well in lower classes, take an upper division and get an A or B
-national OAT avg. 300 but SUNY wants >320.
-ex: B student from decent school with 320 OAT
-treat A and B students same in admissions process b/c they can both make it
-OAT no more important than grade
-2.8 GPA then OAT score need to be higher than 320
4 things VERY IMPORTANT:
1-Good communicators = interpersonal skills, something that makes people feel comfortable with you
2-What have you done to explore the optometry field? 2-3 different optometric fields; don’t have to work or volunteer but at least shadow; would they have gone back and done optometry all over again? What does the optometrist think about the field? Be familiar about different terms.
3-what have you done to volunteer outside of optometry? Tutoring? Hospital volunteering?
4-Why have you chosen optometry???????
-Go into interview with a question; it shows the committee that you’ve done some investigating and are serious about considering their school;
-At SUNY it’s a group decision
-Do not discriminate out of state people
-DO discriminate in tuition… in state residency last 3 years
-March 1st deadline to apply
-Can slowly turn in things, if seem strong applicant

-{Common application up July 1st for entering class of 2010.
-Requirements of each school shouldn’t change
-Check websites starting in Feb to see if all final decision have been made}

-$500 to save place once admitted have one month after decision has been made
-get all money back until April
-8 people apply for every seat
-five interviews to about 50% of applicants
-accept 2/3 of applicants from interviews
-Largest on-campus clinic, with the largest diversity of ocular disease
-SUNY rotates students through all 10-12 specialty areas 3rd and 4th year. In a given quarter!!! MWF in one specialty TuThu in another
-In first year lab and lecture with practice screening
-end of 2nd year doing routine full exams
-work by yourself 3rd and 4th year
-pick 2 out of 4 specialty areas in 4th year rotations
-Monday Tuesday Wednesday morning are interviews in SUNY with an essay prompt. With committee for 30minutes.

Minutes from Berkeley-10/14/2008

Why optometry?
-Gatekeeping for eye heath care.
-Right now… od can Rx for glaucoma as of two weeks ago
-Important to remain vigilant to push career forward.
-Think about the caliber of the student’s you’ll be joining at any graduate school
-Be open to other places because it’s only 4 years of your life

Optometry at Berkeley…
-Class size of 66
-Strong sense of community
-Diverse backgrounds
-Empowered student government
-EVERYONE receives financial aid
-Collaborative learning environment
-Equipment purchasing run by students
-Start practicing on day 1
Year 1
- 180 hrs of preclinic laboratory + unlimited independent practice sessions outside of class
-Fall/Spring Semester clinical proficiency exams
Year 2
-FREE EXAMS so waitlist of patients waiting to be examined by 2nd year students in groups of 3
-End of 2nd year white coat ceremony
20 Complete examinations summer after 2nd year
-Meredith Morgan Eye Clinc
-See over 75, 000 patients per year
-By graduation will have at least 2,000 individual patient encounters
Year 3
-NBEO: Basic Science
Year 4
-100%time in direct patient care
-2000 patient encounters
-Advanced clinics (e.g. pathology, low vision)
-External rotations—at least 3, each 10-12 weeks long
-Students self-manage rotation locations
-Old Home Week
- NBEO—Part II: Clinical Science
-NBEO—Part III: Patient Care

ADMISSIONS
FOR THE ENTERING CLASS OF FALL 2009 ONLY!!! (Common Application for the Year After!!)
-3.0 GPA
-Bachelors Degree
-OAT by December 1
-“Self-Manage” your application
-Apply to both Grad Division and Optometry
Qualitative Considerations
-Every application read by 2 staff members
-2 Essays
-Statement of Purpose: Why Optometry?
-Personal Statement: Who are you? What is unique about you?
-3 Letters of Recommendation (optometrist, professor, community member)
-Very serious!! Flat letters of recommendation are not good.
-Give a resume, cheat sheet, anything to help person writing your letter of recommendation
-DO NOT WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION!
-Give feedback to people who do not get into Berkeley
-Make sure to have other people proofread your essays
-Interviews by invite only
-Need to be a people person
-Interviewing day on the Berkeley campus
-Either being interviewed, participated in a mock classroom, school tour or onsite essay all on Interview Day
-No scripted questions
-Get back at least 3 weeks after interviews
-For entering class of 2008
-High GPA 4.00 Low 3.01
-OAT High 390 Low 300

