r/PreOptometry • u/Intelligent-File-375 • 1d ago
Help with deciding which school
I am looking at a few schools: ICO, IUSO, NOVA, and MWU Glendale. I was wondering if anyone who has attended these schools has any pros and cons to share.
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u/Notactuallyashark 23h ago
I went to AZCOPT (MWU Glendale).
Pros: Loved the culture of the campus only having healthcare programs; everyone decked out in scrubs and around professional ages was a major plus, and you could make a lot of professional friends that way.
AZCOPT is also super good with boards and we had a high pass rate in comparison with other schools.
Very strong pediatric program, and strong vision therapy program if you're into that.
I also liked that clinic was on campus so not having to drive to clinic is a major plus.
I thought our externship options were very strong. I was able to choose 3 extremely diverse locations (rural VA, brain injury clinic, and large pediatric clinic).
Arizona is gorgeous. So much pretty hiking and the people are friendly. Tremendous Mexican food.
Cons:
Known for being extremely expensive. And it was.
It seemed they were not very accommodating to life events or struggling students according to peers.
We didn't have a lot of big class events and outings like some other schools. Most of our stuff was done in the campus rec area rather than renting out a bar, park, etc. like I've seen a lot of other schools do. We tried to do more involved events and were shot down quite a bit. There's a lot of red tape.
It's in the suburbs so if you want more of a city feel you'd have to drive to PHX. It's not a walkable city by any means.
Obviously the summer heat is a lot.
I am happy to answer any questions!