It appears that the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is planning to open a new optometry school. The dean of the new school, Dr. Lesley Walls, has been named, and the location of the future program has been announced. The new school will be located at the college’s Lincoln Square Living and Learning Center. The program is set to welcome 64 students who will begin in August 2012.
Dr. Walls served most recently as president of the Southern California College of Optometry. He is the former dean of optometry at Pacific University in Oregon and at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.
“As we continue to expand into more health sciences, we are thrilled to have a world-renowned optometry expert leading this effort,” said MCPHS President Charles F. Monahan in a prepared statement. “The United States is a rapidly aging country with only 21 accredited optometry schools, and there is a real opportunity here to help fill the increased demand for eye care.” — TeleGram.com
How will the opening of new schools affect the profession? Is the demand for Optometrists growing, or is the supply insufficient? How will more students entering the profession impact the competition for jobs upon graduation? In the grand scheme of things, is the opening of more schools a good or bad thing?
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