Optometry Student Applicant Panel

Optometry Student Applicant Panel: Lillian Trinh, Ryan Hoekstra, Laura Wang, Aimee Ho, Judy Rivera, Abby Hsu, Andera Carillo

Prereq + OATs:

- What classes helped you the most on the OATs?

§ Ochem, the bilds, not just classes but study FOR the OATs

- How did you prepare?

§ Practice Kaplan quizzes

§ Kaplan Course and the test on the computers online, instructors just okay

§ A lot of self-studying so Kaplan helpful for motivation

§ Kaplan book

§ MCATs practice tests

§ OAT Destroyer

- Test center in San Diego = Governor and Genesee, computer test,

- Sign-up early if you know which date you want.

- Score known right away.

- Recommend to take Ochem 140C.

- MamPhys Lab – can take here or somewhere else even at JC which is extremely easy

- Studied OATs hardcore 1 month.

- 2 steps to take OATs: apply at www.ada.com then get code and sign up for date and test center

Letter of Recommendations:

- 2 or 3 Science teachers, pre-health advisor, and 1 optometrist

- Career Service Center:

§ $20 service fee

§ Go online with $5 extra to

- Give professor personal essay, transcript, resume, etc.

- Ask some lab professors and do it soon.

- Send in Letter of Recommendation with your applications

Application:

- Start in summer

- Comes out in August – September

- Usually due March or April with rolling admissions

- Try to apply early: spots can be filled, can tell you if you’re missing something

- Parts of Applications: Personal Statement, resume, extracurricular, some things not optometry related (like to see commitment) etc.

- Pacific University: 30 hours of unpaid observation

- Shortest Essay – 500 words (ICO, SUNY); Berkeley 2, 1500 words essay

- Transcripts from high school, SAT scores (SUNY), AP Scores (NECO), etc.

- Rolling Admissions: apply early Sept. or Oct.

- Career Center can proofread essay for free, ask friend, optometrist, advisor, etc. – Someone

Interviews:

- How do you prepare:

§ Read your essay before hand.

§ Student Doctor Network: studentdoctor.net

- Question from Berkeley:

§ What are the 2 most important international events that effect America the most today?

§ Berkeley didn’t ask why optometry or why

§ What was your biggest failure?

§ What did you do for fun?

- Most important: BE YOURSELF and LET IT ALL OUT

- Pacific was completely blind and ethical questions.

- Stick to what you’re staying, but acknowledge their point.

- Browse the school’s website.

- Have questions to ask each school:

§ How was the program?

§ How many student works?

§ Don’t ask about

- Know the optometry profession: current events, why not optician or ophthalmology?

- SUNY: asked about current events and politics

- Legislative questions: what optometrist can do based on how many ophthalmologist

- Timed essays: UCB (Drs. Malpractice, ethics questions, freedom or speech) , SUNY, ICO

Setting:

- PCO: one person, not even optometry field

- UCB: 2 ppl, student and faculty member; interview all in one day (about 100)

- ICO: one person

- SUNY: 3 faculty or 4 ppl; if turn in early then with Dr. Johnston here in SD

Experience:

- Worked for optometrist: working with patients, working with different staff

- Showed that you what to do this

- What to see that you’re committed and that you know what you want to do

- Different modes of practice and the fields

- Can shadow each field a short amount of time, doesn’t have to be long

- HMP3 mentor programs, Shiley Eye Center, just look at phone book and call around

- Most doctors find it interesting to have a pre-optometry students

- Interested in private office, shadow one since there’s more aspect to them than just optometry: business sense, work with others, billing, etc.

