Curriculum Committee
School of Optometry
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Introduction
The fundamental goal of the School of Optometry of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is to educate men and women as optometrists to serve the primary vision and eye care needs of the public. This document represents the consensus of the curriculum committee of the basic attributes and learning objectives necessary in achieving this goal. An appropriate curriculum is derived from these attributes via these learning objectives.
These individuals must be capable of independent optometric practice and demonstrate the following:
- knowledge of basic biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences, especially as it relates to vision and the eye;
- cognitive and motor skills; and,
- professional and ethical values.
The goals and learning objectives listed below will be modified to meet the evolving needs of the profession. The curriculum must reflect the frequency and criticality of the conditions that the optometrist will encounter.
Knowledge & Skill
Knowledge is understanding a given area. The entry-level optometrist must be knowledgeable of basic biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences, especially as it relates to vision. Skill is ability, proficiency or expertise in using knowledge to perform within a certain context. The entry-level optometrist must have appropriate cognitive and motor skills in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of clinical conditions within the scope of optometric practice.
The entry-level Optometrist must understand and have skill in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of:
- systemic conditions and processes which relate to vision
- ocular conditions and processes
- optics and lens systems and their application to vision
- anomalies of vision using contact lenses
- sensory and motor processes of vision
- public health, ethical, legal and administrative issues as applied to optometry
- issues concerning clinical care of patients.
Professional and Ethical Values
Professional and ethical values describe qualities necessary for the full and appropriate application of knowledge and skills to the scope of optometric practice.
The entry-level optometrist must demonstrate appropriate:
- personal professional and ethical values
- values towards people
- community-related values
Conclusion
Defining the goals and objectives of optometric education is extraordinarily important. This curriculum will provide the entry-level optometrist with appropriate knowledge and skill in every core area. This document will be successful when it achieves a clear definition of attributes to define Basic Competency for Entry-level Optometrists
A detailed version of this document is available upon request.