Tomorrow is day one of the countdown to the end of classes. Three short weeks. 15 school days. 8 Ocular disease lectures (plus one exam), 6 clinical optometry lectures, 3 environmental optometry lectures, 2 clinical optometry labs and one final checkout. Then come finals. Then our time here is done.
We have to ask if we've actually accomplished anything. I have to admit that I really don't think that we have. We have created a semesters worth of notes and taught students more than they would have learned otherwise but I really don't see anyone being able to teach from the materials we've created. They just don't have optometrists trained to the level we have been trained. The third years are missing a good chunk of their education - not our fault. The second years who are very bright and did well in Swell's class will now be left with one educator who is overworked and under prepared and will be unable to spend the appropriate time with each class.
I wrote a letter regarding the third years. I sent it to the dean who sent it to the president of the university. We'll see if anything comes of it. It basically stated that they were severely lacking in their practical abilities. That they were unable to take their book knowledge and apply it to real world situations. Its sad because its not really their fault. They are just playing the hand they were dealt.
After the last day of class we have about a week of finals and then a couple of weeks to tie up our loose ends. Swell really wants to go to Romania earlier but I'm trying to convince her to stay until the end of May so that we can get paid for the entire month of May. I think she's relented. We'll just hang out here for a couple of weeks and put together our notes into a usable resource that will sit on a shelf and get dusty.
I don't hold out a lot of hope for this program to accomplish its objectives. I hope I'm wrong but leaving the entire thing in one person's hands is asking too much. We will stay for two more semesters but we would need to be paid at least twice what we are being paid now. I don't think that is going to happen so it will be back to Atlanta and decisions will need to be made.
US Imperialism - Military Forces
6 years ago
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4 comments:
Maybe the university needed to see how flawed their system is. I'm sure more money for the department would help attract instructors and buy equipment but it wouldn't help the attitudes of the 3rd year students.
If the students had been motivated to make the most of their time with you do think they could have caught up to where they should have been by the end of your tenure? Just curious.
The university has very little money. But, that doesn't mean we can work for so little. They can pay salaries well for living here, but for having a life overseas, not so much. They are sending those 2 ppl to get their master's degrees so they can come back and teach, but that's a whole year from now.
The 3rd years missed out too much before we came; we tried to bring them up to speed, but it was very hard. Like one step forward, 3 steps back! I'm trying to finish up my last few lectures for their contact lens class, but it's supposed to be "advanced and specialty contact lenses", and they didn't learn anything about fitting regular contact lenses last semester. Well, they learned maybe a one month worth of stuff. I can't blame the students too much, they just didn't have good leadership before we came and didn't know HOW to learn. They are quite good at memorizing notes though...if that's all you had to do for an eye exam, they'd be set!
They know they have a flawed system, they blame it on lack of faculty (which is true) and lack of equipment (which was true until least fall). Now, they have to decide what to do to improve for the rest of the time...
I'm good either way.. staying or leaving. I just wanna get to Romania soon, and then to HOTlanta so I can quit being so dang cold!!!
Nicole
I hope that you will get out of the cold soon my friend! :)
Sorry it's been such a rough semester.
Maisha
I think the time you have put into teaching and helping the school with notes, it's a good start to a good optometry program. It may take time and you just see the beginning but before you know it they are teaching from your notes and the students are learning and they will be the best optometrists that they can be.
Good luck to both of you, I hope you can be warm soon. Enjoy the last few weeks.
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