- 2 or 3 quarters good for solid letter or recommendation

- Doesn’t matter how long, but what you get out of it and the quality of it

- When shadow, have a list of questions, be observant, ask questions

Kaplan OAT Courses

Karen Preztal

Discounts:

- $100 off if you are a paid member
- Practice tests: will get full report back and all the explanations of what is right/wrong
- OAT Kaplan auction course

- Admission:

o Test-taking facts: apps up 12%, # spots in grad school has not changed
o Schools wants diversity to experiences
o Admission is very competitive
o Schools will look at GPA as whole: if get C- in prereq class, recommend to take over
o OAT standardize test to see how well you will do in graduate school
o Experience: shows if you really want to know who you are
o Personal statement: essay showing who you are
o Letters of recommendation: someone who knows you well, make experience sheet to see what makes you different
o Interviews: just be yourself; profession but show who you are; confidence, not arrogance, remember to ask questions about their program
o Application itself; make sure application is perfect, clean, and neat
o Essays: can start at any time, start/end with BANG (story, joke, theme, want them to keep reading and stand out, who are you?, why are you wanting to be at this problem? DON’T use formal language
o Find 3 partners to read each others and give good critics
o Admission consultants with Kaplan
o Try to create theme to tie together essays (overcome a hard event)
o Good idea to create timeline of what you need to do/turn in

- The OAT Test:
o Content: Organic chemistry, chemistry, biology, math, physics
o Critical thinking: strategy, many questions, little time
o Crisis prevention: knowing how to overcome outside disturbance
o Register 6-8 weeks before, administered daily but not
o First thing to go through = 15 minutes tutorial about how to take test
o 1^st section = 100 questions, 90 minutes: bio (40), chem. (30), ochem. (30)
o 2^nd section = 40 questions, 50 minutes: test ability to find main idea, process info, and read/understand dense information
o 50 minute optional break (TAKE IT!!)
o 3^rd section: physics; 40 questions, 50 minutes; energy, movement, vectors, magnets, optics
o 4^th section: math; 40 questions, 45 minutes
o 4 hours approx for test
o 200-400 score range; median = 300 average, 75^th %tile = 350. 90^th%tile = 370, 99%tile = 390

- Kaplan: www.kaptest.com
o If not satisfied or if not ready to take OAT can take class again for free
o Lower score than in Kaplan class guarantee refund or free classes again
o Scores are good for 5 years

SCCO Minutes

SCCO Meeting ~ January 14, 2008 ~ Dr. Munroe ~ Director of Admissions
Optometry Facts:
· New profession: about 100 years old
· CA has most restrictions during practice
· 1940-1970: Contact Lenses, Low Vision, Vision Therapy
· 1971 legal rights for optometrist to utilize diagnostic pharmaceutical agents
· Optometry is now “primary entry point” – can treat some visual or ocular diseases
· Most states can prescribe medicine, not CA
· $60.00/hr for optometrist; $68.00/hr for medical doctors
· Future of optometry good: baby boomers, 3^rd party payment plans want full service providers, pre-op and post-op care for Lasik
· Mean income $140,000 for all optometry; graduating optometrist start around $88,000; 2^nd highest small business success; optometry = 2^nd best career choice
· Doctors of optometry (OD)
· Diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hypertension can be detected with a routine eye examination
· Genetics can figure got if you’ll have glaucoma by examine genes from cheek swab by a very early age

Optometric Education:
· Increase demand for post-graduate Residency Trained Optometrist
· Co-management with

