Optometry (OD)
See: Optometry (OD)
College/School: Rosenberg School of Optometry
Program Accreditation: American Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on Optometric Education
Doctor of Optometry (ODs) are the primary health care professionals for the eye. Optometrists examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures, as well as identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye.
Doctor of Optometry prescribe medications, provide low vision rehabilitation, vision therapy, spectacle lenses, contact lenses, and perform certain surgical procedures. Optometrists counsel their patients regarding surgical and non-surgical options that meet their visual needs related to their occupations, avocations, and lifestyle.
Admissions
UIWRSO is committed to educating and preparing students who are caring, compassionate and competent optometrists. UIWRSO actively seeks qualified applicants with a passion for lifelong-learning who are prepared for leadership and service to humankind. Our admissions policy is competitive in order to select those applicants who have the potential for academic success and who will be a credit to the optometric profession as well as the global community.
UIWRSO has a policy of competitive admissions and expectation for academic excellence. In order to apply for admission, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Successful completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours of college coursework from an accredited institution of higher learning; a grade of C or better must be achieved in all prerequisite courses.
- Please see the list of Prerequisite Requirements below
- A recommended minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
- A recommended minimum overall Optometry Admission Test score of 300
Applications are processed as they are received and offers of acceptance are made on a rolling basis, therefore we strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible during the application period. This rolling admissions process allows qualified individuals to be admitted on a continual basis until the class is filled.
For an applicant to receive full consideration, the following items must be submitted:
- Complete online
application* for admission: www.optomcas.org
- Completed RSO Supplemental Form for Admission
- Official Optometry Admission Test (OAT) scores sent directly to UIWRSO
*Please note that official academic transcripts from each college or university attended and letters of recommendation must be sent directly to OptomCAS as part of the central application process.
Members of the Admissions Committee will review all completed applications and will extend invitations for on-campus interviews to those candidates with competitive applications. Please be aware that all prerequisite courses must be completed before a student can enroll at UIWRSO.
Applicants will be considered for admission on the basis of academic performance as well as non-academic qualifications. The following criteria will be used in the admissions selection process, in no particular order of preference or weight:
- Scholastic Aptitude and Academic Performance
- Overall undergraduate grade point average
- Prerequisite science and math cumulative grade point average
- Optometry Admission Test performance
- Written and oral communication skills
- Ability to handle a diverse and demanding course load
- Extracurricular Activities; Community Service; Volunteer Work; Leadership Positions; Optometry-Related Experience
- Evaluation of Character, Motivation, Initiative, Interpersonal Skills, and Awareness of the Optometric Profession
- Ability to meet the Functional Standards, as defined by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.
Final consideration for admission takes into account the above academic and non-academic qualifications along with comments from personal interviews conducted by members of the Admissions Committee.
Prerequisite Requirements
Required Courses
| Biology with lab* |
2 semesters |
| Human Anatomy with lab |
1 semester |
| General Chemistry with lab |
2 semesters |
| General Physics with lab |
2 semesters |
| Calculus |
1 semester |
| Organic Chemistry with lab |
1 semester |
Microbiology with lab
(Or Bacteriology with lab – 1 semester) |
1 semester |
| Biochemistry or Molecular Biology |
1 semester |
| Psychology |
1 semester |
| Statistics |
1 semester |
| English |
2 semesters |
*2 semesters of General Biology with lab OR 1 semester of General Biology with lab and 1 semester of any of the following courses with lab: Cell Biology, Physiology, Anatomy, or Genetics.
Additional Required Courses (for students entering without a Bachelor’s degree)
| Humanities |
2 courses |
| Behavioral & Social Sciences |
2 courses |
Recommended Courses
College Mathematics
|
Recommended
|
| Physiology |
Recommended |
| Ethics |
Recommended |
Apply to UIW
Application for the Doctor of Optometry program
Curriculum
The curriculum has been developed to provide our students with a stepwise, clinical educational experience throughout the four years of the professional program emphasizing personal & professional development. The didactic & clinical laboratory instruction by our talented faculty begins in the first year and continues through the duration of the program. All courses, including basic science courses, integrate and emphasize clinical applications & scenarios.
Early clinical encounters occur in the second year of study through community-based vision & disease screening activities. To emphasize these clinical activities, students undergo instruction in integrated clinical problem-based learning, gaining experience in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients.
The professional settings for the third and fourth year rotations include the UIW Eye Institute, the UIW Bowden Eye Care & Health Center, the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind clinic, and various Communicare clinics. The fourth year Externship sites vary in location across the country and internationally. The Externship program is meant to maximize & enhance the student’s clinical training within various practice settings including private practice, referral centers, ophthalmology/co-management centers, Veterans Administration hospitals, Department of Defense hospitals and other hospital-based facilities. During the last two years of the program, practice management is also focused on, emphasizing the skills necessary to maintain a successful business or private practice.
Year 1
Fall
Spring
| OPT 121 | Intermediate Optometry | 4.5 |
| OPT 129 | Healthcare Systems and Communications | 1.5 |
| OPT 123 | Clinical Ocular Anatomy | 4 |
| OPT 126 | Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| OPT 122 | Visual and Applied Optics | 6 |
| OPT 128 | Ocular Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics | 1.5 |
| OPT 125 | Clinical Immunology and Histopathology | 2 |
Year 2
Fall
Spring
Year 3
Summer
| OPT 309 | Clinical Case Analysis | 1.5 |
| OPT 303 | Posterior Segment Pathology II | 3 |
| OPT 301 | Patient Care and Physical Diagnosis | 1.5 |
| OPT 329 | Research Methodology | 1 |
| OPT 302 | Advanced Contact Lenses | 3.5 |
| OPT 307 | Vision Therapy | 3 |
| OPT 306 | Glaucoma Diagnosis and Management | 2.5 |
| OPT 304 | Clinical Internship III | 6 |
OPT Elec
| Spanish for Optometrists | |
Fall
| OPT 216 | Advanced Vision Science/Clinical Application | 1 |
| OPT 318 | Optometric Practice Development | 2 |
| OPT 317 | Strabismus/Amblyopia Diagnosis and Management | 2.5 |
| OPT 325 | Public Health, Epidemiology, and Geriatrics | 2 |
| OPT 313 | Neurological Eye Disease | 3 |
| OPT 319 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Optometry | 2 |
| OPT 314 | Clinical Internship IV | 6 |
| OPT 315 | Genomics Medicine | 1 |
Spring
| OPT 326 | Clinical Medicine and Systemic Disease | 2 |
| OPT 321 | Peri-Operative Management and Techniques | 2.5 |
| OPT 328 | Optometric Business and Administration | 2 |
| OPT 312 | Low Vision Rehabilitation | 3 |
| OPT 323 | Advanced Topics Seminar | 1 |
| OPT 324 | Clinical Internship V | 6 |
Year 4
Summer
Fall
Spring