TY - JOUR
T1 - Survey of the Faculty Status of Optometrists at Academic Medical Centers in the United States
AU - Quan, Steven C.
AU - Song, Sunah
AU - Koepf, Beverly
AU - Saroufim, Paola
AU - Kaufman, Evan
AU - Day, Sherry
AU - Louie, Derek
AU - St. Clair, Bryce
AU - Stokkermans, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study of the prevalence and faculty status of optometrists practicing at academic medical centers in the United States. PURPOSE This study aimed to quantify the number of optometrists at academic medical centers, along with faculty rank and post-doctoral training programs. METHODS The official Web sites of academic medical centers and schools of medicine in the United States were examined during the 2021 to 2022 academic year to identify departments of ophthalmology and collect faculty profiles of employed optometrists. Institutional data were cross-referenced and analyzed by geographic distribution. Data were gathered from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and Accreditation Council on Optometry Education to identify post-graduate training programs in optometry. RESULTS A total of 192 academic medical centers were identified, of which 121 (63.02%) had a residency or fellowship program in ophthalmology and/or optometry. One hundred twenty-five (65.10%) of these institutions had at least one staff optometrist. Seven hundred eighteen optometrists were found at these institutions, representing 1.83% of the 39,205 practicing optometrists estimated in the United States. Of the 718 optometrists, 369 (51.39%) held an academic appointment at a medical school. The most common academic rank was assistant professor (184 [25.63%]), followed by instructor (138 [19.22%]), associate professor (34 [4.74%]), and full professor (13 [1.81%]). The distribution of academic rank was similar across all regions but varied between institutions as to whether all, some, or none of the optometric faculty were appointed by a medical school. Of 296 optometry residency programs in the United States, 21 (7.09%) were at an academic medical center. Of 15 optometric fellowship programs in the United States, 3 (20%) were at an academic medical center. Of the 192 institutions in this study, 22 (11.46%) had a post-doctoral optometric training program. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the distribution of academic rank and post-doctoral training programs for optometrists at academic medical centers.
AB - SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study of the prevalence and faculty status of optometrists practicing at academic medical centers in the United States. PURPOSE This study aimed to quantify the number of optometrists at academic medical centers, along with faculty rank and post-doctoral training programs. METHODS The official Web sites of academic medical centers and schools of medicine in the United States were examined during the 2021 to 2022 academic year to identify departments of ophthalmology and collect faculty profiles of employed optometrists. Institutional data were cross-referenced and analyzed by geographic distribution. Data were gathered from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and Accreditation Council on Optometry Education to identify post-graduate training programs in optometry. RESULTS A total of 192 academic medical centers were identified, of which 121 (63.02%) had a residency or fellowship program in ophthalmology and/or optometry. One hundred twenty-five (65.10%) of these institutions had at least one staff optometrist. Seven hundred eighteen optometrists were found at these institutions, representing 1.83% of the 39,205 practicing optometrists estimated in the United States. Of the 718 optometrists, 369 (51.39%) held an academic appointment at a medical school. The most common academic rank was assistant professor (184 [25.63%]), followed by instructor (138 [19.22%]), associate professor (34 [4.74%]), and full professor (13 [1.81%]). The distribution of academic rank was similar across all regions but varied between institutions as to whether all, some, or none of the optometric faculty were appointed by a medical school. Of 296 optometry residency programs in the United States, 21 (7.09%) were at an academic medical center. Of 15 optometric fellowship programs in the United States, 3 (20%) were at an academic medical center. Of the 192 institutions in this study, 22 (11.46%) had a post-doctoral optometric training program. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the distribution of academic rank and post-doctoral training programs for optometrists at academic medical centers.
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U2 - 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002008
DO - 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002008
M3 - Article
C2 - 36880990
AN - SCOPUS:85153897965
SN - 1040-5488
VL - 100
SP - 261
EP - 270
JO - Optometry and Vision Science
JF - Optometry and Vision Science
IS - 4
ER -