Rural Optometry Focus of SCO’s State Day
Southern College of Optometry (SCO) gathered leaders and representatives from nearly 20 state and national optometry associations to participate in the college’s annual State Day program.
First established at SCO more than a decade ago, State Day annually gathers state executive association leaders or representatives from different states to engage with optometry students interested in practicing in those states.
The focus of State Day 2024 centered around the often unexplored opportunities that can be found in rural optometry settings. Dr. Steven Reed, American Optometric Association President and a 1995 SCO graduate, gave remarks in which he encouraged today’s optometry students to include rural optometry practice in their career plans.
Dr. Reed was joined on a panel by the AOA’s OD of the Year, Dr. Matt Jones, a 2009 SCO graduate, Dr. Mallory Collins, a 2019 SCO graduate, and Dr. Alex Compton, a 2016 graduate, as they encouraged students to network within their state, regional, and national associations.
State association representatives were on hand from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The AOA and the AOA Center for Independent Practice were also represented at a trade show.