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)