MSCHE Self Study April 2021

year students to meet the externship site supervisors and discuss what the externship offers, helping the students to make their selections. Externship sites are visited prior to initial approval and thereafter on a periodic basis. Decisions to modify, retain or discontinue externship sites are made on an ongoing basis by the director of externship programs in consultation with the chair of clinical education taking into account student clinical experiences and feedback and any changes in site conditions or personnel. The director compares student experiences and site ‐ specific data both within and across sites for consistency and quality. Sites rarely need to be discontinued, pointing to the overall effectiveness of the site selection and review process. Electives Electives in a variety of areas and advanced topics are offered in the beginning (summer) and end (spring) of third year ( Electives Catalog ). Students must complete two electives. Micro ‐ Credentials Initiated in AY 2019 ‐ 20, the new micro ‐ credential is an outgrowth of strategic ‐ planning to anticipate future trends in eye and vision care and the emergence of subspecialties. It offers advanced course and clinical work beyond the core curriculum in emerging areas of optometric sub ‐ specialization, creating a stepping ‐ stone to advanced residency training. A micro ‐ credential involves elective course work and assignment to specialty clinics in third year, a specialty rotation in fourth year, and a presentation. This is a competitive, highly selective program, and completion of a micro ‐ credential elective is recorded on the student’s permanent transcript. The college currently offers four micro ‐ credentials (Corneal and Contact Lenses, Ocular Disease and Low Vision, Glaucoma, and Advanced Vision Rehabilitation). Each micro ‐ credential allows a student to explore in greater depth an area of optometric practice that they might like to pursue in greater detail. Completion of a micro ‐ credential provides additional competencies and specificity to the student’s optometric education that may make them more competitive for select residency or employment opportunities. These micro ‐ credentials are not intended to infer equivalency to residency training nor are they intended to suggest any kind of subspecialty certification. Advanced Standing Program The Advanced Standing Program at SUNY College of Optometry, which was established in 2015, allows foreign graduates with degrees and advanced training in healthcare to obtain a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from SUNY College of Optometry after 2.50 to 3.00 years in residence at the College ( Advanced Standing Program ). It provides a customized curriculum of courses within the departments of Biological and Vision Sciences and Clinical Education. Two basic tracks provide entry into the 2nd year of the OD program, with further customization dependent on the applicant’s background. As part of the admissions process, the director of the program proposes a track for an applicant based on the applicant’s prior experience. Dean’s Council reviews and approves or modifies this proposal for each applicant accepted. The program

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