Assessed the viability of the Comprehensive Clinical Performance Grid for Student Evaluation, introduced at The New England College of Optometry in 1996 in clinical student assessment. Analyzed faculty and student feedback and consistency with previous evaluations, between evaluators, and between clinical sites and tracts. Found satisfaction with…

Discusses how the New England College of Optometry has expanded clinical education so graduates are equipped to handle new and advanced clinical and patient-care responsibilities and meet the changing standards of professional entry-level competency. The reform process, third- and fourth-year curriculum components, rotations, and plans for…

Describes development and design of the Comprehensive Clinical Performance Grid for Student Evaluation, created to address concerns about what constitutes a competent practitioner and to provide a useful and consistent student-evaluation tool for clinical optometric education. Development challenges are also discussed, including staff training and…

A discussion of tenure for clinical faculty in optometric education looks at traditional eligibility requirements, administrative and political aspects of tenure policy, ways in which medical schools have addressed clinical faculty tenure, how clinical faculty are "essential" faculty, responsibilities of administration to clinical faculty and of…

A New England College of Optometry (Massachusetts) faculty development program for clinical preceptors provides a forum for administration and clinical faculty to address problems in clinical education and to increase communication between affiliated faculty, program coordinators, and students. The on-site conferences have demonstrated significant…