Accelerated OD Scholars Program: To the Clinic and Beyond

In the first two parts of this series focused on the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University’s Accelerated Scholars Doctor of Optometry Program, we introduced the program, what makes it unique and provided updates from the respective deans. We then heard from current students about why they chose this particular program and what they wish they knew prior to entering.

With a hands-on approach to patient care, an early and sustained clinical experience is what sets PCO graduates apart from their peers. Historically, PCO has been known for its renowned clinical education and the Scholars Program is no exception. Next, PCO assistant professors, Jamie Neiman, OD ‘01, Resident ‘02, FAAO, and Stephanie Holt, OD ’04, Resident ’05, will highlight the clinical skills curriculum and facilities while current students Michael Furey ‘22OD and Anna Hess ‘22OD discuss the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) licensure exam, prep and recommended timelines.   

All About the Clinical Skills Courses and Lab

Q: Can you please introduce yourselves?

Neiman: Hi, I'm Dr. Jamie Neiman. I am on the faculty here at Salus University and I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and about PCO’s Doctor of Optometry Accelerated Scholars program. I am a graduate of the University of Delaware. And, then I came to PCO and I did a one year residency in primary care. Ever since then I have been faculty here, predominantly concentrating in Clinical Skills.

I am currently in charge of Clinical Skills One and Advanced Clinical Skills in the Traditional Program. And, I'm also in charge of Clinical Skills One, Two, and Three in the Scholars Program. I have been lucky enough to be involved with the Scholars Program since its inception, which is a three year condensed program. You're still achieving all the requirements the students in the Traditional Program are, you're just doing it on a three year track.

Stephanie Holt: Hi, I'm Dr. Stephanie Holt. I also graduated from PCO, but before that, I'm actually a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. That's where I did my undergrad. And, then I got my master's at Christopher Newport University and came to PCO. Once I graduated, I did a residency here and I stayed on as faculty for a couple of years. Then I went out into private practice and into the Air Force. So, I completed my 20 years in the Air Force Reserve as an optometrist and I worked in retina. I've also worked in private practice.

Once I retired from the military and I had done private practice, I really wanted to come back to teaching because I always enjoyed it. I came back just about a year ago now and I'm involved in the Scholars Program as well. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and what I enjoy about it is that I get to start working with the Scholars and the students in Clinical Skills right away, as soon as they start, but I'm also working in The Eye Institute, PCO’s main clinical facility, and so I get to see students in clinic and when they start seeing patients, I get to see them getting more and more confident in seeing and examining patients.

Q: Can you explain the material reviewed in Clinical Skills a little more and how it assists student prior to entering The Eye Institute?

Neiman: We do work pretty briskly through material. One example is when we learn retinoscopy - most students in the Traditional Program will learn that during week six. In the Scholars Program, however, we start in week two so we progress pretty quickly and students do receive a lot of individualized attention because we proceed so quickly through the material. But, students usually meet with success and are in the clinic (The Eye Institute) within the first year when they start seeing patients.

Q: Can you describe the Clinical Procedures Lab where students practice their clinical skills?

Neiman: Right now as you can see, we're standing in the main area of the clinical Skills lab. This lab has 22 bays. It also has a demo bay with a ceiling mounted camera so we can project it to all of the monitors in the room. So, when we're demonstrating skills or we're capturing videos of skills, we can do that and share it with the students or they have access to view it right when we're in the lab during lab time. Also on the slit lamp, the microscope we use to evaluate the eyes and the demo bay also has a camera on us so we can capture pictures and project them to the monitors.

We also have an auxiliary lab, which has 10 additional bays. It also has a demo bay that we can project and take images of and share with the students either during lab or to capture as videos.

Each bay is pretty much outfitted the same way. We have a counter, on that we have a computer that gives us access to Blackboard. It also controls our digital acuity system. Each one has a slit lamp. We do have different brands of slit lamps in each of the bays. Three main brands are what we have, but we have a slit lamp, and we have a phoroptor. So this is where we teach the students how to refract somebody. You may be familiar with that as, which is better, one or two. We also have a keratometer and this allows us to measure the curvature of the cornea.

Each of the bays have all of this equipment. When we teach you how to do the skills and to prepare you for clinic, we treat this as your exam lane. So we tell you how you should have the lighting and how far you should be standing from the patient. And, you can set this up as if it's your own exam room. So, that way the transition to the clinic (The Eye Institute) goes a lot smoother in order of the skills.

Prepping for Boards 

In order to become a practicing optometrist, it is of utmost importance to pass the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) licensure exam. Next, two students will describe the process in further detail.

Furey: Hello. I am Michael. I am from Arizona. I went to undergrad at Arizona State and I am currently a third year scholar in the 2022 class.

Hess: And, I'm Anna. I'm from York, Pennsylvania. I went to undergraduate at Franklin Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and I'm also a third year Scholar in the Class of 2022.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about the NBEO exam?

Furey: We're here to talk about the National Boards that you'll be taking in your second and third year. So during your second year, particularly in March, you will have Part I, which covers your applied basic sciences. In year three, you will be taking both Part II and III. Part II is typically taken in December whereas Part III is taken wherever, whenever you schedule it, and that's the one that you have to fly to North Carolina to take.

Hess: So, you can take Part III either before or after Part II. Michael and I are both taking it before Part II, but you can also take it afterwards. As far as prepping for these three parts of boards, there is a popular test prep, materials you can purchase, that many students at all of the schools across the country can use. I personally use that, but I also supplemented with notes from previous quarters because you finished all of your didactic curriculum by that point.

Also for Part II, since Michael said Part I is more of your applied sciences, it's kind of an overview of many of the things that you've learned, and for Part II, it's more management and diagnosis/assessment of cases. For that, being in clinic helps a lot, and because it's things you're doing on a daily basis, you can also use test prep materials, or use books that have been published that have all of the different cases, diagnoses and different ways for treating such cases, etc.

There's lots of materials you can use. And, for Part III, it's a lot of practicing your clinical skills because it is a big clinical skills practical. So most nights during the week, you can find a lot of third year Scholars and fourth year Traditional students practicing in the Clinical Skills/Procedures Lab. You have standardized patients and you conduct exams on them. So you're pretty much just practicing the skills you've done all throughout your years here, and making sure you know a script going in and know how to handle each of the stations that they have for you.

Furey: And, for Part III, you will already have passed similarly structured practicals in your first year, as well as in the other sections, everything will initially seem daunting, but it'll come back to you because you've seen almost everything on boards throughout your schooling.