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WesternU College of Optometry third-year students took part in a laser lab, going to four stations learning on the Lumenis laser and the Nidek laser. Student Sirine Koudsi gets hands-on experience at station 2 (ALT)- Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty is an older laser method to lower eye pressures by photocoagulating the drainage tissue of the eye. This procedure is not repeatable. The same argon photocoagulating laser is very common for other eye conditions.
WesternU / College of Optometry / About the College

About the College

We are a College of scholars and practitioners that care for one another. Our faculty members act as mentors helping to ensure student success. Our students flourish in an environment dedicated to excellent educational experiences in the classroom, in the laboratory, and in clinical education settings. Our graduates go on to become ODs with a shared vision of our core values of humanism, caring, and scientific excellence.

Living Our Core Values of Humanism, Caring, & Scientific Excellence

  • Optometry student during welcome week In the Classroom
  • Students working with optometry equipment In the Labs
  • Congratulations to the Class of 2019 graduates from the College of Optometry and the College of Graduate Nursing. Special recognition to Kun Hee Lim, CO’s 500th graduate! Way to go, graduates! #WesternUGrad2019 #WesternUWay Keynote speaker was Melvin D. Shipp, OD, MPH, DrPH, Emeritus Professor and former Dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. After Graduation
  • College of Graduate Nursing and the College of Optometry Commencement ceremony was held Thursday, May 24, 2018. Keynote speaker was Dr. Daniel Weberg, a nurse leader and expert in human-centered patient design and simulation and health care innovation. He is an author, leadership scholar and the senior director for innovation and leadership for Kaiser Permanente’s National Nursing Strategy Department.

    Message from the Dean

    Western University of Health Sciences has a distinguished history, and has set out to be known as a distinctive institution, as expressed by its Institutional Mission Statement: To educate, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and produce biomedical knowledge that will enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities.

    The WesternU College of Optometry builds upon this rock-solid foundation by providing an inclusive environment in which our students thrive in educational, clinical, and research programs. I’m so very proud of our graduates who are strong, resilient, and compassionate doctors of optometry.

    Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH
    WesternU played a large role in Care Harbor Fairplex, a free mega-clinic April 27-28, 2019 in Pomona. Students check in at Care Harbor Fairplex.

    Interprofessional Education

    Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) provides an integrated, interdisciplinary, discussion-based approach to learning. IPE occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Once students understand how to work interprofessionally, they are ready to enter the workplace as a member of the collaborative practice team. This is a key step in moving health systems from fragmentation to a position of strength.
    Hands holding a red paper heart

    Give and Receive

    Help us continue to help our students succeed as Doctors of Optometry dedicated to a scientific and humanistic approach to healing. We will all benefit by having healthier communities around us.