ASCO News
Jennifer Smythe. Dean of the College of Optometry. Pacific University.
Recently ASCO’s Director of Communications sat down with Dr. Jennifer Smythe to discuss her role as ASCO President.
ASCO: What will be your main priorities this coming year?
Dr. Jennifer Smythe: We have great momentum with the marketing campaign we have been working on and we will continue to promote the optometric profession and to achieve our goal of increasing the applicant pool to our 21 schools and colleges of optometry. We want the world to know we’re optometry and this is what we do.
Interprofessional education is also important to me because collaborative care is the future. We need to be thinking about what health care will look like and how it will evolve while continuing to enhance the overall wellbeing of the patient.
I also hope to learn what all of our schools and colleges are doing and what unique experiences we can share with our faculty and students of optometry. We need to keep on top of the changing technology and tools in the field of optometric education as well as ways to best communicate with our students. I will support all of our member institutions in any way I can and offer resources including my time and the talents of our faculty, committees and board of directors. Allocating resources for a grant program and other important initiatives are in ASCO’s future.
ASCO: How will ASCO help in implementing your priorities?
JS: We have so much expertise! We don’t have to necessarily look outside ourselves for resources. We will continue tapping into member institutions as well as ASCO staff. Establishing an IPE task force is on the forefront and staff at ASCO headquarters will be vital in making this group cohesive and functional.
ASCO: What are you looking forward to the most during this coming year?
JS: Hearing from all the institutions about their programs and ideas and what is working for them and what is not. I’m a lifelong learner and I am looking forward to learning from my colleagues. Such as: learning what barriers our schools and colleges have overcome; what opportunities are offered to our schools and colleges; what issues other health professions are facing; what can I learn that will benefit my institution, and so on.
I’m also looking forward to connecting with students and keeping communication fresh and current.
ASCO: Will your duties as Dean of Pacific University, College of Optometry change during your presidency?
JS: My role will not change. The time to be ASCO President came at a great time. Timing is everything. This is my sixth year as Dean of Pacific University, College of Optometry. I know my role and the needs of the position and it allows me to carve out time for ASCO while still being involved with optometric education. I have an extremely supportive team and am supported by our Provost and President.
ASCO: Where did your passion for optometric education come from?
JS: My story is probably similar to many. I grew up in a small town in Alaska — Kodiak, Alaska. I worked for a Pacific alumnus because my original aspiration was to join his practice in pediatrics. However, during my second year in optometry school, my contact lens professor, Cristina Schnider, influenced me and I wanted to learn more from her. She got me involved in research. I was her teaching assistant and her second contact lens resident.
I love academia because every day is different. I am constantly challenged. It is one thing to know it. It’s another thing to convey the information to students. Being able to use research to validate clinical anecdotes was fun for me. Research is fascinating because you may have a theory in your mind but you need to go out and find if that theory is true or not.
ASCO: What piece of advice would you give to a student who is interested in becoming an optometrist? Or a student who has the aptitude but may not know about optometry? A parent? A current optometrist or mentor?
JS: This is very apropos. My son is a junior at Pacific and is pre-optometry. To a student or potential student I’d say to shadow as many optometrists as you can and learn about the specialty areas in optometry so you have a broad understanding of what optometrists do, and what opportunities are available. I’d also tell the student the curriculum is very challenging. Success starts with not only identifying what you want to do but also WHY you want to do it. That is why shadowing an optometrist is so important. I would encourage a potential student of optometry to seek out alumni from various schools and colleges to learn about which institution is best for them.
We need to do a much better job at sharing information about our profession to high school and college students, not just with pre optometry and health advisors. Being a doctor of optometry positively impacts someone’s life almost instantly. Applying a contact lens to someone is amazing. It’s like painting leaves on the trees. The profession is rewarding, you help people and you’re constantly learning. We also play important roles in managing the overall health of our patients.
As a parent I’m absolutely thrilled my son has decided to enter a profession where he’ll thrive. There are so many opportunities for him. I have great pride when I think of his future. It requires a significant investment but there’s a significant demand for optometrists. I’d encourage parents to educate their children about the field.
To current optometrists I say, “We need you!” We need optometrists to send us students. Roll up your shirt sleeves and open your doors to students and have honest conversations about the profession. Talk to them about what they do on a daily basis. What rewards they gain by being an optometrist. Doctors of optometry are the most influential group to the entering class of optometry students. Not their health advisors or college professors, but current doctors of optometry.
ASCO: Congratulations on being the first female president of ASCO. Would you care to comment?
JS: I’m happy and proud to be the president of ASCO and proud to be the first female president. I feel this is an organic natural reflection of the changing demographics of the student population.
Can I brag for a moment? The first female president of the American Academy of Optometry, Joan Exford, Dori Carlson the first female president of the American Optometric Association, and I all received degrees from the Pacific University, College of Optometry!
