Not only is there a place for minority students in optometry, but minority optometrists are in demand. Today, there are approximately 24,000 optometrists practicing nationwide. Clearly, you as a minority student interested in a health care profession that is both personally and financially rewarding, can confidently choose optometry.
Minorities are drastically underrepresented in the optometric profession at present.
There is a real danger that this problem will continue to grow if the opportunity that optometry offers is ignored. Since most states have less than 10 minority optometrists and are anxious to welcome more, you will find yourself in a very enviable position as a Doctor of Optometry. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry invites you to help us assure that a more representative number of future optometrists will be minority practitioners. So if you are looking at the health care professions in search of a challenging career, one that will serve a deep social need and also give you added prestige in your community, I urge you to investigate the profession of optometry. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry's Office of Minority Affairs exists to help minority students.