Southern California Faculty of Optometry Celebrates 120 Years of Instructional and Scientific Excellence

Southern California Faculty of Optometry: FULLERTON, CA – Marshall B. Ketchum College (MBKU), an impartial, non-public, non-profit, accredited academic establishment headquartered in Fullerton, Calif. proudly celebrates the 120^th anniversary of its Southern California Faculty of Optometry (SCCO). Initially based in 1904, SCCO was the primary optometry college in California. Since then, it has earned a status as one of many oldest and most esteemed optometry colleges within the nation. With a wealthy historical past that blends instruction, affected person care, analysis and public service, SCCO stands as a beacon of excellence that has attracted top-tier researchers, clinicians and professors and cultivated quite a few leaders within the area.

“SCCO’s 120-year journey signifies extra than simply longevity; it represents a dedication to best-in-class optometric schooling,” mentioned Dr. Julie A. Schornack, president at MBKU. “This milestone is a chance to acknowledge the collective efforts of the leaders, school, college students and alumni who’ve formed not solely our institutional legacy however the long-term success of 1000’s of well being care professionals.”

SCCO proudly gives Physician of Optometry (OD) and Grasp of Science (MS) in Imaginative and prescient Science levels, with its OD program accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Schooling of the American Optometric Affiliation (AOA), enabling graduates to apply in all 50 states. Led by distinguished school, SCCO gives small cohort sizes averaging 100 college students, involvement in 15 optometry-related golf equipment and devoted school mentors for every scholar.

Moreover, whereas not required within the area, SCCO gives a variety of sturdy residency applications throughout the nation that provide a yr of post-graduate medical alternatives to help college students in refining their medical experience and pursuing specialization. This dedication to excellence extends to analysis, with SCCO boasting an extended historical past of nationally and internationally acknowledged contributions together with a large number of publications in prestigious medical journals and 1000’s of citations masking a variety of subjects together with ophthalmology, surgical procedure, optometry, pathology and psychiatry.

Two superior College Eye Facilities, strategically located in Anaheim Hills and Los Angeles, Calif. underscore SCCO’s dedication to hands-on studying, neighborhood impression and accessible, high quality care. These Ketchum Well being services allow college students to achieve hands-on expertise throughout a spectrum of specialties—from main care and cornea/contact lenses to pediatric imaginative and prescient care, ocular illness remedy and imaginative and prescient remedy—whereas additionally receiving publicity to cutting-edge applied sciences and making an enduring and constructive impression on the neighborhood.

Central to MBKU’s academic ethos is its distinctive emphasis on interprofessional studying, which cultivates future professionals who prioritize teamwork and holistic affected person well-being—enhancing care via the convergence of various disciplines. College students in MBKU’s optometry, pharmacy and doctor assistant applications actively have interaction in real-world simulations, collaborative initiatives and case research, fostering sensible insights into environment friendly well being care teamwork. This melding of views fuels a vibrant change of concepts, shaping well-rounded professionals outfitted to satisfy the complexities of contemporary well being care supply.

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“Our give attention to interprofessional collaboration is one thing that really units SCCO aside,” added Dr. Susan Cotter, president of the American Academy of Optometry and school member at SCCO. “By curating a extra holistic strategy to optometric schooling, we empower our college students to excel by equipping them with the varied skillset wanted to adapt in immediately’s quickly evolving medical panorama.”

As SCCO celebrates its 120-year legacy, it stays steadfast in its dedication to cultivating the leaders of tomorrow. Leveraging its previous achievements as inspiration for future improvements, SCCO is poised to proceed to form the trade for generations to come back.