Graduates are fully qualified to practice in any state in the nation. The curriculum far exceeds the most stringent educational requirements of any state. Clinical work is introduced in the first year of the professional program and increases in complexity as the student progresses. Intensive clinical work in the last year requires the student intern to rotate through a series of clinical centers operated by the College, both on campus and in nearby Portland. Optometrists examine the eyes and related structures to determine the presence of vision problems, eye disease, and other ocular abnormalities.
Optometrists are the major providers of vision care.
Optometry is the largest eye care profession and one of the largest independent health care professions in the United States. Currently, some 28,900 doctors of optometry practice in America. They are widely distributed across the nation, practicing in more than 7,100 different municipalities. In more than 4,300 of these communities, the optometrist is the only primary care provider. As such, optometrists provide the major portion of primary eye care services in the United States.