Fourth-year study begins as soon as the third academic year is completed and is comprised of three semesters: Summer, Fall and Spring. Two terms are devoted to external clinical rotations and one is spent at UHCO in advanced seminars and clinical practice.
| Rotation A - Externships I - Primary Care (Summer, Fall, Spring) | Hours | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Description | Credits | Lecture | Lab |
| OPTO8990 | Community Health Clinics | 9 | 0 | 20 |
| OPTO8991 | Community Health Clinics | 9 | 0 | 20 |
| Totals | 18 | 0 | 40 | |
| Rotation B - Externships II - Medical Care (Summer, Fall, Spring) | Hours | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Description | Credits | Lecture | Lab |
| OPTO8992 | Community Health Clinics | 9 | 0 | 20 |
| OPTO8993 | Community Health Clinics | 9 | 0 | 20 |
| Totals | 18 | 0 | 40 | |
| Rotation C - Specialty Clinic / Didactic Semester (Summer, Fall, Spring) | Hours | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Description | Credits | Lecture | Lab |
| OPTO8338 | Rounds and Recent Developments | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| OPTO8384 | Practice Management II | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| OPTO8696 | General Clinic IV | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| *Elective | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 15 | 6 | 0 | |
Fourth-year externships provide experience working in multidisciplinary health-care settings, increase the number and diversity of patient care experiences, and broaden awareness of the many factors affecting health-care delivery in our society. Externship sites are located not only in Houston, but throughout the U.S. and the world.
Advanced seminars during the fourth-year campus term cover topics such as practice management and administration, primary-care diagnosis and treatement, new developments in optometry, and clinical rounds. Students spend their clinic time in specialty clinics: pediatrics, medical eye care, specialty contact lenses, vision rehabilitation and advanced primary-care practice.
