Program of Study
| Class Profile for the Class of 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Total applications | 330-350 |
| Class size: | 90 |
| Men | 45 |
| Women | 45 |
| Average age | 24 |
| Age range | 20-63 |
| Average GPA | 3.45 |
| Average OAT | 349 |
| Twenty-four states are represented, along with
four Canadian provinces. |
|
Pacific University College of Optometry became part of the Pacific campus in 1945. It was originally founded in 1921 as the North Pacific College of Optometry. Eighty-two years today, we pride ourselves on our clinically oriented program, focusing on the graduation of a comprehensive practitioner with expertise in general optometry, contact lenses, low vision, vision therapy and ocular disease. Pacific University is a fully accredited member of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. Graduates are fully qualified to practice in any state in the nation, the curriculum far exceeding the most stringent educational requirements of any state.
We offer a four year doctoral program in optometry. The curriculum consists of academic and laboratory experiences integrated with clinical work. The fourth year is entirely clinical, consisting of one clinical rotation in the Portland area clinics and three off-site preceptorships. In addition to clinical training, Pacific demonstrates its commitment to quality optometric research by requiring a research thesis of each student, encouraging and providing funds for faculty to attend scientific meetings and providing research facilities. The annual Pacific Vision Conference on campus allows practitioners, students, faculty and other reseachers the opportunity to exchange findings and information.
Unique to Pacific University are additional graduate degree programs in clinical optometry, allowing specialization in various areas of optometry. In conjunction with Pacific's School of Education, the Master of Education (M.Ed.), Visual Function in Learning program is designed to provide specialized study to qualify the optometrist as an education vision consultant. The M.Ed. and O.D. degrees may be pursued concurrently or separately. Residency programs leading to a certificate in Hospital Optometry, Rehabilitative Optometry, and Hospital/Geriatric Optometry are also available. These are conducted in conjunction with Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. A contact lens residency is also offered at the Forest Grove campus.
We have excellent facilities located on the Pacific campus along with a network of clinical centers in Portland. Graduates have broad-based clinical skills in all areas of optometry. Clinical work is introduced in the first year of the professional program and increases in complexity as the student progresses. Intensive clinical work in the last year requires the student intern to rotate through a series of clinical centers operated by the College, both on campus and in nearby Portland. In addition, students will complete three external preceptorships in clinical settings across the United States and in several foreign countries.