ASCO: Speaking of Pacific University, College of Optometry, this is your opportunity to “plug” your institution. Tell us something about Pacific that we may not know.
JS: We are a really vibrant and unique community. Our university is very diversified. There are ten other health profession programs at our institution. As a college of optometry we have done a wonderful job expanding the scope of practice in Oregon and using that in our curriculum.
We focus on behavioral optometry and are very loyal to our roots. When we see a patient, we learn how we can enhance that patient’s life by improving their vision and health. That is behavioral optometry. It’s a privilege to work with an individual and help him or her become more functional and successful through their eyes and vision. That is Pacific’s fundamental core.
ASCO: On a more personal note, tell us about you a little. What was the last vacation you took? Last good book you read; any hobbies, etc.
JS: I took a vacation to France his summer. It fed my interest in history. Paris is the most amazing city on the planet. That was my last true vacation. I like to read a lot. I enjoy historical fiction and I’m in the middle of Maeve Binchy’s latest book. She writes about people in interesting ways and develops characters you want to get to know better.
I also enjoy cooking. I would consider myself a foodie and love trying new restaurants. My family and I enjoy playing games, especially my 16 year old daughter, and when I can I also garden.
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ASCO awarded six schools and colleges of optometry with Practice Management Education (PME) Awards in 2013 in its inaugural year. A PME Award provides seed funding of up to $2,000 for developing and implementing activities or programs that are designed to supplement the practice management educational experience for optometry students. The activity/program’s framework should strengthen the institution’s commitment to practice management, enhance student education and promote the success of the student as a future practitioner, and be transferable/of benefit to other institutions. Awards can be used to fund seminars, outside speakers, and mentoring/guidance programs for graduating optometry students. The grant program is funded directly by ASCO, and members of the ASCO Academic Affairs Committee serve as application evaluators.
This year’s recipients of PME Awards are:
*Illinois College of Optometry (for outside speakers to teach billing/coding and legal aspects of optometry)
*MCPHS University School of Optometry (to cover honoraria for outside speakers for two courses in practice and business management)
*Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University (for a program designed to give future doctors of optometry an opportunity to experience the loan process, the purchase of a business, and contract negotiations, and to be on both sides of the interview process)
*Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University (for honoraria and travel expenses for experts who will participate in a course presenting policies and procedures involving billing and coding, and implementation of The Affordable Care Act)
*Southern College of Optometry (for the Focus on the Future program at the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence featuring a panel presentation to raise awareness about the variety of career options in optometry — such as solo or group practice owner, retail model, institutional or military practice, etc.)
*University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry (for a day-long lecture designed to increase the number of graduates who start a private practice, including segments on retiring student debt and advanced billing and coding)
PME Award application requirements can be found at https://optometriceducation.org/for-member-institutions-faculty/faculty-development-and-data/practice-management-education-award/; questions can be directed to Carol Brubaker, ASCO’s Manager of Professional Affairs, at cbrubaker@opted.org.
Contact:
Kimberly O’Sullivan
Director of Communications
301.231.5944 ext.3019
kosullivan@opted.org
www.opted.org
New Partnership Endowment Results from Dissolution of the Partnership Foundation for Optometric Education
Endowment Will Fund Grants to Schools and Colleges of Optometry
ROCKVILLE, MD, August 2, 2013 – An agreement was signed establishing a new Partnership Endowment at the June Board of Directors’ Meeting of the Partnership Foundation for Optometric Education, and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).
The Partnership Foundation’s fund balance has been transferred to the new Endowment to aid the schools and colleges of optometry through grants for programs and projects to advance optometric education. The Partnership Endowment will continue to grow, ensuring that funding is available for future generations. The new Partnership Endowment maintains the spirit of the original Foundation, except that ASCO will now both govern and manage the fund.
Since its establishment in 1996, the Partnership Foundation had become a true “partnership” for the optometric community to invest in the future of the profession. However, the Foundation deliberated about the direction of the organization given the combined challenges of the economic climate and the changing needs of the profession over the years. Additionally, the original goals of the Foundation, which focused on using funds for capital improvements and modernization, are no longer a priority for optometry’s educational institutions.
The Foundation’s President, Dr. Pete Kehoe, noted the positive impact of establishing the new Endowment, “The original creators of the Partnership can be proud that their vision to support optometric education will live on for generations to come. The collaboration and spirit of cooperation between ASCO, the American Academy of Optometry and the American Optometric Association to transition to the Endowment is a testament to the passion that the organizations have for the future of our profession.”
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About the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is a non-profit association representing the interests of optometric education. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Rockville, Md., ASCO is committed to achieving excellence in optometric education and to helping its member institutions prepare well-qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry. Its membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico. A number of optometry schools outside the United States and allied organizations are affiliate members.
