During the meeting between Prof. Waleed Deeb – the Academic Advisor of the Board of Directors and the Founding President and Dr. David A. Heath- the President of the College of Optometry of the State University of New York (SUNY) with the presence of other faculty members, SUNY welcomed the launching of the Doctor of Optometry Program in AAUP in Palestine.
A meeting between Prof. Waleed Deeb – the Academic Advisor of the Board of Directors and the Founding President and Dr. David A. Heath- the President of the College of Optometry of the State University of New York (SUNY) and some faculty members.
During the meeting, they discussed the launching of the Doctor of Optometry program in AAUP to be complementary to the work of ophthalmologists, not a substitute or a competitor to them. Dr. Heath congratulated the Arab American University for this achievement that will enhance and improve the services provided in the primary eye care field in Palestine.
During the meeting, they also discussed the visit schedule of the faculty members of the College of Optometry in SUNY to AAUP to start teaching in the Doctor of Optometry program.
Prof. Deeb gave a detailed explanation about the latest preparations of the program in AAUP, and the reactions of Doctors Syndicate and the Ophthalmological Society on launching this program. Dr. Heath said that this also had happened in the US when they started the program, indicating that it is important to understand the program and its role in helping Ophthalmologists. Dr. Heath explained that nowadays they have witnessed a partnership and collaboration relations between Ophthalmologists and the Doctors of Optometry in order to provide the best services to the community.
At the end of the meeting, both parties signed the agreement annex related to the supervision of the College of Optometry in SUNY on the implementation of the program according to the prepared curriculum for six renewable years.