Doctors
of Optometry are independent primary health care providers who specialize in the
diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases and disorders of the visual
system, the eye and associated structures, as well as the diagnosis of related
systemic conditions.
Among the types of treatment
optometrists use are:
prescription glasses
contact lenses
vision therapy
low vision aids
pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of ocular disease
During an examination, the Doctor of Optometry also assesses
general health conditions. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis
are often detected during a vision examination. The diagnosis of systemic
manifestations of ocular disease is necessary to preserve and enhance the
patient’s quality of life. When appropriate, the optometrist refers patients to
other health care professionals and frequently works with them in co-managing
the patient’s condition.
Vision constantly changes throughout a person’s lifetime and,
as it does, vision care needs change as well. Doctors of Optometry provide
optometric examinations and treatment which may prevent a patient’s vision
problem from developing into a serious vision impairment.
Those who choose optometry enjoy challenging and rewarding
careers. An optometrist may help a child whose school work is hindered by visual
problems, a worker whose vision problem causes safety hazards on the job, or an
elderly patient who may have needlessly given up reading.
Doctors of Optometry are the major providers of primary eye
care in America,
with 34,000 optometrists practicing in over 6,600 communities nationwide. In
over 4,000 of these communities, optometrists are the only primary vision care
providers, performing 68 percent of the 75 million primary vision care exams per
year.
The type of practice setting which the optometrist may enter
is also expanding. While private solo practice is still the predominant mode of
practice, more optometrists are entering into partnerships or group practices
with other optometrists or other health care providers. Health maintenance
organizations, the military, Veterans’ Administration Medical Centers and
hospitals offer optometrists unique opportunities to be an integral part of the
health care delivery team.
The Doctor of Optometry enjoys the benefits of financial security, independence,
and prominent status in the community. According to the 2006 American Optometric Association Economic Survey, the average net income for
all optometrists in 2005 was $131,197.
The first step in applying for admission to SCO is to submit a properly
completed application for admission. You application will need to be
supplemented with academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, OAT scores,
and essays
detailing your credentials, activities, and desire to become an optometrist. Once
you have submitted your application, the Admissions Office will keep you
updated on the status of your application and give counsel on how to improve
your file.
The
ratio of applications received to entering students for the last few years has
been between 5:1 and 8:1. Although these are highly competitive numbers,
students who have a strong desire to enter SCO and follow the recommended
procedures for making your application more competitive have a significantly
greater chance for admission.
Although SCO does not require a bachelor’s degree to be accepted into our program,
we highly recommend applicants be in the process of working toward a bachelor’s
degree. A minimum of 90 semester hours of undergraduate work is required for
admission, but strong preference is given to applicants with baccalaureate or
higher degrees. In a typical year, less than 5% of our entering class is accepted
without having completed a bachelor’s degree.
SCO does not have a preference in academic majors. Students from various academic
backgrounds are accepted each year; however, all accepted students must complete
all of the SCO prerequisite courses prior to entering the O.D. program.
Non-regional tuition for the 2008-09 academic year is $22,448. For those
students holding a regional seat, tuition is $17,448. Southern College of
Optometry has the lowest tuition amongst the eight private optometry schools
and has the lowest non-regional tuition of all optometry schools. Books and equipment
will vary between $600/year to $4,500/year. Remember, your equipment purchases
are an investment since you will be using the same equipment as a practicing
optometrist.
Another important factor in calculating expenses is cost of living. Memphis
annually ranks amongst cities with population over 500,000 as to having one
of the lowest cost of living. In fact, most SCO students without families
can easily budget their personal costs to under $1,000 per month.
Financial aid is available. Application materials are mailed to incoming
students in January, and distributed to current students at the same time.
Your financial aid packet will contain a short and simple SCO application
form, and a longer federal form – the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). Students must submit both forms to have a valid application.
Once your eligibility has been determined, the SCO Financial Aid Office
will work with you to ensure that you receive the necessary funds at the
best terms. In other words, depending on how much a student needs to borrow,
a Financial Aid Counselor will work with each student to obtain the lowest
interest rate, the best grace period (interest deferment), and the most
attractive repayment period. Historically, all SCO students have had the
ability to obtain through federal loans the funds necessary to pay for
all educational expenses including living costs.
Although SCO does not have a minimum OAT score or grade point average,
applicants are encouraged to call the Office of Records and Admissions
to discuss their competitiveness if their GPA is under 2.5 and their OAT
score is under 320. The average GPA of an entering class is usually around
3.45 and the average OAT score has been around 335. Applicants with an
OAT academic average score of 310 or below are encouraged to retake the OAT.
