Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Access information and resources designed to help students on their path to optometry.

Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Access information and resources designed to help students on their path to optometry.

Supporting the Next Generation of Optometrists

Partnering with schools and colleges of optometry across the United States, VSP Vision™ offers a variety of programs and resources designed to help optometry students reach their career goals. VSP® has proudly supported optometry for more than 65 years and is committed to assisting students and new graduates coming into the profession.

Explore below to see the variety of options available to students and new ODs.

 

Get Help with Your Career Journey through VSP Premier Edge™ Career Support

Your Clear Path Forward. VSP Premier Edge™ Career Support partners with schools of optometry to support students and graduates with choices in where and how they practice. Designed to support an optometrist’s career growth from the start, Premier Edge Career Support offers valuable resources such as: 

  • The Premier Edge Student Business Challenge Scholarship 

  • Networking events 

  • Travel grants for various events such as VEE, VEW, and SECO 

  • Premier Edge Training and Education Business Track 

  • Monthly Career Support newsletter featuring hiring tips, updates on career resources, and available Optometrist job listings 

Learn more below or connect using the Premier Edge Career Support contact form at the bottom of this page. 

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VSP Vision Careers in Eye Care 

Looking for a job right now? Choose from a variety of settings, with dedicated recruiters to help find the practice setting that is just right for you:  

  • Private practice
  • Retail 
  • Corporate 
  • Medical 
  • Onsite clinics 
careers in eye care
  • Private Practice Clubs

    VSP supports the Private Practice Clubs at all schools of optometry in the U.S. to help prepare students for the next steps in their optometric career. VSP works with these organizations to provide resources and deliver presentations on a wide range of optometric business principles.

     

    Students can connect with their school’s club to learn more.

     

    Check out how much these students enjoyed their experience at the annual SOLN Leadership Conference at the VSP Vision Headquarters in June 2023!

  • Scholarship Program
    pH student winners
    Students have access to a variety of scholarships offered in partnership with the schools of optometry, state associations, and more. Check out some of the scholarships and awards available:
  • NOSA Chapters
    NOAA chapters
    As part of VSP’s partnership with the National Optometric Association (NOA), VSP supports the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) Chapters at all participating schools of optometry in the U.S. to inspire students to promote diversity within the field of optometry and to use optometry as a platform for community service. VSP works with each Chapter to provide resources, experiences and opportunities for their members.

    Students can connect with their school’s NOSA Chapter to learn more.
  • Travel Grants
    travel go grants
    VSP offers Travel “Go” Grants throughout the year to send students to various events and tradeshows, such as American Academy of Optometry, National Optometric Association Convention, and others. Plus, these grants are available to all students!
  • Student Immersion Program
    In collaboration with partnering doctors and schools of optometry, VSP facilitates an optometry student immersion program that takes a small group of students and immerses them in a private practice for about two days. Developed based on feedback from student outreach with the schools of optometry, this program allows students to see the daily life of private practice first-hand.


    Check out how much these UHCO students enjoyed their experience with Dr. Cuong Tran and his amazing office staff in December 2019!

  • Visioning the Future Mentorship Program 
    The Mentorship Program is sponsored by the Dr. Marvin R. Poston OD Education and Development Donor Advised Foundation, VSP Vision™, and the National Optometric Association (NOA). There is a significant imbalance in the racial and ethnic diversity represented within Optometry as compared to the U.S. population. The number of African American/Black optometry students is drastically lower than the number of other minorities in the U.S. population. The objective of the program is to identify interested African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and facilitate their professional development and career advancement in the field of Optometry. The program is primarily facilitated by NOA doctors as the mentors.
    visioning the future
  • Pre-Optometry Camps
    Sponsor of University of California, Berkeley’s Opto-Camp (diversity recruitment camp) 
    The program has grown from 40 undergrad students (2016) to 100 undergrad students (2023). UCB awards one undergrad student with a $5,000 scholarship for applying and being accepted to UCB School of Optometry. 

    Sponsor of University of Missouri-Saint Louis’s Eyes of Diversity Program (summer enrichment program for under-represented minority high school students)  
    The inaugural 2021 program gave 20 high school students the opportunity to learn about Optometry as a career. 

    Sole sponsor of State University of New York’s Eye-CARE Camp  
    Eye-CARE (Cultivating Applicants for the Rising need of Eye-care) Camp is an innovative recruitment program, sponsored by VSP Vision, that has served nearly 450 prospective students, including many from under-represented and economically disadvantaged communities, since it was launched in 2021. With its hybrid delivery model, the three-day EyeCARE Camp program exposes undergraduate student participants, both in-person at the college and online across the country, to the work that optometrists do as well as the role that they play in the broader health care system. 

    Sole sponsor for The Ohio State University’s 45th I-DOC, Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers  
    Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers (I-DOC) is an award-winning summer program to help underrepresented students explore optometry as a career. It’s an intensive four-day program intended to improve and promote diversity in Optometry by cultivating a diverse student body. The I-DOC program always holds two seats for students from Hampton University (a HBCU). Over the last decade, 95 I-DOC alumni have matriculated to 16 colleges or schools of optometry. 
    optometry camps

Meet the Team

ron kemper

Ron Kemper
Western Region

University & Student Relations Manager
ron.kemper@vsp.com

stephanie ganiban

Stephanie Ganiban
Eastern Region

University & Student Relations Manager
stephanie.ganiban@vsp.com

Vernon dela

Vernon Dela Cruz
 

University & Student Relations  
Program Manager
 vernde@vsp.com

Schools of Optometry Advisory Panel

The VSP Vision Schools of Optometry Advisory Panel is comprised of practicing Doctors of Optometry and industry leaders with deep knowledge of and special interest in student and academic enrichment. This panel provides input, information, and guidance to help maximize efforts with optometric students.

timothy fries

Timothy D. Fries, OD, MBA, MPH, FAAO

jcr

Thuy-Lan Nguyen OD, FAAO, FSLS

g reynolds

Geoffrey E. Reynolds, OD, FAAO

In the News

prude

Blog: Isa Prude

Embodying Dr. Poston's Values to Care for Underserved Communities

azalia

Blog: Azalia Roach

Representation Matters: Bridging the Gap in Eye Care for Diverse Communities 

aubrey tackett

Blog: Aubrey Tackett

Representing the Next Generation of Pioneers
 

evan sveinson

Blog: Evan Sveinson

"I Can Really Do This!"

 

excellence scholarship

Press Release

VSP Vision and the American Academy of Optometry Foundation Announce 2023 Practice Excellence Scholarship Winners

Interested in learning more about how to advance your professional journey with Premier Edge Career Support?

Please fill in the form below and our team will contact you.

Are you a current OD or Student?
Experience
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Connect with us: schoolsofoptometry@vsp.com

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