Details of Bachelor of Optometry Colleges of Nepal

 Details of Bachelor of Optometry Colleges of Nepal

There are three optometry colleges in Nepal and here are the basic details and differences among them. If there is government scholarship for studying bachelor level in optometry, then the education fee is totally free with a two years of job bonding post study. The cost for students under self-donation does not exceed 6 hundred thousand Nepalese rupees as of now (Jan 2023) which is subject to change yearly by certain percentage.

Maharajgunj Medical Campus [Institute of Medicine (IOM)]

•      Course Name: Bachelor of Optometry (B. Optom)

•      This is affiliated to Tribhuvan University (TU)

•      Under the administration of Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC)

•      Clinical posting and academic program are run by BP Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies (BPKLCOS) located inside the TUTH premises, Maharajgunj

First Optometry College of Nepal: BP Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies

•      This was the first college of optometry established in Nepal with the help of University of Auckland, NZ, in 1998.

Features of B Optom Program at IOM

•      Program activities are held at TUTH premises which provides wholesome medical environment

•      Hospital, library and hostel in 2 minute walking distance; and library is open until midnight.

•      Conjoined optometry - ophthalmology liberal practice training from day 1: optometry students and ophthalmology residents are allowed to practice in an open OPD environment side-by-side.

•      Experienced faculties with over a decade of teaching experiences> Moreover, there is only one optometrist who has a PhD degree in optometry is holding a faculty position here. His name is Dr Gauri Shankar Shrestha, and is also a Scientia scholar.

•      Total seats: 10 students can enroll in this institute per annum

–    6 scholarship quotas and 4 self-sponsorship quotas

National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS)

NAMS Bir Hospital

•      Course Name: Bachelor of Optometry and Vision Science (BOVS)

•      This also provides a four year course

•      Total Seats: 40 students are enrolled per year

•      Program was started in 2018

•      Basic Science course are held for the first six months at Lumbini Eye Institute, Bhairahawa

•      Training hospital (3 and half years): Students are divided into five groups (8 students each) and are sent to the following eye hospitals. These hospitals will work as the college for academic and clinical programs.

–    Biratnagar Eye Hospital, Morang

–    Bharatpur Eye Hospital, Chitwan

–    Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology,  Kathmandu

–    Nepal Eye Hospital, Kathmandu

–    Lumbini Eye Institute, Bhairahawa

 

Features of BOVS programs of NAMS

•      Course is rather inclusive because it contains unique subject areas as:

–    Psychology

–    Laws

–    Academic and Administrative rules/regulation

•      Students can choose college as per convenience a/c to the merits

•      Non-uniformity among products

–    Students are sent to five different eye hospitals which bear really a diverse clinical set-up, administrative culture and geographic as well as regional variation. Hence, the outgoing graduates would be completely different from one another among groups due to overall clinical exposure, academia and whatnot.

Himalaya Eye Institute (HEI)

Himalaya Eye Hospital run under Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh offers both Master and bachelor level of Optometry Education 

•      Course Name: Bachelor of Optometry (B. Optom)

•      This is affiliated to Pokhara University

•      Academic activities and clinical posting are all held in HEI, Gharipatan - Pokhara

•      Program started in 2018

•      No of seats: 17 students are recruited among them one is a scholarship quota

•      Program course : 8 semesters

 

Features of B. Optom program at HEI

•      Advanced and time-relevant semester-wise curriculum (GPA marking system)

•      This has over-encompassing syllabus as it includes as diverse topics as follows:

•      Professional English

•      Psychology

•      Computer application

•      Health management and entrepreneurship

•      Current trends in optometry

•      B optom program running conjointly with M Optom program. Hence, it offers better academic environment for cross-learning, idea sharing, research activities and mutual collaboration between different levels of optometry students.

•      Good number of optometry faculties in comparison to other colleges

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