ASCO (Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry) is optometric education’s mothership. Founded in 1941, ASCO is a non-profit education association representing the interests of optometric education. ASCO’s membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico.
ASCO is committed to achieving excellence in optometric education and to helping its member schools prepare well-qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry.
The mission of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry is to serve the public through the continued advancement and promotion of all aspects of academic optometry.
Here are some of the resources ASCO provides for those students considering optometry as a profession.
ASCO’s YouTube Channel:
With its wealth of information and resources for potential optometry students, here is ASCO’s You Tube Channel.
Here’s just a sample of what is featured:
ASCO’s Blog:
The goal of the Eye on Optometry blog is to provide timely and useful information to anyone who is interested in applying to optometry school. It’s all part of one of ASCO’s many strategic objectives, which is to help the schools and colleges of optometry develop a large, diverse and highly qualified national applicant pool while getting the word out about the attractiveness of a career in the profession. Here is ASCO’s blog.
ASCO’s Podcasts:
ASCO’s podcast series covers various topics pertaining to the profession and ASCO member institutions. Each podcast is available on iTunes and ASCO’s YouTube channel. Here is ASCO’s podcast menu.
ASCO’s Brochure: “True Stories”
This colorful and engaging booklet conveys to prospective students true stories about how optometrists improve the lives of real people — significantly and immediately — through the gift of sight. The “True Stories” booklet is formatted into two distinct sections, inspiration and information. The first section showcases inspirational stories, such as “Today I kept a survivor’s hope from dimming” and “Today I made sure a working man would keep working” that describe the role of the optometrist in diagnosing and treating the patient and its impact. The second section of the booklet contains an informational narrative that educates the reader on the rewards and benefits of a career in optometry, outlines the educational requirements of the profession, and provides contact information for all 21 colleges and schools of optometry. Here is the online version of ASCO’s brochure.
ASCO’s PowerPoint Presentation: “Be a Doctor of Optometry”
This presentation is available to be used to speak about the profession of optometry. It contains everything you need to know about optometry from learning what Doctors of Optometry do, types of practice, career outlook, and educational requirements. Scroll down the page for instructions on how to access this large PPT file.
Published by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO
I wanted to be an optometrist when I was only 10 years old. Why? I had some kind of geeky fascination with eyeglass frames, and was obsessed with getting a pair of my own. In my situation, having perfect eyesight was a distinct disadvantage, so I had to hatch a plan.
After repeated intense squinting while looking at the blackboard, I approached my teacher and lied with conviction, complaining that I couldn’t see. This report got me first to the school nurse and then finally on to an optometrist for an eye exam, where I tried my best Mr. Magoo impression to no avail.
I would have to wait two more long years until the gods finally smiled on me when, by some miracle, I acquired enough astigmatism to warrant my first bona fide pair of prescription eyeglasses!
Along with my love of people and wanting to take care of them, subsequent visits to the optometrist and shadowing, I sealed the deal—optometry was now officially what I wanted to do with my life.
I made first contact with the Southern California College of Optometry when I was in 8th grade. My older sister had a newly minted driver’s license and so I coerced her into driving me all the way from our home in La Mirada to Los Angeles, SCCO’s then-home. After a master planning effort to plot out our route on a paper map folded in 8 places, we arrived at SCCO where my sister quickly surmised that I didn’t have an appointment with an admissions advisor. She called me a loser, drove me all the way back home and the next day, phoned to help make the requisite appointment.
I entered high school in the late 1960’s (ouch, that hurt) when young females wanted to be anything but what I’d chosen as my newly dedicated pursuit—a science geek. I wore thick horn-rimmed black eyeglass frames (told you I was serious) and hung around chemistry lab after class. This was at a time when women just did not pursue careers in science and being the tomboy that I was, that was fine with me. This trend continued right through into undergrad, attending many classes where I was the only female--bespectacled or not--in the class. At a recent high school reunion, many of my classmates still remember me as the science geek with the blinders on—many envious of my joy and passion for my future profession.
I graduated from SCCO in 1977. Looking back with 40 years of experience as an optometrist, I am awed to know that I chose this wonderful profession way-back-when and with only my juvenile perspective to inform me. In 1977 when I graduated from optometry school, the profession began a series of major changes to its practice scope: securing the rights to use diagnostic drugs (dilating drops), securing the rights to prescribe therapeutic drugs (huge change!), being recognized as physicians by the federal government and treating glaucoma. In some US states, optometry has made even bigger strides into minor surgery, use of lasers, hospital privileges...etc. If I had the opportunity to go back and make another choice and knowing what I do today about health care and my own hardwiring, I’d make the same choice for optometry--nobody loves this profession more than I do. http://www.ketchum.edu/index.php/about/administration-directory
I grew up with optometry and now it’s your turn to inherit its future. That’s what this blog is about—getting you into optometry school and I am just the person to help you achieve this goal. We’re going to talk about the admissions process, how to prepare to take the OAT, how to be a competitive applicant, how to prepare to interview, to name a few. We’re going to talk about SCCO, student life and what it’s like to be an optometric intern. I am very persuasive, motivating and I am completely sold on optometry as the best profession in health care. I speak from experience!
Get ready to dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and please, chime in on discussions. I want to know what kind of help you need. You got this!
View all posts by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO
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ASCO (Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry) is optometric education’s mothership. Founded in 1941, ASCO is a non-profit education association representing the interests of optometric education. ASCO’s membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico.
into two distinct sections, inspiration and information. The first section showcases inspirational stories, such as “Today I kept a survivor’s hope from dimming” and “Today I made sure a working man would keep working” that describe the role of the optometrist in diagnosing and treating the patient and its impact. The second section of the booklet contains an informational narrative that educates the reader on the rewards and benefits of a career in optometry, outlines the educational requirements of the profession, and provides contact information for all 21 colleges and schools of optometry. Here is the online version of ASCO’s brochure.
This presentation is available to be used to speak about the profession of optometry. It contains everything you need to know about optometry from learning what Doctors of Optometry do, types of practice, career outlook, and educational requirements. Scroll down the page for instructions on how to access this large PPT file.
Eryn Kraning, Senior Director of Recruiting and Admissions, SCCO
Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO