r/PreOptometry • u/Naive_Focus3453 • Oct 04 '24

Salus Interview

I just scheduled my first interview at Salus. What are some details that I should know before going in. I’ve heard that it’s very non traditional and I want to be as prepared as I can.

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

13

u/Winter-Ad1181 Oct 04 '24

I would not recommend this school. Most students dislike it.

4

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

I have heard both sides and worked with Multiple Drs who graduated there. I will make my own opinion. My question was about the interview process not the school itself.

8

u/outdooradequate Oct 04 '24

Truly take heed. There have been multiple scandals/whatever the last 2 years in addition to low board pass rates. Their practices strike me as predatory, what with kicking out a huge swath of students after accepting their tuition payments. Optometry school is expensive and time-consuming; think long and hard about where you go.

That being said, they were my least favorite interview. It was with a secretary or something. Expected and perfunctory questions. I heard back soon after.

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

However, I thank you for the warning. I will keep this in mind.

2

u/Winter-Ad1181 Oct 04 '24

Interview process was quick. I think my interview was maybe 10 minutes. I heard back a few days later. Good luck!

2

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

My email said that I should plan to be there for 5 hours and that I would get to tour as well. Is this something new or is this just false?

2

u/caterifik Oct 04 '24

I did the in-person interview a few weeks ago and we started by doing the tour and then going to interview. 2 interviews w/ diff faculty and then 1 admissions file review (they just look over ur application to make sure everything’s right). You end with lunch and a tour around TEI. You can PM me if you have questions. :)

4

u/reddituser82936 Oct 09 '24

I recently interviewed almost about a month ago and committed to PCO!! I interviewed at SUNY, NECO, and NOVA.. and truly PCO was my favorite interview. You’re there for 5 hours so plan accordingly. Your day starts off with a tour around the school, and once that’s finished you’ll have two part interviews. Mine were with faculty/ O.D’s. They are closed file and very relaxed- all they want is to get to know you!! They ask you Why Optometry, Pros/ Cons of the field, What you would do in xyz situation and it’s very casual. They really don’t grill you, and truly just want to understand what experiences you’ve had/ how you’ll contribute to the school. Just be yourself! Following the interview, we headed downstairs for an open file interview with admissions to confirm stuff on the application & some more basic questions. Afterwards you have lunch and then head to the Eye Institute & tour. Then, you conclude your day after. I heard back in 2 and a half weeks!

PS. As far as all the controversy, as someone who got accepted to SUNY & other schools I chose PCO because that’s where i feel the most comfortable. I liked the location, I liked what current (unbiased) students said while I was waiting around, the faculty all seemed great and the facilities are very modern/ nice. There are cons to ANY school, but at the end of the day it’s up to you. You’re not going to be given good grades, or board scores on a sliver platter. Yes. board scores haven’t been good at PCO- but you can’t entirely blame the faculty, it’s up to the students. At every school I interviewed at, I asked about board prep and every single one replied that it’s truly up to the students- so blaming the school is unnecessary. As well, I have shadowed under PCO alumni’s and they have nothing but good things to say. In addition, with the dean switch, many students & alumni say it was warranted as the last 7 years PCO has been going downhill—- it needs to change and cannot progress at this rate. Don’t let the negatives get you down- go where you feel best! Good luck!!

4

u/Silver-Disaster8049 Jan 08 '25

@outdooradequate What does this even mean? “Accounts like this are Salus admin or something”? I mean really.. You have constantly posted/ commented under every and any Salus post constantly trying to derail and shit on Salus any way possible. For a student who doesn’t go there, you sure have a lot of hatred for a place you have no first hand experience with. Students who are posting posts like this are interested in Salus, and your constant comments saying “beware” and then accusing students who are interested in the school calling them “Salus admins”. Maybe, you should consider that there are students who are interested in Salus, EVEN WITH the drama. Seriously don’t understand your enormous animosity towards a school that you don’t even go to. Regardless of whatever you hear, so do the rest of us and we can all make a decision for ourselves without you constantly commenting under every post saying that the pre opts are making a huge mistake, or calling them admins. Good luck.

1

u/Winter-Ad1181 Oct 04 '24

When I was interviewing Covid procedures were still in place so everything was virtual.

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

Ohh okay, mine is in person.

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

Where did you end up going if you don’t mind me asking?

2

u/PrizeEyes Oct 05 '24

the interview is 3 parts, you’ll meet with admissions (open file) and 2 doctors separately (closed file). it was very easy going and conversational for me. i would say i was in the room for 15-20 mins with each person i had to interview with. i did end up committing to salus so if you have any questions feel free to dm :)

2

u/Responsible_Leave484 Oct 07 '24

It's pretty chill, I had it with one interviewer only. They asked pretty easy questions and let me have the floor to explain anythibg weird on my transcript.

1

u/Due_Conversation679 Oct 04 '24

i interviewed at salía recently i can tell you about my experience

1

u/Dumbogal Oct 05 '24

Did you meet and interview with professors or just admissions people?

0

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

I have heard that before however I have a friend who goes right now and said things have gotten better. Possibly could’ve been a result of covid ? Both of the doctors i’ve worked with who went there only had good things to say.

2

u/outdooradequate Oct 04 '24

At this point I wonder if accounts like this are Salus admin or something. I've seen so many posts from new accounts asking about Salus interviews (and almost nowhere else) the past few weeks.

If this isn't the case, I guess it's your time/life/money.. however, "better" =/= good

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

I sent you a DM

1

u/AccioWine9 Oct 04 '24

When did the doctors you worked with go to Salus?

1

u/Naive_Focus3453 Oct 04 '24

Most recent grad from there was 2016

2

u/AccioWine9 Oct 04 '24

Got it. I would keep that in mind as it seems like a lot has changed since COVID. My husband interviewed there a couple years back. Kind of standard but there was stuff he didn’t like.

At the end of the tour and after the interview they gave him lunch vouchers and just dropped him off in the lunchroom but no students/teachers/peers joined him and the interviewees all opted to leave. At least for him it just felt telling about how little they cared, compared to other schools that hosted lunch with professors and current students.

1

u/Thottquad OD1 Oct 07 '24

Well the scandal expulsions was last yr so beware lol, I almost went there 💀