The mission of the UMSL College of Optometry is to promote and provide improved eye and health care for people throughout the country by preparing the next generation of optometrists and vision researchers. To accomplish our mission the faculty, staff and students will pursue excellence within our professional, graduate, residency and patient care programs. The College of Optometry operates four full-service eye care facilities. These four clinical facilities collectively are referred to as the “Center for Eye Care.” The centers are located on the South Campus of the UM-St. Louis, in the Central West End of the city of St. Louis, in East St. Louis, Illinois and in Harvester, Missouri.
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As we lead up to Optometry’s Meeting® taking place in Washington, D.C., June 21-24, it may feel overwhelming, especially if you have never attended before. I remember my first year, I had no idea what was in store for me. To be honest, I also was intimidated by the prospect of a conference that big. …
5 things to know before attending Optometry’s Meeting® 2023 Read More »
Working While in Optometry School A job outside of optometry school can be stressful. Working at a private practice takes time, energy, and focus away from studies while in school. Can it possibly be worth it? I talked with a few fellow optometry students about their experiences. It was easy to come up with many …
Benefits of Working in a Private Practice as a Student Read More »
There are many emotions that you feel as an optometry student nearing graduation. As you finish up your last few days in clinical externships, you begin to realize your long and arduous journey thus far was only the beginning. Coming together as a class for the last few times is bittersweet. Whether you will see …
Hi everyone! I’m Dena Colantino, and I’m a fourth-year student at UMSL School of Optometry. Let me start by saying that I am in no way an expert in the admissions process of optometry school. I can only speak to my own experiences and information I’ve gathered from friends, classmates, and members of the optometric …
If I Knew Then: Advice for Optometry School Applicants Read More »
As a non-traditional student, I spent countless hours debating whether I should take the plunge in going back to school. I had only a few years under my belt of “real life” – paying bills, paying off debt, the “8-to-5 grind.” I was on automatic mode, going through the motions everyday only to realize that …
We’ve all heard it before: “optometry is a legislated profession.” But what does that really mean? Put simply, if an optometrist wants to do something, there has to be a law that explicitly states that they can. If your experience in optometry school is anything like mine, you are constantly being reminded of the legislative …
5 things you can do today to advocate for optometry Read More »
I thought about going back to school long before my life became a melodramatic episode of some cheap sit-com. I was going to go to a physician assistant program. I figured out what I was going to do, I told everyone what I was going to do, and promptly did nothing about it. Until my girlfriend, …
There are not many topics that optometry students would care to discuss less than student loan debt. Aside from the few lucky ones who have a rich uncle to pick up their optometry school tab, student loans are a very real necessity of attending graduate school today and tuition rates are on the rise. But …
How to help minimize your student loan debt in optometry school Read More »
After finishing your first year of optometry school or your last, many students and new doctors struggle with a very real world question: what will I do with my summer? Whether it be finding a job at a practice or waiting for the final pieces to come together for your license, many students and new grads find themselves …
Paid Internship Available for First Years and New Grads at Essilor Read More »
