Feature Archives
Faculty Development to Improve Teaching Skills of Optometric Educators:
Experiences of a Healthcare Organization
Background Optometric educators are poised not only to care for patients but also to contribute to the profession by “guiding, developing and nurturing future generations of optometrists.”1 Like other health professionals, optometrists often become teachers based on past clinical expertise and have no specific training in education principles.1 There are multiple types of faculty development […]
Amelanotic Choroidal Melanoma:
a Teaching Case Report
Background Uveal melanoma is the most common intraocular malignancy and involves the choroid in approximately 90% of cases.1,2 Melanomas are potentially life-threatening lesions that arise from melanocytes at various locations throughout the body, including ocular structures, such as the uvea, conjunctiva, eyelid and orbit.1,3 Prognosis of uveal melanoma depends on several factors, including tumor size, […]
Does Self-Regulated Test Duration Correlate with Vision Science Test Score in First-Year Optometry Students?
Background Students in the United States generally have experienced limited duration examinations several times before entering an optometric degree program (e.g., SATs, ACTs, OATs and in undergraduate course work). For optometric education didactic courses, typical practice is for students to be given tests of knowledge that are of limited duration (e.g., 60 minutes). Although students […]Unforeseen Outcomes of Remote Learning
During the past year our country faced many challenges. The SARS COVID-19 pandemic is at the forefront and changed the lives of many people. The effects of the pandemic impacted multiple areas: politics, public health, medicine, research, education, etc. On a personal level, people’s lives changed with social distancing, wearing of masks, limited gatherings, travel […]Student Satisfaction with an Objective Structured Clinical Examination in Optometry
Introduction Graduates of schools and colleges of optometry must have the knowledge, skill and judgement to practice effectively and safely. Optometric education requires a system of assessment to determine whether students have reached the desired competencies1 for entry into practice. A system of assessment can include multiple assessment types including clinic-based assessment methods (mini-clinical evaluation […]Student Perceptions of Cultural Competency
Background Healthcare disparities among people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds have been well-documented in the United States for more than 30 years.1-5 These disparities, which include differences in treatment, unnecessary testing, increased rates of disease and worse overall outcomes, are often the result of cultural or linguistic barriers and unexplored socioeconomic differences between patients […]Assessment of the Utility of 3D-Printed Interactive Models in the Vision Science Classroom
Background Vision science is a topic that encompasses a complex interworking of optometry, ophthalmology, neuroscience, psychology, physics, information systems biology and other fields of science, engineering and math. As part of optometry students’ study of vision science, they are expected to learn how and why vision works and then recognize when something goes wrong. Two […]Sleep Irregularity and Academic Performance
Introduction Insufficient sleep has been labeled a public health crisis in the United States, with many adults receiving less than the 7-8 hours of sleep per night recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.1 Other national initiatives such as Healthy People 2020 and Healthy People 2030 from the U.S. Department of Health and […]
Butterfly-Shaped Pattern Dystrophy:
an Observational Teaching Case Report
Background This teaching case report involves one of five pattern dystrophies of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which share several characteristics. Typically, they are inherited in autosomal dominant fashion, heterogenous in presentation, associated with little or no vision loss, and characterized by lipofuscin deposits in the RPE. They can show variability with time, and fluorescein […]
Call for Papers for Theme Edition: Diversity and Cultural Competence in Optometry
The population continues to become more diverse, and optometry must be able to meet the cultural, ethnic, racial, gender and linguistic needs of patients. Optometric Education is inviting authors to submit scholarly papers addressing related themes such as diversity, cultural competency, gender issues and cultural awareness. The deadline to submit papers for this theme edition is […]
