ASCO News

ASCO Board of Directors Meets at AAO Conference, Chicago

ASCO Board of Directors Meets at AAO Conference, Chicago

The ASCO Board of Directors held a full-day meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10 in Chicago, one day before the start of the American Academy of Optometry’s Academy 2017 Conference. The meeting was led by ASCO President Dr. David Damari, Dean of Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University. The dean or president (or voting […]

Student Award in Clinical Ethics

Student Award in Clinical Ethics

This annual national award, sponsored by Alcon, is available to optometry students during any point of their professional program at an ASCO-affiliated school or college of optometry in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. The application consists of an essay of up to 1,500 words describing any one of the following scenarios: A patient based […]

Get Involved in the ASCO’s Inspiring Future ODs Program

Get Involved in the ASCO’s Inspiring Future ODs Program

ASCO’s Inspiring Future ODs program is an educational effort that encourages Doctors of Optometry and current optometry students to speak to prospective students and community members about optometry as a rewarding future career. Doctors of Optometry are the profession’s best advocates according to ASCO surveys. ASCO is pleased to offer free materials that will help […]

Applicant, Entering Class, Post-Graduate Data Available Online

Applicant, Entering Class, Post-Graduate Data Available Online

ASCO’s “Profile of Applicants to OD Degree Programs for Fall 2017 Entering Class” is now available on the Association’s website. This report lists the numbers of male and female applicants, the numbers of applicants who were in-state, out-of-state or from a foreign country, applicants’ average GPA and average Optometry Admission Test score, as well as […]

Optometry Virtual Fair Held on October 4

Optometry Virtual Fair Held on October 4

ASCO sponsored its ninth Optometry Virtual Fair on October 4. Twenty-two schools and colleges participated in the Fair. InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry was not able to participate because of Hurricane Maria. The Fair had 526 prospective students who registered with 266 participating in a “chat” with school and college representatives. The […]

The National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) announces upcoming changes to the Part III Clinical Skills Examination (CSE) beginning August 1, 2018

The National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) announces upcoming changes to the Part III Clinical Skills Examination (CSE) beginning August 1, 2018

The National Board of Examiners in Optometry will make changes to its Part III Clinical Skills Examination (CSE), effective August 1, 2018. The examination will include the following additions: Clinical Decision Making Cranial Nerve Assessment Amsler Grid Testing Undilated 90D Exam Also, the Injections Skills Examination will only be offered as a stand-alone examination, also […]

ASCO Produces Three New Videos – Research in Academic Optometry, InterProfessional Education and Collaborative Practice, and Why I Chose the Field of Optometry

ASCO Produces Three New Videos – Research in Academic Optometry, InterProfessional Education and Collaborative Practice, and Why I Chose the Field of Optometry

Videos available on ASCO’s YouTube Channel The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) announces three new videos, ready for viewing and sharing on its YouTube Channel. Learn about Research in Academic Optometry from Doctors of Optometry who discuss how research produces clinical science results that can be used in practice, what it’s like […]

Profession Leaders Focus on the Future of Optometry

Profession Leaders Focus on the Future of Optometry

Representatives from the five national organizations representing optometry recently called for an upcoming summit on the future of the profession. Meeting in St. Louis in early September, these representatives from the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), the American Optometric Association (AOA), the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO), the Association of Schools and Colleges […]

New ASCO Strategic Plan Approved

New ASCO Strategic Plan Approved

ASCO’s leadership, including volunteers at all levels of the organization along with staff, has been hard at work for the last year and a half developing a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the organization, the first such plan in 14 years. The goal has been to create a plan that is flexible enough to address changes, […]

First-Year Enrollment Increases 5 Percent

First-Year Enrollment Increases 5 Percent

First-year, full-time enrollment in regular OD programs at optometry schools and colleges grew by 5.2% in 2016-2017 to reach 1913, up from 1818 the year before, according to the 2016-17 Annual Student Data Report published in May 2017 and updated in June by ASCO.  Contributing to this growth was an increase in the number of […]