I have to make a decision between these two schools within the next few days, but it is definitely a tough choice. Does anyone have any input or advice they could give about either school? Any help is appreciated!
SCO vs. ICO
- Thread starter ks25
- Start date
Yes, I actually chose ICO!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on SCO! I’m trying to decide between there and NECO
Absolutely! So one thing that stood out to me about SCO was that they pride themselves on how well they prepare their students to be exceptional clinicians. The 1st week of 1st year, you already start learning clinical skills. By the end of 1st semester, we already learned & were tested on retinoscopy, how to take a case history & perform all the chair skills, & how to perform a refraction (basically a huge chunk of part 3 boards). I point this out because I heard from friends at other optometry schools that some don't introduce the clinical aspect of optometry until the 2nd semester or even the 2nd year of school.
Clinical Experience - Clinical rotations at SCO include Ocular Disease, Primary Care, Contact Lens, Optical, Technology Suite, Vision Therapy, Teen Clinic, Pediatrics, Low Vision. You'll also get to travel & do nursing home exams & school screenings. The patient demographic at the Eye Center are patients that are mostly from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, which means many patients will present with a variety of health & eye issues. So, you will see a lot of interesting cases & manage some tough tough patients that you may never routinely see elsewhere when you graduate, depending on where you end up.
Class Load & Size - The class load is tough & fast-paced, which I think goes for most if not all optometry schools. However, SCO always did a great job providing academic support, tutoring, & other student resources in general to make sure that you never felt helpless or on your own. The class size is bigger than many other schools (136 in mine), but you spend so much time together in class & lab groups that by graduation, you'll know everyone pretty well. That being said, it's big enough that everyone will most likely end up finding a closer knit group of friends within the class. I loved my class! Although it's big, you will work closely & develop close relationships with many of the faculty ODs.
Boards Passage Rate - Another reason why I chose SCO was because of their board passage rates. By the time boards came around, I felt very very prepared both for all 3 parts & injections. I never was a top of the class student. My OAT was a 320 AA/TS & my entering GPA was a 3.21... All well below my entering class average. I passed all 3 parts of boards & injections on the 1st attempt. I say this not on my behalf, but to really give credit to SCO for preparing us well to be the best optometrists that we can be. One of my classmates received the highest Part 1 score out of all optometry schools in the nation.
Memphis - Most students lived on Mud Island which is right along the Mississippi River. It's a beautiful area with a large part of the community consisting of other health professionals & students from the UT Health & Science Center down the road from SCO. No, Memphis isn't New York, Chicago, or LA. Many people focus on the rough parts of Memphis & then judge the city as a whole based on that. Many of my classmates were also skeptical about moving to Memphis. By the time graduation came around, it became a second home to many of them. There's always plenty to do whether it's a Memphis Grizzlies game, Beale Street Music Fest, or just exploring new restaurants on the weekend. You'll be studying or practicing your clinical skills with the majority of your free time anyway
Overall, SCO isn't perfect by any means. There's always room for improvement. However, I wouldn't trade my experience there for anything, & I'm confident they prepared & equipped me well to have a long, successful career as an OD. I also met some lifelong friends there that I cherish more than optometry itself. Tuition is lower than many schools & cost of living is very low which will help with loans in the future. Apologies this is a little long, but I hope it helps! Good luck with wherever you choose!
