New School of Optometry taking students for this Fall

The University of Detroit Mercy School of Optometry (UDMSO) is welcoming its inaugural incoming class this Fall. The School is located at UDM’s Novi Campus, which it shares with the Detroit Mercy Eye Institute and the Master’s Entry Advanced Generalist Nursing (MEAGN) program.  

According to the UDMSO website, the School of Optometry is the 25th graduate optometry education program in the U.S. It is only the second such program in Michigan. For prospective optometry students, the School’s opening comes at a fortuitous time. 

“Optometrists have been identified by the Michigan Health Council as one of the most in-demand professionals over the next 10 years and as the ‘healthiest’ healthcare profession over the next 10 years in the state of Michigan,” said Dr. Sulman Hans, executive associate dean at the School of Optometry. 

UDMSO’s four-year curriculum includes both didactic and clinical education, Hans said. Students who successfully complete the program will earn a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. 

In their first year, students will take several Integrated Biomedical Sciences courses and will begin their study of the eye with courses like Ocular Anatomy and Visual & Applied Optics. 

According to Hans, second-year students will continue their studies of the eye and body, addressing subjects such as ocular disease and specialty contact lenses. Second-year courses include Ocular Pharmacology and Ethics & Healthcare Dynamics. 

According to Hans, third-year students will begin “directly providing care to patients under the supervision of our faculty” at the Eye Institute in addition to their optometry studies. Fourth-year students will participate in a clinical internship at the Eye Institute and two externships at other clinics in the U.S. and Canada, Hans said. 

Hans believes that the optometry program is a valuable addition to UDM’s graduate education offerings. 

“UD Mercy has a strong history in the health professions,” he said. “Optometry… brings something unique to the University, but like the other health professions, we have a very similar goal, which is to serve the Metro Detroit community and to impart the Jesuit and Mercy values on our graduates.” 

Locally, there is a need for optometric services that the School can help provide.  

According to Hans, “A lot of the patients that come into the Detroit Mercy Dental Clinic in Detroit don’t have eye care, so we’re hoping to address that need in that underserved population as well.” 

This focus on compassion and service aligns with Detroit Mercy’s foundational commitment to Jesuit and Mercy values, including cura personalis — care for the whole person. 

“We’re treating patients and not just their problems,” said Dr. Robert Onofre, assistant dean of clinical administration at the School of Optometry. “It’s a holistic view of producing competent, caring optometrists.” 

To that end, UDMSO strives to cultivate a synthesis of skill and empathy. 

“We are hyper focused towards creating professionals whose goal is excellence — excellence in patient care, excellence in lifelong learning, excellence in service to the community,” Hans said. 

While incoming UDMSO students must meet certain coursework and credit hour requirements, a bachelor’s degree is not necessary for admission. People seeking a career change are also welcome to apply. 

“I’ve seen people that work in a completely unrelated field decide they want to come back to school,” Hans said. “Computer scientists or engineers … sometimes people from a non-science-related field.” 

UDMSO is currently accepting applications for its first incoming class, which will begin this Fall. Admission requirements can be found on the School’s website, optometry.udmercy.edu. Accepted students will study in modern classrooms and gain hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art optometry clinic. 

“Everything’s in place,” Onofre said. “We’re really, really excited to have students in the building.”