Optometry
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When Donovan Magallanes set foot on Drexel University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus for the Optometry Learning Experience (OLE), he had an unexpected sense of deja vu. The surroundings felt familiar - except that he didn’t yet know the reason.
His mother Yesenia Carrasquillo, MS ‘07, was pregnant with Magallanes while she was going through the Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Master of Science program in the 2000s.
“The most interesting part of the OLE for me was seeing the clinics, labs and equipment,” said Magallanes, a Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, resident and incoming junior at Rowan University majoring in biology. “The technology has advanced so much and the virtual reality lab (Virtual Reality Simulation Lab) here is really cool.”
While he hasn’t ruled out following in his mother’s footsteps with a career in O&M, Magallanes' predominant interest is in optometry at this time. He currently works as an ophthalmic technician at America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses, a national optical retailer, where he conducts preliminary testing, including retinal imaging, before patients see the optometrist.
The Optometry Learning Experience (OLE) program, held the week of July 6, 2026, welcomed two groups of prospective students, each spending two and a half days on campus. The program is designed to introduce participants to the academic study of the Doctor of Optometry program, as well as the profession of optometry through classroom and clinical observations; lab demonstrations; campus tours; and opportunities to connect with faculty, current optometry students and Admissions staff.
“I enjoyed talking with the doctors who are training the students and seeing how personable they are. It seems everyone is pretty connected,” said Magallanes of his experience.
Meanwhile, it’s the interaction with patients and the opportunity to have a good work-life balance that attracted Rabiba Chaudhary, of Vineland, New Jersey, to pursue a career in optometry.
“I decided to attend the OLE because I think it’s a great way to get my foot in the door of optometry,” said Chaudhary, who graduated from Rutgers University Camden in May. “It gives me some experience and early connections in the profession.”
Chaudhary was particularly impressed that many Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) alumni return or stay at their alma mater as faculty. “They are passionate about PCO, and they have that PCO DNA,” said Chaudhary. “It’s very true and you can see that. I’ve toured other schools and programs but I haven’t noticed how close-knit the other schools are as compared to PCO.”
That closeness was also evident to Danielle Gutierrez, originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who graduated in May from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, with a degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. It was Admissions personnel from PCO who visited Hollins and sparked her interest in optometry to apply for the OLE experience.
“I like it when schools reach out to prospective students because it shows they really want you to come here,” said Gutierrez. “And, I’ve loved the relationships I’ve seen here between the students and their professors/mentors. The way they talk to each other while maintaining that respect shows they’re building a really good foundation here.”
It was also the first OLE experience for Angela McCracken, who was recently named assistant director of Admissions for PCO, coming over from the financial aid side.
“The students who attended OLE were very mature,” she said. “They seemed to have a passion for optometry and to be young people who appear to have found their way. They’ve had great questions and they bonded with each other. This program is a great way to connect potential optometry students and offer them a personal experience to see what we offer.”
