External Rotations

The fourth year of the professional program at the SUNY College of Optometry is devoted entirely to the clinical education track and consists of a 4 quarter clinical rotation system that requires student optometrists to participate in external clinical site training as well as a series of clinical rotations within the University Eye Center (UEC).

Clinical affiliations include Veterans Administration Medical Centers; Diagnostic and Treatment Centers; multidisciplinary practices, as well as secondary and tertiary care rotations in a variety of clinics within and outside of the UEC.  This experience provides participants with a wide range of patient care opportunities. 

Each student is required to complete 2 externship quarters; a primary site in an interdisciplinary healthcare facility outside of the UEC and a secondary site in a specialty or additional interdisciplinary setting within or external to the UEC. Each rotation lasts for a quarter of the academic year (approximately 12 weeks).  In addition to externship sites, each student will be assigned to 2 internships within the UEC. One of these internships will emphasize Ocular Disease while the second emphasizes Rehabilitation.  Each of the internships will include a Primary Care component. 

The coordination and educational experience of the external clinical education program is managed by the Director of Externships, the Department Administrative Assistant and the Fourth Year Clinical Instructor of Record.  In addition to the external site supervisors at each location. 

View Externship Programs in a larger map

Programs