On March 5th, Dr. Gialousakis from Chicago College of Optometry at Midwestern University came to speak at our meeting. Dr. Gialousakis talked with us about the Chicago College of Optometry at Midwestern University and all of the opportunities they offer. Thank you, Dr. Gialousakis, for taking the time to travel to Ohio State and to talk with us about Optometry and the Chicago College of Optometry!
Midwestern University has many programs including Optometry, DO, Pharm D, DMD, PA, PT, OT, Psy D, and others. This offers a great opportunity to receive an education that extends to other disciplines, and will allow for the students to take some science courses together. The Chicago College of Optometry has an annual tuition of about $41,000. Midwestern University (MWU) started as a DO school in 1900, and has a 2nd campus in Glendale, AZ. The Optometry Program started in 2014. It is located in Downers Grove, Illinois and has a Wellness Center, dorms and apartments on campus, brand new equipment, and mock Boards practice rooms. They also have a class size of about 60 people. CCO offers a multidisciplinary approach to teaching and with a 3:1 student to faculty ratio and open-door policy they make education a priority. They also work under the One Health initiative. At CCO, Clinical experiences start in the 1st year to get students comfortable in clinical settings and they offer public service opportunities such as SVOSH, IOA, and Prevent Blindness.
As for the Curriculum, CCO goes by the quarter system. First and second year have 3 quarters, while third and 4th year have 4 quarters. At this college, everyone does research (can be clinic-based) between their 2nd and 3rd year, they are placed into groups and conduct a research project with this group. Other courses offered include optometry business-management, sports vision, and neuro-optometric rehab. At CCO, they are didactic for 1st-3rd years and the focuses include: year 1 with basic science and core optometry, year 2 with core optometry, year 3 is both optometry and clinical while year 4 is clinical. They also have virtual reality simulation eye exams which helps students to practice and they also see patients of varying age and ethnicity and with a variety of diseases, and the virtual reality exams help to prepare students for this aspect. They boast a multispecialty clinic and a racially diverse patient population. CCO also has many extern sites across the country, which means lots of options for students!
As for getting in to CCO, they conduct closed file interviews which are 2-on-1. Their requirements include a GPA over 2.75, a bachelor’s degree, competitive OAT score, and 2 letters of recommendation with one being from an Optometrist. They also are accepting GRE, MCAT, PCAT, and DAT.
If you are interested in CCO, they are offering SEE at CCO. This program runs from August 12-14 and is a great opportunity to learn about CCO and optometry school. There is no registration fee but attendees are responsible for own travel expenses and accommodations. If you have any questions about this program or CCO, Dr. Gialousakis can be reached at jgialousakis@midwestern.edu. Thank you again Dr. Gialousakis!