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SUNY College of Optometry offers several Microcredential Programs designed for students to receive advanced academic, clinical and professional opportunities beyond what is provided in the core professional Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree curriculum. Microcredential students explore an area of optometric practice in greater depth, while gaining complementary skill sets and experience.
Microcredential Programs have limited enrollment and are highly competitive. Acceptance to a program is based on didactic and clinic performance, and subject to availability. Students enrolled in a Microcredential Program are given priority registration for relevant electives and relevant externship placement. The Microcredential Programs are offered at no cost to students.
Successful completion of a Microcredential Program will be recorded on the student’s permanent transcript indicating the specialty area. Additionally, students are presented with a certificate of completion at graduation. A Microcredential is not equivalent to residency training and will not be considered evidence of achieving specialist certification.
Cornea & Contact Lens Microcredential
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Irene Frantzis
The Cornea and Contact Lenses Microcredential allows students to gain professional, clinical, and research experience in the theory and application of contact lenses on both healthy and diseased corneas. Students will be provided with rigorous patient-care opportunities to manage anterior segment disease, contact lens care, and corneal disease.
Glaucoma Microcredential
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Anpam Laul
The Glaucoma Microcredential is designed to enhance students’ knowledge and skills in all aspects of caring for a patient with glaucoma, from diagnostic and therapeutic management. Students will gain advanced expertise in exam procedures relevant to glaucoma (i.e., Gonioscopy, HVF, various tonometry methods, optic nerve visualization and drawing, various imaging methods) and explore and interpret in-depth imaging (i.e., OCT, VF, photos).
Pediatric Microcredential
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shelby Leach
The Pediatric Microcredential is meant to develop students’ expertise in the areas of general pediatrics, children with disabilities, infant vision care, and myopia management. Students will learn how to efficiently and effectively examine the pediatric population while building a solid foundation in a variety of pediatric ocular conditions and diseases.
Low Vision/Ocular Disease Microcredential
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Marinoff
The Low Vision/Ocular Disease Microcredential is aimed at increasing students’ expertise in all aspects of caring for a patient with ocular pathology, from medical management of disease to rehabilitation of vision impairment. Students will not only develop the necessary technical skills to be competent providers, but they will study the art of doctoring to truly care for these patients with humanity and compassion.
Vision Rehabilitation Microcredential
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Ritter
Vision Rehabilitation is an umbrella term encompassing, binocular and oculomotor visual skills, strabismus/amblyopia, traumatic brain injury, biofeedback, and visual perceptual difficulties as well as low vision field loss. The mission of the Vision Rehabilitation Microcredential is to guide highly motivated students in becoming more capable and confident in the independent diagnosing and managing of these patients.
Current, second year Doctor of Optometry students may apply, including those enrolled in a combined degree program (MS in Vision Science, Advanced Graduate Certificate in Optometry Business Management, or the MBA in Healthcare Leadership).
Microcredential Elective Programs have limited enrollment and are highly competitive. Acceptance to a program is based on didactic and clinic performance, and subject to availability.
The Microcredential Elective Programs are offered at no cost to currently enrolled students
Each Microcredential Elective Program stacks together with the Doctor of Optometry Program. Students enrolled in a microcredential are exempt from the Doctor of Optometry elective requirements.
Successful completion of a Microcredential Elective Program will be recorded on the student’s permanent transcript indicating the concentration area. Additionally, students are presented with a certificate of completion at graduation.
A microcredential is not equivalent to residency training and will not be considered evidence of achieving specialist certification.
