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Who Benefits from an Expanding Pool of Matriculants?

This month's issue includes a different type of research contribution from Zadnik and Reich. Their article assesses the number of applicants andmatriculants to optometry programs in theUnited States over the most recent 10-year period, and it is a thoughtprovoking piece. Several new training programs were launched during this time period, and the authors offer some interesting data along with possible interpretations for readers to consider. While this article is a bit of a departure from the journal's usual type of research publication, their article addresses an important topic that is directly related to training the future workforce of eye care providers and clinician scientists. The authors found that there was a relatively stable applicant pool (0.95% increase from 2010 to 2018), whereas there was an 11% increase in matriculants over this same time period. In addition to the interpretations offered by the authors, there are other perspectives to consider and I sincerely hope that this publication will stimulate some meaningful discussions within the community. Historically, enrollment in higher education is correlated with macroeconomic trends. Economic contractions (e.g., 2008–2009 the worst in recent memory) are typically correlated with increasing enrollments as unemployment increases and wages stagnate. However, there are a multitude of other confounding factors and complex interactions to consider. For example, unemployment, financial aid availability, willingness to incur student debt, admission rates, future earning potential, and other factors. Zadnik and Reich provide interesting data to consider in this analysis of factors driving admissions decisions for optometry training programs in the United States of America. Questions not considered by the authors in this article are the factors driving the expansion of schools and colleges of optometry.