Articles
How often have we had a student ask that a grade close to a cutoff be bumped up, request the rescheduling of an exam or quiz for personal events (non-medical or non-emergency) or request that personal effort be taken into consideration when grading? Who has not...
Hemi-Spatial Neglect as a Consequence of Acute Cerebrovascular Accident
Background Hemi-spatial neglect is a failure of awareness on the side and space opposite the site of brain injury.1 The most common etiology of hemi-spatial neglect is hemorrhagic or ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA), commonly referred to as a stroke.1 Patients...
VOSH/International and the Development of Optometry in the Latin American Region
Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH)/International is an organization devoted to providing vision care around the world through humanitarian clinics.1 For its commitment to providing access to quality eye care in underserved communities, VOSH/International...
Cross-Cultural Communication in Optometry
Background Culturally competent care has become a pillar in patient-doctor interaction to reduce healthcare disparities. Cultural competence is defined as the ability to effectively deliver healthcare services that takes into account the social, cultural and...
Use of a Town Hall Focus Group to Assess Mentorship, Sense of Belonging and Self-Efficacy
in Black Students in Optometry School
Background The term under-represented minority (URM) refers specifically to Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native groups that remain under-represented in education attainment and the science and engineering workforce.1 Research has demonstrated that when a critical mass...
Training Implicit Bias and Awareness of the Impact of Systemic Racism on Health: a Preliminary Study of Second-Year Optometry Students
Introduction In 2003, an Institute of Medicine report found that racial and ethnic health disparities are associated with worse health outcomes. The report also noted that provider bias, stereotyping, prejudice and clinical uncertainty may contribute to racial and...
Justice and Disparity – a Defining Cause
for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Optometric Education and Practice
Introduction Vision and eye care continue to be among the greatest unmet public health needs in the country, at a high cost to person and society.1-7 Poor vision and eye health can result in impaired cognitive, social and physical development, low academic...
Cultural Competence for Serving Veterans: an Overview and Practical Considerations for Optometrists
Background In 1976, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) integrated optometry into its healthcare system to provide important eyecare services to veterans alongside ophthalmology. Since then, the VHA Optometry service has grown significantly and now provides most...
Cultural Competence Case Study Resource
and 2021 Competition Winner
ASCO and its member institutions embrace the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism in optometric education and in the profession. Led by the Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee (DCCC), ASCO has been implementing a multiyear project focusing on cultural...
On Diversity in Optometry,
Progress, but More Work to Be Done
This themed edition of Optometric Education focuses on diversity, cultural competence and cultural humility. A diverse and inclusive optometric environment produces many organizational and healthcare benefits. Diversity is associated with improved performance,...
Learning and Teaching about Diversity and Cultural Competence: a Continuum
It is projected that by 2050, the minority population in the United States will increase to the point of representing the majority.1,2 Additionally, a growing number of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transexual, queer/questioning (LGBTQ).3...
The Many Faces of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy
Background Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is characterized by subretinal, vascular lesions associated with serous and hemorrhagic detachments of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Typically, it presents as massive (greater than 4 disc diameters) subretinal...


