As one of the first optometry schools to be integrated into an academic health center, the UAB School of Optometry offers courses within its Department of Optometry and Vision Science, in addition to courses in other UAB health science departments.
The four-year curriculum begins with an emphasis on basic science and vision science and transitions to clinical content. Students are exposed to patients early and their patient care responsibilities increase as each term passes. In fact, the final year of the curriculum is devoted exclusively to clinical rotations on and off campus. Externships are an integral part of the final year of the curriculum and ensure each student is exposed to diverse clinical experiences prior to graduation.
Course subjects include optics, neuroscience, gross anatomy, eye movements, public health optometry, glaucoma, pediatric optometry, contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation, binocular vision and more. The UAB School of Optometry provides a vibrant, comprehensive and ever expanding curriculum reflective of the environment in which it is offered: a world class academic medical center.
In an effort to match the changing demands of the profession, the curriculum outlined below changes periodically.
Year 1
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Fall
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs OBHS 111 Fundamentals in Health Sciences I Hardy 10 OPT 111 Introduction to Optometry Nichols, K. 2 OPT 112 Geometric and Clinical Optics Gordon 5 OPVS 111 Basic Science and Clinical Optometry Laurent 1 VS 111 Ocular Anatomy Kraft 4 VS 112 Physiology of the Eye Srivastava/Gorbatyuk 4 VS 113 Biochemistry of the Eye Gross/ Pittler 2 -
Spring
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs OBHS 121 Systems: Neuroscience, Gross Anatomy, Cardiovascular & Respiratory Parpura/Resuehr/Kadisha/Smith 9 OPT 121 Clinical Evaluation of the Visual System I Call 1 OPT 122 Ocular Microbiology Pucker 1 VS 121 Visual Optics Oechslin 5 VS 122 Visual Psychophysics Loop 4 -
Summer
Year 2
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Fall
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs OBHS 211 Systems Gastrointestinal & Musculoskeletal/Skin, Hematology & Endocrine Smith 7 CLN 211 Primary Eye Care Rotation I Elder 1.5 CLN 212 Community Eye Care I Sims, Janene 1.5 OPT 211 Clinical Evaluation of the Visual System III Call 7 OPT 212 Ocular Pharmacology Turner 4 VS 211 Visual Perception Loop 3 -
Spring
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 221 Primary Eye Care Rotation II Elder 1 CLN 222 Community Eye Care II Sims, Janene 1.5 OPT 221 Clinical Evaluation of the Visual System IV Call 3 OPT 222 Diseases of the Anterior Segment Pate 5 OPT 223 Clinical Ophthalmic Optics Gordon 2 OPT 224 Anomalies of Binocular Vision I Hopkins 3 OPT 225 Diseases of the Posterior Segment Swanson 3 OPT 226 Clinicolegal Aspects of Optometry Horton 2 OPT 227 Introduction to Clinic Sims, Janene 2 OPT 228 Ocular Microbiology Pucker 1 -
Summer
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs OPT 231 Ophthalmic Imaging Steele 1 CLN 231 Primary Eye Care Clinic I Elder 3 CLN 232 Clinical Rotation I: Optical Services/Vision Therapy Elder 1 CLN 233 Community Eye Care III Sims, Janene 2
Year 3
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Fall
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 311 Primary Eye Care Clinic II Elder 2 CLN 312 Clinical Rotation II, with Vision Therapy Elder 2.5 CLN 313 Community Eye Care IV Sims, Janene 2 OPT 311 Anomalies of Binocular Vision II Hopkins 4 OPT 312 Contact Lenses Clore 5 OPT 313 Geriatric Optometry Swanson 1 OPT 316 Glaucoma Steele 2 OPT 318 Pediatric Optometry Weise 4 OPT 322 Low Vision DeCarlo 2 -
Spring
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 321 Primary Eye Care Clinic III Elder 2 CLN 322 Clinical Rotation III, with Vision Therapy Elder 2.5 CLN 323 Community Eye Care V Sims, Janene 2 OPT 321 Neuro-Optometry Swanson 2 OPT 323 Injections and Minor Surgical Procedures Call 2 OPT 324 Business Aspects of Optometry Laurent 2 OPT 325 Clinical Management of Vision Problems Elder 2 OPT 326 Ophthalmic Lasers Steele 1 OPT 327 Public Health Optometry Gordon/Kleinstein 2 OPT 328 Assessment of Systemic Diseases in Optometry Kleinstein 3 OPT 329 Third Year Seminar Henderson 1 *OPT 511 Advanced Dry Eye Elective Nichols, K. 1 *OPT 512 Advanced Contact Lenses Elective Gordon 1 *OPT 515 Advanced Vision and Learning Elective Oechslin 1 *Elective
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Summer
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 331 Primary Eye Care Clinic IV Elder 3 CLN 332 Pediatric Optometry Clinic I Weise 3 CLN 333 Cornea & Contact Lens Clinic I Gordon 3 CLN 334 Ocular Disease & Low Vision Clinic I Swanson 3 CLN 335 Special Clinical Rotation I Oechslin 3 CLN 336 Externship I Elder 15
Year 4
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Fall
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 410 Primary Eye Care Clinic V Elder 4 CLN 411 Pediatric Optometry Clinic II Weise 4 CLN 412 Cornea & Contact Lens Clinic II Gordon 4 CLN 413 Ocular Disease & Low Vision Clinic II Swanson 4 CLN 414 Special Clinical Rotation II Oechslin 4 CLN 415 Externship I or II Elder 20 *OPT 514 Concepts of Practice Management Elective Vaughn 1 *Elective
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Spring
Course Number Course Title Instructor Sem. Hrs CLN 420 Primary Eye Care Clinic VI Elder 4 CLN 421 Pediatric Optometry Clinic III Weise 4 CLN 422 Cornea & Contact Lens Clinic III Gordon 4 CLN 423 Ocular Disease & Low Vision Clinic III Swanson 4 CLN 424 Special Clinical Rotation III Oechslin 4 CLN 425 Externship II Elder 20
