Tracking La Salle University’s Optometry Program Alumni (January 2000 - December 2010)

Abstract

La Salle University keeps track of its alumni, looking to improve the quality of theeducation aswell as its self-assessment and curricular re-dimensioning processes. <em><strong>Objective</strong><em> To track the OptometryProgram’s alumni for the 2000-2010 period. <em><strong>Materials and Methodologies</strong><em> Alumni had toanswer a survey about: Personal information update, education, work performance and positioning,scientific-academic activities and satisfaction. Information was tabulated and entered intothe existing database, and a statistical analysis of the results was made. <em><strong>Results</strong><em> Survey was madeto 182 alumni from the designated period (28.9%): 1.6% has pursued a master’s degree, 12.6% aspecialization, 33.5% a certification course, and 13.7% a refresher course; 81% works in Bogota,7% in Medellin, and smaller percentages work in other cities such as Yopal, Tunja, Cali or Villavicencio;85% expressed their wish to pursue further studies in the future; 1% is part of a scientificor trade-union community, and 2.7% has received awards and acknowledgements. <em><strong>Conclusions</strong><em>28.9% of the Optometry Program’s alumni for the 2000-2010 period were tracked. A low tendencyto pursuing professional update is observed, as well as a tendency to choose areas of knowledgethat are complementary to optometry when pursuing further studies (health management andadministration, occupational health and public health). Most of them practice in capital citiesand have an overall low tendency to joiningtrade unions or participating in scientific communities.