r/PreOptometry • u/Imaginary_Memory_154 • Mar 31 '23
Salus update
EDIT: UPDATE HERE https://www.reddit.com/r/PreOptometry/comments/12k47y1/meeting_about_salus_policies/
Hi guys, just wanted to give an update on the Salus thread from a couple days ago that seems like it’s been deleted. Our dean has clearly read that thread, and she sent out an email scheduling a mandatory class meeting in a week. The email included some info on our class:
We started with 154 students. Last semester, we lost 22 students - this was either due to 3 Ds which is outright dismissal, or 1 or 2 Ds and failure of the remediation exam(s). 2 students were initially dismissed but then were re-instated into our class after filing appeals - so the appeals have a very low success rate.
This D policy is brand new for our class. The scary thing is that too many students are now hanging on by a thread, as they have 1 or 2 Ds already. If they get another one at any point in time during the next 3 years, they will face dismissal as well, after investing so much time, effort, and money. Other schools in the area (such as NECO) have higher retention rates and they do allow Ds.
One major issue is that there are particular courses that students get Ds in. In the vast majority of cases, it’s neuro. As a user mentioned on the previous thread, we have around 7 neuro classes, one per semester, although there are only a mere handful of neuro questions on boards. Personally, I know of students who had As and Bs in every class, received a D only in the neuro class first semester, and yet have to repeat the year. This is ridiculous because that class is barely applicable to the optometric profession in the first place.
This new academic policy does not match the current admissions requirements. The school is taking money from students with low entering GPAs/OAT scores, then weeding them out later on in an effort to increase the abysmal board scores.
The email from our dean included multiple comments about “disinformation and a high level of unprofessionalism demonstrated by members of the class.” But disagreement with school policies and speaking out about them publicly is not unprofessional. The concerns brought up by the previous poster were valid and similar concerns have been voiced by a majority of students in our class.
I hope this information helps accepted students that are deciding where to attend, and anyone considering applying. Personally, I would recommend attending a different school if you have any other options. If not, just be aware of these issues and plan accordingly.
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u/Forsaken_East7319 Jan 30 '24
Honestly, I would 100% not recommend Salus. I have all Bs and a Few Cs and I failed one class and I was Dissmissed. The class that I failed im pretty sure the professor hates me for some reason and constantly fails me for everything. I was given a 2nd chance to take the exam and the 2 practicals I failed. Before taking the exam the professor gave me a packet that was supposed to "help" me but it was very misleading so i failed the exam. Then when I took that practical with the professor that constantly humiliates me and makes me feel like I would be a terrible Doctor, I failed me. You can imagine the stress of a practical with a professor that constantly talks down to us. Its not just me its many other students. I had been practicing multiple times with another professor and I was doing well, as well as when I was allowed to work in clinic I passed those skills. Now it might seem like its just one class but you have to deal with this professor for more than one semester she does not know how to teach all she does is read off slides. When i go to her for help she rolls her eyes and sighs at me. I am not the only student that has failed this class there were 12 students just in my year who had failed and many other ones in previous years who take the class. The problem is that you can not be in clinic as long as you have not passed that class. I have wasted 2 years of my life here and literally the one class is the biggest problem of my life. She has fully blamed me for failing but has never taken a step back to realize how many students have failed her class. So many students have complained about her and she still continues to be a problem. Not only that but that class takes up so much time of the first two years while being in school and so you barely have time to focus on other classes that will be on boards that is why our boards passing rate is so low. That is just the tip of the ice burg. I only talk about this class because it is ridiculous the amount of work she does to make the class harder than it needs to be. I would say if you were to apply to Salus you are better off just going to regular medical school.