Optometry
Department
Equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to provide primary eye care as well as specialty care in all facets of optometry for the benefit of humanity worldwide.
Brief History
The Department of Optometry, Madonna University, Nigeria offering a six-year degree programme leading to the award of Doctor of Optometry (O.D) was established in 2004 in the Faculty of Health sciences. The Department is poised to sustain the motto of the University, which is ‘Decency in Morals and Education’.
The programme is designed to expose the student to the knowledge and skills needed to provide primary eye care as well as specialty care in all facets of optometry. The first set of students graduated in 2009 and several sets of students have since graduated from the program.
Our Philosophy
The philosophy of the Optometry programme encompasses teaching, research and service to mankind with dignity, ensuring the curriculum evolves with technological advances.
Teaching & Research
Every subfield of optometry is constantly advancing in technological endeavors. Consequently, the body of knowledge and skill necessary to cope with these advances need to be regularly reflected in the curriculum used in training of students and reviewed from time to time.
Global Competency
Our aim is to instill in students the knowledge and skill needed to practice the optometry profession effectively and efficiently, and the need to be competent in all its applications in different contexts for the benefit of humanity worldwide.
Strategic Objectives
Provide a broad and balanced foundation of knowledge as well as practical and clinical skills in optometry.
Develop the ability to apply acquired knowledge and skills to the solution of theoretical and practical problems in optometry.
Train optometrists to effectively and safely use diagnostic and therapeutic ocular pharmaceutical preparations as enshrined in the laws of Nigeria.
Produce Doctors of Optometry with the expertise and ethical orientation to practice in any part of the world.
Programme Standards
Learning Outcomes
- Proficiency in diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic drugs
- Effective use of ophthalmoscopes, slit-lamps, and retinoscopes
- Ophthalmic dispensing and interdisciplinary teamwork
- Community and public ocular health services
Admission Requirements
- UTME: English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
- Direct Entry: Advanced level in Physics, Chemistry, or Biology
- BSc in Basic/Medical/Health Sciences (Min 2:2)
- HND in relevant science programme (Merit)
Competencies
- Clinical case evaluation and data interpretation
- Ophthalmic problem analysis and strategy planning
- Proficiency in IT processes for data logging/storage
- Professional ethics in handling patient information
Programme Scope
The Department runs a six-year unclassified Doctor of Optometry (O.D) degree. The curriculum covers Basic Sciences, Social Sciences, Languages, and specialized Optometry courses.
- Specializations: Pediatric, Cornea, Binocular Vision, Low Vision, Ocular Diseases
- Clinical: Mandatory internship following graduation
- Research: Focus on refractive errors and blindness prevention
- Professional: Registration with the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of Nigeria
Professional Careers
Clinical Excellence
Doctors of Optometry can practice in diverse settings, including private and public eye clinics, providing critical primary and specialty eye care.
Academic & Research
Opportunities for teaching and lecturing in universities and polytechnics, as well as working as research fellows in visual sciences.
Government & Security
Graduates are qualified to join the medical corps of the Armed Forces, Police, and other federal security services as ocular health experts.
Vision Consultancy
Work as environmental vision consultants specializing in ergonomics and ocular health within sports and corporate workplaces.
Preserve the Gift of Vision
Join a program dedicated to the highest standards of ocular health. Embark on a journey to become a Doctor of Optometry rooted in clinical precision and moral integrity.