Applicants receiving an interview invitation are offered at least two
dates from which to choose. All interviews are held on our campus in
Memphis, Tennessee on Fridays only. SCO begins conducting interviews
in September and continues until the end of March. The
interview itself is a blind interview, one-on-one with a faculty member
who only knows your name and home state. Although the interview is only
about an hour long, applicants are also given a tour of the facilities,
a financial aid session and an information session about living in
Memphis. The whole process lasts about 4 hours.
There is a perception that professional schools will "weed out" a number
of its students after the first year or two. The admissions team
evaluates an applicant’s potential to successfully complete the degree
program at SCO. With the scrutiny of the admissions team, SCO has been
able to successfully graduate high percentages of each class. About 95%
of the students who enter SCO, graduate from our program. Here is a
breakdown of graduation rates for recent classes:
SCO graduates initially earn between $70,000 and $90,000 per year,
depending on the type of practice they enter. The average salary of all
optometrists is approximately $131,197.
The outlook for the optometric market is strong. First, the scope
of practice for optometry continues to grow, and thus creates more need
for optometrists. Second, the "baby boomer" generation has begun to
retire, so there will be significant opportunities as these optometrists
retire over the next 10-15 years. Finally, and most importantly,
optometry is defined as the primary care provider for eye and vision
care. As the population grows, the need for primary eye care will
increase proportionately.
To help our students find the best possible practice opportunity when
they graduate, SCO maintains a Placement Service for our students. This
service helps to match students with a variety of practice opportunities
based upon the criteria in which students desire. For example, if a
graduating student is interested in a practice emphasizing pediatric
service and vision therapy, our Placement Service will provide that
student the list of practices seeking an optometrist to fill their need.
On average, each graduate over the last few years has received five or
six offers through the SCO Placement Service.
As an SCO student, your first obligation is to your academics. However,
if a student can balance studies while maintaining part-time work, it
behooves a student to work a few hours per week. During the week
(Monday through Friday), a student’s schedule is filled with lecture,
lab and clinic assignments. In other words, it is somewhat difficult
to secure an off-campus job due to the academic load. Most students
who work part-time will utilize the Federal Work-Study Program. This
allows eligible students to work on campus (usually between 5 to 10
hours per week) and does not interfere with their academic schedules.
Students who work part-time off-campus usually work for a local
optometrist on the weekends.
Both optometry and medical schools are four-year programs in which
students pursue their doctoral degree. During the four-year programs,
both optometry and medical students will have didactic (classroom and
laboratory) assignments, then gradually move into more clinical
assignments and rotations. Both optometry and medical students must
pass a series of national boards examinations testing basic science
and clinical knowledge. The significant difference between optometry
and medical school occurs after the student graduates. A student who
graduates from medical school must perform a three to five-year
residency to become eligible to practice. Optometry graduates have the
option of performing a one-year residency, but it is not required to
become a licensed optometrist.
Optometry school is a commitment. Students are usually on campus early
morning through middle afternoon. So, one can compare it to a full-time
job. Also, on average, students will study at least three hours a day
to keep up with their academic load. This many times can be partially
completed during the one to two hour breaks students usually have
during the day. Other students opt to use this time for work-study
assignment.
Although this is a significant time commitment, SCO students have time
to participate in a variety of activities and/or spend time with their
families. Approximately 90% of SCO students are active in at least one
student organization. Also, approximately 40-45% of our student body
is married. Students have to use wise time management, but our students
are able to thrive academically while enjoying their personal/family
life.
SCO students actively participate in the life of the College. Approximately 90% of the SCO students are active members in at least one student organization. For almost any organization, which exists on undergraduate campuses, a comparable organization is active at SCO.
The Student Government Association takes a leading role at the College by recommending policies and coordinating many of the academic, service, and social events on campus. The SGA oversees an extensive intramural program open to all students, spouses, faculty and staff. Intramural sports include basketball, softball, golf, flag football, racquetball, volleyball, etc. with many events housed in the SCO Activities Center.
The following is a list of the student organizations on campus:
Student Government Association
Beta Sigma Kappa
Gold Key Society
Student Ambassador Program
Who’s Who
National Optometric Student Association
Contact Lens Society
SCO Spouses Association
State Clubs
Sports Vision Society
College of Optometrists in Vision Development
American Optometric Student Association
Fellowship of Christian Optometrists
Gamma Omicron – service fraternity
Omega Delta – social fraternity
Student Volunteers in Optometric Service to Humanity
