atlanta Externships

Atlanta Vision Cataract & Laser Center offers fourth-year optometry students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through a continuing externship program in partnership with the New England College of Optometry. The externship at Atlanta Vision Center extends over a 3 month period in which the student works side by side with the doctors and staff at Atlanta Vision Center. The experience provides students optometrists a way to promote a balanced exposure to key areas of clinical care in a multidisciplinary setting.

During their externship they are given the opportunity to observe and have hands on expereince in  primary care optometry, pediatrics and vision therapy, cornea and contact lens practice, geriatrics, low vision rehabilitation, and ocular disease management. They also get to observe surgical procedures such as LASIK vision correction and cataract removal and lens (IOLs) replacement.  All of the externship’s responsibilities and duties are closely supervised by the attending physician.

Dr. Leonard Achiron initiated the optometry student externship program with his Alma mater The New England School of Optometry.  The Atlanta Vision Center in Hapeville, GA has been participating in the program since 1996. They are committed to providing future optometrists an expanded educational and clinical experience by providing a number of patient encounters and exposure in a real health care setting. The experience is invaluable for both the physicians and extern participants.  While the extern is developing necessary skills to maintain long-term doctor/patient relationships, the entire practice receives tremendous appreciation from their externs because of the real life experiences they had during their externship period at Atlanta Vision Center.