Student Outcomes

Early entry into patient care and ongoing, diverse patient care experiences are hallmarks of the WesternU education. Clinical education begins during the first semester of the first year. Students participate in clerkship rotations from first through second year, advancing into greater involvement and more advanced levels of care. Every third-year student has exposure to not only comprehensive eye examinations but will also care for patients with ocular diseases, provide complicated contact lens fittings, and care for patients in pediatrics, and geriatrics. The third-year students also care for all aspects of rehabilitative services such as low vision, vision therapy, and neuro-rehabilitation. During the fourth year, the student externs are off campus at a variety of external rotation sites including affiliated private practices, co-management and referral centers, and Veteran Affairs facilities.

Average numbers of patient encounters for each aspect of the curriculum are provided in the table below:

AVERAGE NUMBER OF PATIENT ENCOUNTERS PER STUDENT (OD 2022)
FIRST YEAR: SCREENINGS	20
FIRST YEAR: CLERKSHIPS	33
SECOND YEAR: CLERKSHIPS	32
THIRD YEAR	137
*FOURTH YEAR	1561
ACROSS ALL FOUR YEARS COMBINED	1783

*Students made up for closure of clinical rotation sites during the COVID-19 pandemic with remote learning activities.

 

The college values a student’s success and as such is continually improving our services. Based on our student feedback the College has implemented, and further enhanced our student support services as follows:

• Optometry Review Course integrated within the curriculum
• On-campus KMK NBEO (Part I) review sessions with access to books and on-line materials
• Mock examinations supporting student growth and development
• Personalized assessments to identify areas for improvement
• Dedicated space for Mock Part III exam preparation as well as open access to pre-clinical lab facilities

There are no barriers to a student’s success. Our curriculum provides students with the material needed to pass boards. It is a student’s hard work, preparation, study habits, work ethic, and utilization of all resources that contributes to their overall success on national board exams. We capture students’ success on the licensure exams in a few ways for several reasons. (See tables below)

MEASUREMENT DESCRIPTION	WHO IS INCLUDED	WHY
NBEO FIRST-TIME PASS RATES	Students who have attempted and passed each part of the exam on their first attempt within the defined year of administration	To capture the institutional pass rate for all first-time takers of NBEO Parts 1, II, and III as measured using all first-time takers within the defined year of administration
NBEO-ASCO COHORT GROUPS	Graduating students who have attempted all three parts of the exam within a specified time frame (October – September).	To capture each institution’s yearly performance in a standard manner for all member schools.

NBEO FIRST-TIME PASS RATES

Exam	Year	Timeframe	Administration	Number of first-time takers	First-time pass rate (%)
Part 1- ABS	2020	9/1/2019- 8/31/2020	*July-20, Nov-20, Jan -21	84	65.48%
Part 2 – PAM		9/1/2019- 8/31/2020	Dec-19, *Jul-20	81	82.72%
Part 3 – CSE		8/1/2019 – 7/31/2020		74	79.73%
Part 1- ABS	2021	9/1/2020 – 8/31/2021	Mar-21, Aug-21	64	48.44%
Part 2 – PAM		9/1/2020 -8/31/2021	Dec-20, Apr-21	68	80.88%
Part 3 – CSE		8/1/2020 – 7/31/2020		80	72.50%
Part 1 – ABS	2022	9/1/2021 – 8/31/2022	Mar-22, Aug-22	53	22.6%
Part 2 – PAM		9/1/2021 – 8/31/2022	Dec-21, April-22	80	67.50%
Part 3 – CSE		8/1/2021 – 7/31/2022		80	71.25%

*COVID-19-impacted administrations

NBEO-ASCO PASS RATES FOR COHORT GROUPS

Time frame for Cohort	Number of Candidates	Part 1 ABS First-time Pass Rate	Part 2 PAM First-time Pass Rate	Part 3 CSE First-time Pass Rate	Ultimate Pass Rate
10/2021-9/2022	75	44.00%	70.67%	73.33%	66.67%
10/2020-9/2021	74	74.32%	85.13%	72.97%	85.14%
10/2019- 9/2020	71	81.69%	87.32%	84.51%	90.14%
10/2018 -9/2019	80	61.25%	78.75%	86.25%	87.50%
10/2017 -9/2018	60	55.00%	76.67%	56.67%	81.67%

 

Within six years of initial matriculation, at least 80% of entering students must be (1) licensed to practice optometry, or (2) pass all three parts of the NBEO or (3) pass the equivalent Canadian registration examination.

Number of students entering as matriculates in the cohort	Number passing all 3 parts of the NBEO exam within 6 years of matriculation of Students	Number passing CACO Canadian licensure within 6 years of matriculation	Percentage of entering students meeting Standard 1.3.1
Class of 2013: 78	69	1	89.7%
Class of 2014: 86	76	2	90.7%
Class of 2015: 86	74	2	88.4%
Class of 2016: 86	70	0	81.40%
Class of 2017: 91	75	3	85.71%
Class of 2018: 68	58	0	85.29%
Class of 2019: 86	76	0	88.37%
Class of 2020: 88	77	1	88.64%

Our graduates have been very competitive in seeking residency positions. Sixteen (16) graduates from the class of 2022 were selected to a variety of residency programs across the country. The specialties range from primary eye care/ocular disease, cornea and contact lens, vision therapy and rehabilitation/pediatric optometry and ocular disease/surgery co-management in Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Rhode Island, and California.

WesternU College of Optometry (WUCO) students have demonstrated strong leadership within the College and within the optometric professional community.

The following College clubs have been actively involved in service to the College, the University and the local community. In the case of VOSH, WesternU students have traveled to Haiti, Mexico, Fiji and Peru to render service to those in need. WesternU Optometry students have also attained high-ranking positions in several national organizations.

WUCO students have established WesternU chapters of:

• American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
• American Optometric Student Association (AOSA)
• Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society (BSK)
• College of Optometric Vision Development (COVD)
• Fellowship of Christian Optometrists (FCO)
• Gold Key Honor Society
• Lions Club International
• National Optometric Student Association (NOSA)
• Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA)
• Optometric Extension Program (OEP)
• Optometry Private Practice Business Club (OPPB)
• Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH)

Each year students elect Liaisons to Optometric professional organizations as listed below:

• American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
• American Optometric Student Association (AOSA)
• American Optometric Association – Contact Lens and Cornea Section (AOA-CLCS)
• American Optometric Association – Sports Vision Section (AOA-SVS)
• American Optometric Association – Vision Rehabilitation Section (AOA-VRS)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS)
• Asian American Optometric Society (AAOS)
• Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO)
• Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
• California Optometric Association (COA)
• Inland Empire Optometric Society (IEOS)
• Los Angeles County Optometric Society (LACOS)
• National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO)
• Orange County Optometric Society (OCOS)
• Rio Hondo Optometric Society (RHOS)
• San Diego County Optometric Society (SDCOS)
• San Fernando Valley Optometric Society (SFVOS)
• San Gabriel Valley Optometric Society (SGVOS)
• South Bay Optometric Society (SBOS)

On the University level, Class officers also serve as Senators and have a voice in the University’s Student Government Association.

The University also provides opportunity for service and leadership through a wide variety of inter-professional student clubs and interest groups, which now number near 100 in total.