Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s
Case Studies in Cultural Competency Available Online
ROCKVILLE, MD, December 1, 2016 – The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s (ASCO) Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee (DCCC) is pleased to announce their Case Studies in Cultural Competency is availableonline.
For those wanting to incorporate cultural competency into their teaching or clinical efforts, this must-have tool is a downloadable compendium and contains the seven winning and best case studies from two years of entries to the ASCO Cultural Case Study Competition for Students and Residents.
“As a collection, these are nothing less than amazing. When we asked for case studies, I imagine none of us anticipated what we would get,” according to Dr. Janet Leasher Professor/Director of Community Outreach at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. “[I] am very grateful to our young colleagues for contributing such powerful case studies. They are [also] written in such an intimate way, as if I am sitting in the exam room with the doctor and patient feeling and seeing everything they are experiencing.”
Each case study describes patient-based encounters in detail and how cultural competency played a role. The studies offer details regarding patient-centered attitude, knowledge and skills as well as the dilemma or circumstance pertaining to cultural awareness/competency and how the situation was handled, and what was learned from it. A “case discussion questions” section is also included in the document.
“The case studies will no doubt generate important conversations among faculty and students,” says Dr. Larry J. Davis, Dean of the University of Missouri at St. Louis College of Optometry and Chair of the DCCC. “Ultimately, the committee looks forward to learning how the studies are incorporated into the teaching and learning experiences at the schools and colleges of optometry.”
This valuable resource was made possible by Walmart’s generous funding.
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The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) is a non-profit association representing the interests of optometric education. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Rockville, MD, ASCO is committed to achieving excellence in optometric education and to helping its member institutions prepare well-qualified graduates for entrance into the profession of optometry. Its membership encompasses the schools and colleges of optometry in the 50 states and Puerto Rico. A number of optometry schools outside the United States are affiliate members.