Guest editorial: A call for health advocacy to be included as an outcome competency into optometric education programmes

No abstract available.

Trends in Optometric Education – A Demographic Snapshot of the Optometry Applicant Pool and Student Enrollment

ASCO has prided itself on being the “go to” source for any data related to optometric education. Two of the most useful reports ASCO does annually are the OptomCAS Applicant Data Report – A National Snapshot, and the ASCO Student Data Report. This article will focus on data trends from both of these reports, specifically detailing the numbers and demographics of the optometry applicant pool and student enrollment over the past twelve years.

Optometry and the Department of Veterans Affairs

This paper discusses the history of optometry in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), starting from minimum involvement and developing into an extensive level of activity benefiting both the profession of optometry and the VA. The author also recounts experiences which led him to a career in optometric education and work in VA optometry.

Brief History of the American Optometric Foundation

The American Optometric Foundation (AOF), an affiliate of the American Academy of Optometry and now called the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF), has a proud history of financially supporting graduate optometric education since 1947. This article reviews its mission, history, governance and success in establishing the requisite academic foundation for an ever-evolving independent health care profession.

History and Current Status of Optometric Education in Africa

Over the last decade, 16 new optometry programs have been established across Africa and there are efforts to set up additional training institutions in the future. Also, existing optometry programs are undergoing modifications to offer an international standard of optometric education and training. This paper focuses on the history and further assesses the current status of optometric education on the continent of Africa. Additionally, optometric education in Africa is compared to North American training programs. Challenges facing optometric programs in Africa are highlighted with recommendations to address them.

From the Editor

The editor introduces the topics of this special issue on optometric education.