Optometry
I Chose Salus
Hello! My name is Veronica Cole and I am a first-year student in the Doctor of Optometry Accelerated Scholars program at Salus. I am from Falls Church, Virginia and I graduated from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) in May of 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Neuroscience and minors in Art History and Public Health.
The schedule of the Scholars program is pretty variable, so every day can look a little different for me. My school day usually consists of lectures (either in-person or asynchronous), labs, or patient care. I usually wake up anywhere from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. depending on what I have scheduled that morning. We typically have scheduled lectures starting at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. everyday, with a lunch break from 12 to 1 p.m. Lectures are usually two hours long, but this can vary depending on the class. One thing that I appreciate is that we aren’t required to watch the asynchronous lectures at the exact time that they are scheduled. This allows me some flexibility to prioritize other classes or activities if needed. Sometimes I’ll go to the gym, go to the grocery store, or even study for an upcoming exam during a block in our schedule that was for an asynchronous lecture. It’s just important to stay on top of my asynchronous lectures and to watch them at another time, which I usually do over the weekend.
This program’s schedule varies from week to week, but there are some things that do remain consistent. For example, during the first three quarters, we had a four-hour lab for our Clinical Skills course every week. We also have Grand Rounds every week. During the first three quarters, we listened to the second-year students give presentations on various topics within optometry during this time. Now, as I am currently in my fourth quarter, us first-year students will begin giving presentations. In this quarter, we will also begin seeing patients at The Eye Institute (TEI) three times a week. This is either in the morning, from approximately 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., or in the afternoon from approximately 1 to 5 p.m. This is a change from the previous three quarters where we shadowed the second-years at TEI once a week.
Once 5 p.m. rolls around and I’m done with class or clinic for the day, I will usually go to the gym. After that, I’ll head back to my apartment and make dinner. I love to cook and bake, so I try to make a point of cooking my own meals as much as I can. The rest of my evenings are usually spent studying for upcoming exams, completing assignments, watching asynchronous lectures, FaceTiming loved ones, or just relaxing. I typically try to go to bed by 11 p.m. or earlier each night so that I get a decent amount of sleep.
As I’ve adjusted to this program and its schedule, I’ve definitely had to hone in my time management skills in order to balance my school work with things like exercise, sleep, and eating well. While my schedule can be busy, I have still found time to go on occasional weekend trips to visit loved ones, to hang out with my classmates, to explore the Philly area, and to pursue my other interests!