SCCO Info:
· 105 years old, third oldest
· Questions about SCCO prerequisites: email Dr. Munroe ~ jmunroe@scco.edu
· *AP credits will not satisfy prerequisites
· All lover division courses can be taken at community college level
· All coursework must be completed before enrollment at SCCO
· Apps received 588, interviewed 226, students admitted 98
· GPA mean (prereq): 3.37
· Have closed file interview, no info about academics, look at you and how you are professional
· Remember to wear business casual, no book bags, no dangling jewelry, firm/strong handshake, maintain eye contact with everyone, voice projection, match energy of interviewer, but let personality and enthusiasm show through
· Must have C or better in all prereq.
· Academic review: overall GPA, OAT Scores, Essays, Letters of Recommendation
· Must have 3.0 GPA and 300 average above OAT on each subject
· “Tell Um’” Format for interview: say story, make argument, tell them again in summarization; don’t go on and on and off subject
· Questions:

o Why do you want to be an optometrist? Shadowing?
o Your community service?
o Leadership Potential and Civic Mindedness? Optometry is a legislative profession; join SCCO’s facebook group and read articles posted to help with interview questions; communication skills (well written, well spoken); current events
o Opometry’s emerging role in the US health Care Delivery System? How do we interact with other medical professions? Optometrist recognized as physicians?
o What are demands of graduate school?
o More info: PCONsupersite.com and revoptom.com
o Ask optometrist of AOA journals
o Know about 3 interests optometrist have been fighting for = super good
o Why SCCO? (don’t say weather or close to family)

Why SCCO?
· 4^th year clinical rotations
· Recent optometric accreditation by ACOE sited SCCO clinical’s education is unparallel
· Had externships program over 78 US sites, Canada, Japan, and Guam; students choose by lottery
· See 2,000 patient before graduation
· Accessible Faculty, full-time readily available
· Student’s affair: will always answer calls during business hours
· Convenient housing: 50% lives 1 mile from campus
· White Coat Ceremony, 2 weeks after freshman year

Shadowing:
· Can talk about optometry experience and enthusiasm of being optometrist
· Shadow field of doctors, when talk about interest of field did you go see that specialist
· Shadow and talk about profession, not learn procedures
· Can shadow in 2 days effectively
· Get a Mentor
· Shadow SCCO alum

OAT Preparation:
· OAT summer between Junior and Senior year
· Have sections scores of 300 and above
· Prep: MCATs books, Kaplan, www.OATProfessor.com, iTunes Kaplan reading comprehension game

Applications:
· Between junior and senior year
· Request transcripts and LOR’s Early
· Rolling admissions, so apply early and application components can “trickle” in
· Apply early cause it looks good since you’re like an eager beave

SUNY/NECO Spring Break Trip Info Session

What: Visit to State University of New York College of Optometry (SUNY) and New England College of Optometry (NECO) in person and exploration of those areas.

When: Sunday, March 23 – Friday, March 28, 2008

Cost: Roundtrip flight from San Diego to NYC + 1 night hotel in NYC ~ $425 (estimation). The rest of the nights will be in homestays with actual optometry students. Homestay in Boston is tentative, but you will let you know if we can’t stay with them. Then the cost would be a little higher for a hotel.

Tentative Itinerary:

23, Sunday: Leave San Diego, arrive in NYC in the morning. Meet with SUNY homestay hosts. Free day and night. Overnight at homestay

24, Monday: Tour SUNY with Dr. Johnston, lunch with optometry students. Free rest of day and night. Overnight in Homestay.

25, Tuesday: Free day and night, stay in hotel.

26, Wednesday: Bus from NYC to Boston in the morning. Free afternoon and night. Homestay with NECO students hosts.

27, Thursday: Tour of NECO, free day and night. Homestay (tentative).

28, Friday: Depart NYC or Boston (TBA), arrive in San Diego

In order to go, we are asking for a $100 nonrefundable deposit by Friday January 18, 2007 at 3:00pm in Insight’s Mailbox (D-61, located in the SOLO offices on the 3rd floor of the Price Center). Please make checks out to Heidi Tao.