John Nishimoto
Congratulations to John Nishimoto, O.D., M.B.A. on his recent appointment by ASCO’s Executive Committee to The Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative (IPC).
Dr. Nishimoto, vice president and dean of interprofessional health studies professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University, will serve as ASCO’s representative to the Collaborative. Dr. Nishimoto succeeds Dr. Shilpa Register, dean, MCPHS, School of Optometry, who stepped down after four years on the Collaborative.
The IPC strives to develop resources for a toolkit, including a valid and reliable assessment tool for interprofessional professionalism behaviors; and develop a list of references, and related educational resources for use by educators across all health professions.
Contact:
Kimberly O’Sullivan
Director of Communications
301.231.5944 ext.3019
kosullivan@opted.org
Jennifer Smythe, OD, MS, Elected President of Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Dr. Smythe is First Woman President of the Association
ROCKVILLE, MD, July 18, 2013 – Pacific University College of Optometry dean Jennifer Smythe, OD, MS, has been elected president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). She is the first woman elected to the office of the president.
Dr. Smythe will head the association comprising of 21 schools and colleges of optometry across the United States and Puerto Rico.
“A goal of mine this year is to increase awareness of the value of inter-professional education,” president Smythe says. “Optometry is a very diverse field and inter-professional education will only enhance the experience of our students but also the patients they serve.”
“Because of Dr. Smythe’s passion for our profession and concern for the future of optometric education, she will be an excellent leader for ASCO in the upcoming year,” says Dori Carlson, OD, president of the American Optometric Association.
Dr. Smythe’s term as president is from July1, 2013 – June 30, 2014.
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The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is a non-profit association representing the interests of optometric education. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Rockville, Md., ASCO is committed to achieving excellence in optometric education and to helping its member institutions prepare well-qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry. Its membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico. A number of optometry schools outside the United States are affiliate members.
Rockville, MD, July 18, 2013 – The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) www.opted.org, held its 5th Summer Institute for Faculty Development Program (SIFD) July 14-17, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri at the Eric P. Newman Education Center.
This year’s program comprised of 47 colleagues from 20 schools and colleges of optometry and two affiliate schools who have been full time faculty members for 16 years or less. The SIFD was kick started by Dr. Charles Haine, EMRlogic Systems, who gave an empowering keynote address entitled “How to Succeed in Academic Optometry Without Really Trying”. The following three days, attendees attended educational workshops in the areas teaching and learning, scholarship, and academic culture. Each attendee developed long-term career plans with specific goals, objectives and action strategies and was mentored in this process by the program faculty. Participants also networked with their peers, as well as with sponsors to learn of their latest products and services available to the industry.
The SIFD builds on ASCO’s major initiative, addressing its strategic priority of “Faculty Promotion and Development” and was formed for the purpose of “providing participants with an opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to enhance their success in an optometric academic environment as lifelong productive faculty, thus contributing to increased retention of faculty in the schools and colleges of optometry.” The program is held biennially (in odd years). The SIFD is valued by the deans and presidents from the schools and colleges of optometry because it helps attendees become a more valuable resource to their institutions. SIFD attendees return to their institutions excited and rejuvenated to implement real solutions and new ideas to use immediately.
ASCO wishes to thank Alcon, Essilor, Luxottica, Vistakon, the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, and Allergan for their contributions to the program. Without them, the SIFD would not be possible.
For more information regarding ASCO and its programs, please visit www.opted.org or contact ASCO, 301-231-5944.
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ABOUT ASCO
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is the academic leadership organization committed to promoting, advancing and achieving excellence in optometric education. Since 1941, ASCO has achieved this vision by representing the interests of institutions of optometric education, enhancing the efforts of these institutions as they prepare highly qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry and serving the public’s eye and vision needs.
ASCO proudly represents all accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the fifty states and Puerto Rico. Our organization’s affiliate members include the Canadian schools of optometry, other foreign schools, allied organizations, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
ASCO’s activities cover a wide range of programs including applicant development and diversity, faculty and executive development, advocacy, residency promotion, data development, and communications.
ASCO shows its support to optometrists worldwide by writing a letter to the President of the Republic of Brazil asking her to veto Medical Bill No. 268/2002 which, if passed, “will significantly reduce access to immediate and affordable eye healthcare in Brazil”.
ASCO, and its World Council of Optometry colleagues, persuaded the President to veto the item that affected optometry.
A victory for optometrists.
You can read the letter here.
From left to right: Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, Dean of the University of The Incarnate Word, Rosenberg School of Optometry; Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe, Founding Dean of the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Optometry; Dr. Donald Jarnagin, Dean, Midwestern University, Arizona College of Optometry.
Congratulations to the University of the Incarnate Word, Rosenberg School of Optometry; the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Optometry; and Midwestern University, Arizona College of Optometry.
