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Gain Valuable Experience

Embark on a transformative journey with the Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. Our comprehensive program offers a unique blend of in-house rotations and externship experiences, providing students with a well-rounded education in the field of optometry.

About Our Externship Rotations

In the last year of the optometry program, students engage in both in-house and externship rotations. The in-house rotations are diverse and hands-on, encompassing primary care, cornea and contact lenses, and pediatrics and vision therapy clinics. Our students are assigned to our clinic locations in Fort Lauderdale, Davie, or North Miami Beach.

The externship rotations open doors to exciting opportunities, including a Medical Surgical Care Clinical Externship and a Clinic Elective Externship. Students have the flexibility to choose rotations from an array of sites, ranging from Combined Optometry and Ophthalmology practices to international clinics in China. We also offer rotations with different locations of the Indian Health Services, adding a global perspective to your optometry education.

 

Dive into the real-world application of your optometry skills with our extensive list of externship sites. These sites, carefully curated for your fourth-year study, provide formal, hands-on training at approved clinical sites and practices. 

Note: Information below is subject to change without notice. Every attempt will be made to keep the information up-to-date. Sites with an asterisk (*) do not specialize in Ocular Disease.

List of NSU Externship Sites
Externship Site Location Students Per Rotation
Aker-Kasten Eye Center Boca Raton, FL 2
Allied Eye Chattanooga, TN 1
Aran Eye Associates North Miami Beach, FL 4
Associates in Ophthalmology West Mifflin, PA 1
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Miami, FL 3 (6 month rotation)
Braverman Eye Center Hollywood, FL 3
Broward Eye Care * Ft. Lauderdale, FL 1
Center for Excellence in Eye Care Miami, FL 1
Center for Retina and Macular Disease Lakeland, FL 1
Clayton Eye Center Morrow, GA 2
Coastal Vision Center * Fernandina Bch, FL 1
Commonwealth Eye Surgery Lexington, KY 1
CorrectVision Laser Institute Pembroke Pines, FL 2
Draisin Vision Group* Charleston, SC 1
Robert M. Easton, Jr, OD, FAAO, PA * Oakland Park, FL 1
Envision Eye Care* Ft. Lauderdale, FL 1-2
Eye Associates of Pinellas Pinellas Park, FL 1
Eye Centers of South Florida North Miami Beach, FL 4
Filutowski Eye Institute Lake Mary, FL 1
Ft. Lauderdale Eye Institute Plantation, FL 2
Frantz Eyecare Ft. Myers, FL 1
Drs. Heiden & Heiden, PA * Hollywood, FL 1
Multiple Sites Multiple
Katzen Eye Group Towson, MD 1
MacDill Air Force Base * Tampa, FL 1
Magruder Laser Vision Orlando, FL 1
Maine Optometry * Brunswick, ME            1
Marciano Family Optometric* WPB, FL 2
MCR Health Services, Inc.* Bradenton, FL 2 (students per quarter)
Miamisburg Vision Care * Miamisburg, OH 1
Milan Eye Center Cumming, GA 1
Mittleman Eye West Palm Beach, FL 1
MVT/CEC * Miami, FL 1
Ocean Optics* Delray Beach, FL 1
Omni Eye Services Atlanta, GA 1

Planet Vision Eyecare* 

Greenacres, FL 2
Richard E. Sorkin, OD, PA* St. Petersburg, FL 1
Shanghai Eye & ENT Hospital Shanghai, China 2-4
South Florida Laser Eye Center Plantation, FL 1
South Florida Vision* Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2 per location
Southwest Orlando Eye Care * Orlando, FL 1
The Eye Institute Melbourne, FL 1
Tianjin Eye Hospital Tianjin, China 2-4
Triangle Vision Optometry * Gastonia, NC 1
University of Pittsburg Eye Center Pittsburg, PA 1
Vision Care and Surgery Associates Weston & Hialeah, FL 3
Vision Unlimited* Miami, FL 1
Walter Reed Military Medical Center at Bethesda* Bethesda, MD 1
Williamson Eye Center Baton Rouge, LA 1

For a unique and impactful experience, explore our externship programs at VA Medical Centers. These rotations provide an opportunity to serve our veterans while enhancing your skills in diverse clinical settings.

List of NSU Externship Programs at VA Medical Centers
Externship Site Location Students Per Rotation
VA Central Western MA HCS Leeds, MA 1
VA Medical Center in Bay Pines Bay Pines, FL 1 (6 month rotation encouraged)
VA Medical Center in Charleston Charleston, SC   1 (6 month rotation encouraged)
VA Medical Center in Columbia Columbia, SC 1-3 (competes w/other colleges; 6 month rotation encouraged)
VA Medical Center in Erie Erie, PA 1 1
VA Medical Center in Gainesville Gainsville, FL 2
VA Jacksonville Outpatient Clinic Jacksonville, FL 1
VA Medical Center in Lake City Lake City, FL 1
VA Medical Center in Miami Miami, FL 1
VA Medical Center in Lake Baldwin Orlando, FL

1-3

VA Medical Center in Lake Nona Orlando, FL

3

VA Medical Center in Salisbury Salisbury, NC Depends on availability
VA Tallahassee Outpatient Clinic (OPC) Tallahassee, FL 1
VA Medical Center in the Villages The Villages, FL 1
VA Viera Outpatient Clinic Viera, FL 1
VA Medical Center in WPB West Palm Beach, FL 2
VA Medical Center in Wilmington Wilmington, DE 1 (6 month rotation encouraged)
VA William Bill Kling Sunrise, FL 1-2

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Your journey in optometry begins here at NSU. Immerse yourself in an optometry program that blends academic excellence with real-world experiences. Connect with us to learn more about the application process and how NSU can shape your future in optometry.

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