2010 Annual Report

T h e C l i n i c a s C l a s s r o o m
Learning the Art of Clinical Reasoning
“NEE Commonwealth is the
and physiologic markers of disease, which is the first
step when you’re seeing a new patient.”
By her third year, Pham realized she was able to
identify not only those markers but also the diseases
that were most likely associated with them – and
options for treatment. “My takeaway from clinical
reasoning was that you really need to know the
basics before you determine the diagnosis and
treatment,” says Pham. “You have to start with
the big picture before you can narrow it down and
figure out exactly what condition the patient has.”
Big-picture analysis is a major tenet of Dr. Denial’s
courses and the New England College of Optometry
at large. “We always tell students that the patient
is not a pair of eyeballs,” says Dr. Denial. “The
contextual environment is very important.” In fact,
numerous research journals such as Academic
Medicine have published studies showing that
the greater a doctor’s ability to think critically
and comprehensively, the better clinical care
he or she delivers.
Even as patient practices and technologies evolve,
the skills that students learn in NECO’s clinical
reasoning courses will remain relevant. After all, the
best optometrists will always be the ones who listen
well, ask smart questions, and take the time to see
the whole patient before determining a diagnosis.
launch pad of great doctors.”
- Commonwealth Clinic Director
Mark O’Donoghue, OD ’82
New England Eye Commonwealth is not your
average optometry clinic. A state-of-the-art facility
near the B.U. West Campus neighborhood, the
Commonwealth clinic is the destination of patients
seeking eye care ranging from routine checkups to
complex retinal evaluations. Children visit the pediatric
section for their first eye exam, young professionals are
fitted for contact lenses, and retina specialists and
ophthalmologists extend expert care to patients
with macular degeneration.
But NEE Commonwealth is also much more than that. An academic partner of the College, the clinic is an
extension of the classroom where NECO students and residents learn the best practices in eye care to prepare
for successful careers in optometry. “NEE Commonwealth is the launch pad of great doctors,” says Clinic
Director Mark O’Donoghue, OD ’82. “The key to an NEE residency is taking what is learned in the classroom
and turning it into real, applicable information.”
Hands-on learning
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ANNUAL REPORT 2010
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