Mark Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD, Dean, Southern California College of Optometry recently traveled to Tokyo Optometric College in Tokyo, Japan to attend the inaugural graduation ceremony for the MBKU-TOC Executive Certificate Program, held on March 20, 2018. This collaboration between SCCO and TOC is unique and exciting as it is the first Executive Certificate Program in Optometry in Japan, meant to help grow the scope of practice.
The program is two years in length and includes online courses taught by SCCO faculty, as well as four in-person workshops at Tokyo Optometric College. Special thanks to the hard work put in by all faculty members involved in the program: Drs. Pat Yoshinaga, Eunice Myung Lee, Rachelle Lin, Ray Chu, John Lee, Edeline Lu, Kristine Huang, Angela Chen, Robert Yacoub, Raman Bhakhri, Tina Zheng and John Nishimoto.
The program could not have run without the countless hours of work put in by Dr. John Nishimoto, Senior Associate Dean for Professional Affairs; Eunice Myung Lee, Director of International Programs; Erin Dean; Administrative Assistant; Matt Breneman, Director of Multimedia; and Tiffany Yanase, Work Study, SCCO, '18. Additionally, SCCO would like to thank the Tokyo Optometric College administrators, who served as a liaison between SCCO and the students, Drs. Mitsu Hayashi, Principal of TOC and SCCO Alumni, Class of ’89; and Kyuji Kimbara, Director of MBKU-TOC Executive Program.
“I am so proud to see this inaugural completion ceremony. Relationships with optometric partners internationally help support the MBKU vision of reimagining health care education. Many hours went into planning and creating this program and I am grateful for the dedication of our optometry faculty both here and at the Tokyo Optometric College. Innovative technology was created and implemented and we hope this collaboration continues for many years to come,” said University President Kevin L. Alexander, OD, PhD. The program is getting ready to start up the third class in April 2018.