SCO CLINICAL PROGRAM
The clinical program here at Southern College of Optometry is certainly one of the best. We believe it is one of the college’s greatest strengths. Our staff of attending optometric and medical physicians are dedicated and experienced; our patient base is diverse, and our commitment to quality care is absolute. Should you be accepted to SCO, you will begin your clinical education in one of the largest, and best, primary eye health and vision care center in the nation, The Eye Center, on our campus is in the Memphis Medical District.
Each year the optometric physicians and interns here at SCO care for some 50,000 individuals in The Eye Center, FocalPoint at Crosstown Concourse, Baptist Rehabilitation Hospital, Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital, The Nursing Home/ Assisted Living Program and the School Screening Program. Each encounter is designed to provide you with unparalleled clinical training. Our challenge is to provide the greatest number and variety of experiences to ensure exceptional training as a doctor of optometry.
Take a few minutes to browse this e-brochure and maybe even visit our clinical website at EyeCenterMemphis.com. I am confident you will become convinced that the optometric education you receive at SCO cannot be matched in any other institution.
THE EYE CENTER
at SCO is believed to be the largest single-specialty health care facility of its kind in North America. Approximately 45 students, 112 interns and three residents achieve unparalleled clinical patient exposure daily while assisting optometric and medical physicians. A 4:1 intern to doctor ratio allows for effective clinical education in a unique setting designed to facilitate patient flow and efficient delivery of care.
The Eye Center houses 88 exam lanes, including two state-of-the-art digital teaching rooms, with a Technology Center containing the latest in diagnostic testing/treatment capabilities and two modern optical styling and fitting areas.
The clinical care suites (i.e. Service Areas) were created to assure the most efficient delivery of the clinical curriculum in an active health care facility. They include:
The Adult Primary Care Service
The Pediatric Primary Care Service, including The Teen Clinic
The Cornea and Contact Lens Service
The Advanced Care Ocular Disease Service
The Athletic and Vision Therapy Service
The Rosemore Low Vision Rehabilitation Service
The Optometic Surgical Service.
Our clinic also houses the Advanced Procedures Theater and Digital Observatory. These suites provide a means of teaching in-office anterior segment ophthalmic laser and minor surgical procedures. Each intern is tasked with performing an average of 12 ASOL procedures utilizing state-of-the-art human models during their 3rd and 4th Professional Year Internships. Minor optometric surgical procedures are performed by interns with direct physician supervision.
ADULT PRIMARY CARE SERVICE
generally provides care to patients 20 years of age and older. Full-scope family practice or primary care includes vision care for refractive conditions (i.e. “nearsightedness,” “farsightedness,” astigmatism and presbyopia) as well as treatment of eye injuries and infection, glaucoma, and ocular emergencies. Throughout the U.S., optometry is recognized as THE primary eye health and vision care
profession, and services may include eye glass prescriptions, contact lens prescriptions, topical and/or oral medications.
Tennessee has one of the broadest scopes of practice and allows our doctors to provide comprehensive care to our patients while our interns participate in, and provide, comprehensive primary care..
PEDIATRIC PRIMARY CARE SERVICE
provides care to patients 12 years of age and younger. Doctors in this service are particularly trained in the special needs of babies, preschool and school-aged children. Interns are trained in the skills necessary to evaluate the health and function of the young visual system. Pediatric primary care incorporates
techniques particular to this patient population, skills that are necessary for every optometrist. A division of this service, the TEEN CLINIC, specifically concentrates on visual function in school-aged individuals from 13 to 19 years of age who have specific athletic, computer and other visual needs.
CORNEA AND CONTACT LENS SERVICE
provides care to patients of all ages who desire contact lenses as an alternative to glasses. The particular needs of patients with corneal health and anterior segment disorders are also provided here. Special emphasis is placed on the diagnostic and treatment methods for patients with unique conditions such as keratoconus, astigmatism and presbyopia. Also available is leading edge technology such as CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy) where contact lenses are used to eliminate the need for glasses and contacts for most daily activities. Refractive surgical needs are also met through doctors in this service.
ADVANCED CARE OCULAR DISEASE SERVICE
provides specialized attention and care to patients with acute and chronic eye health disorders. Our doctors concentrate on advanced diagnostic testing and management of conditions such as glaucoma, and the
ocular effects of systemic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and many genetic disorders. Ongoing care for retinal disorders and unique neurological conditions is also provided. Advanced diagnostic testing such as fluorescein angiography is performed in addition to visual field testing, ultrasonography and many more procedures. A significant portion of the care provided in this service includes urgent/emergent walk-in services, and we have doctors on call seven days a week, 365 days each year.
THE TECHNOLOGY CENTER
enables our optometric physicians to provide the highest level of care to our patients while exposing our students, interns and residents to the latest in state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities. Electro-diagnostic testing for ocular and brain function, measurement of retinal sensitivity, external and internal ocular photography and computer-based analysis of optic nerve and retinal health and function are available here at The Eye Center. Many Memphis-area optometrists and ophthalmologists alike utilize SCO’s vast array of diagnostic equipment for their patents.
ATHLETIC | VISION THERAPY AND LOW VISION REHABILITATION SERVICES
provide care to patients of all ages. Patients are referred to these services both from within and from doctors throughout the Mid-South. These services encompass two distinct, yet similar, disciplines within optometric care. Our doctors provide extended diagnosis and treatment of disorders such as strabismus (eye turn), amblyopia (“lazy eye”) and a number of basic visual skills dysfunctions which may affect how an individual learns, performs in school/at work or enjoys activities of daily living. Treatment consists of multisensory and neuro-behavioral therapy for disorders not managed by glasses or contact lenses. State-of-the-art instrumentation and computerized technology allow our patients to remediate and enhance their vision for optimum performance. Our
doctors are specifically trained to provide the highest level of diagnosis/treatment for these conditions. In conjunction with the doctors specializing in low vision, patients suffering from stroke and other neurological conditions, are helped to recover more quickly and function “normally.” Our faculty work with a number of local rehabilitation facilities to provide a continuum of care to individuals and enhance the clinical exposure of our students.
Patients suffering from disease and accidental injury are provided with specialty lenses, devices and instruction to maximize their level of vision. No other facility in the Mid-South offers the array of assistive devices and training space for individuals suffering from limitations in the quality of their sight and visual system.
THE OPHTHALMOLOGY SURGICAL SERVICE
provides traning to Interns and residents in the latest refractive planning and surgical counseling for patients undergoing cataract surgery while enhancing continuity of care in the provision of post-operative care. Also, 4th Professional Year Interns will have the opportunity to perform state-of-the-art anterior segment ophthalmic laser procedures under the direct supervision of medical physicians. More extensive surgical care is provided to our patients via our Advanced Procedures Theater and Digital Observatory as well as at offsite ambulatory surgical facilities.
