Recruiting Racially Minoritized Students to Optometry School

Enrollment inequities among racially minoritized (RM) students is an ongoing challenge facing health professions programs in the United States, including optometry schools. Consideration of RM students’ representation in health professions programs is essential for long-term improvement in access to and quality of healthcare for RM patients. Prehealth and undergraduate advisors assist students in navigating graduate and professional career paths. Data collected by ASCO on the nationwide matriculation survey reveal prehealth advisors rank third most important in navigating the admissions process for optometry after practicing optometrists and admissions representatives. Prehealth advisors, therefore, are central to generating the optometry school pipeline, inclusive of students from RM backgrounds. This article therefore explores the question “How can prehealth advisors help attract their RM students to optometry?” by approaching best practices in prehealth advising utilizing Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth theoretical framework. The recommendations offered in response to the question center on the lived experiences of RM students and identify/acknowledge the strengths inherent among recruiting them to optometry school. The empowering nature of the approach has positive implications on strengthening aspiration, application, and enrollment in optometry schools or health professions broadly.

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.

The impact of training future optometrists in community health centers

Community health centers are a rewarding and rich career choice for future optometrists. As primary eye care providers, optometrists in these multi-disciplinary settings have the potential to make significant and lasting impacts on patients of underserved populations, to increase awareness surrounding cultural diversity and impact on healthcare, and to advocate for healthcare equity. This article discusses why community health centers can be a career destination for current and prospective optometry students, and provides examples of making an impact as a health center optometrist.