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Optometry
Before each of the three parts of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) exams, Madison Edwards ‘26OD felt very overwhelmed and stressed to the max, thinking she was going to fail and was unsure she was ready.
She turned to Lauren White, OD ‘19, MSHS, FAAO, assistant professor in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Drexel University’s Elkins Park campus, for reassurance.
“You’re not going to fail. You’ve done everything that you need to do to pass this test. You’re well prepared and you just need to go and do it,” Dr. White said.
The confidence proved well placed. Edwards successfully passed all three parts of the NBEO exams and will graduate next week in the PCO/Drexel Class of 2026. She is already preparing to return home to Central Pennsylvania, where she will begin practicing in an OD/MD-style setting within a larger health network - bringing her training back to the communities that shaped her.
Originally from State College, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Penn State with a bachelor's degree in biology and minors in women’s studies and biochemistry, Edwards is returning to a region where access to eye care can be limited in rural areas. Her decision reflects the growing need for providers to practice in Pennsylvania communities where access to specialty services are especially important.
At PCO, faculty and staff continue to strengthen NBEO preparation through expanded mock exams and more intentional coaching around test-taking strategy and readiness. Boards are divided into three parts: applied basic sciences; patient assessment and management; and patient encounters and performance skills.
For Edwards, even though she was nervous, that preparation made a clear difference.
“We take many, many exams in optometry school so I felt like I knew how to very effectively take an exam and do well on it,” she said. “And, then we had a full mock board leading up to the actual part one exam, which was really helpful in figuring out my pacing, knowing where I was in studying, and just kind of understanding what test day would feel like.”
She added that the hands-on training at PCO helped make even the most stressful components feel manageable and turned into a positive experience for Edwards.
“Part three, the in-person one was a little bit more stressful just because you had a lot of eyes watching you, but I think that all the practical exams that we had taken at PCO kind of made me feel a little bit more comfortable and prepared for that scenario,” she said. “So actual test day was fine, which was really a great experience.”
When she learned she had passed all three parts, Edwards said the moment was filled with an inevitable sense of relief and excitement, shared with family and friends.
For PCO students preparing for the NBEO, she emphasizes steady, consistent preparation and balance.
“You don't have to start studying really hard early on, but just every day do a little bit of reviewing, a little bit of practice questions and it will help you feel calmer as you get into the closer timeframe of the exam,” she said.
She also stresses the importance of maintaining mental and physical well-being while studying for the exam.
“It can be easy to kind of get bogged down by all the pressure and the many hours that you take studying,” she said. “So it's really important to take care of yourself because the best studying that you do is whenever you're actually physically and mentally well. Don’t study yourself into the ground.”
