Perspective on the Territorialization of University Education in the Field of Optometry

Abstract

Contemporary optometry in Venezuela has undergone a paradigmatic transition, evolving from a technical trade to a scientific health discipline within the primary care level. This process, driven by university education and the Alma Mater Mission, is based on territorialization, a model where academia is embedded within communities to train professionals with social relevance. Current training transcends refraction by integrating biological sciences, pharmacology, and the use of advanced technologies such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The core of this model is the triangulation between University, Community, and the Health Network. Through Socio-Integrative Projects and real-world problem-based learning, students become "sentinels" of public health. This dynamic enables the early detection of non- communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, through the identification of clinical signs in the ocular fundus. Authors such as Logan and Wolffsohn (2020) and Craig et al. (2021) support this comprehensive vision, highlighting the need to proactively manage pathologies like myopia and dry eye from a molecular and epidemiological basis. The social impact of the municipalization of teaching, exemplified by the UNEFM, ensures equity in access to visual health in rural and border areas, reducing the care gap. However, the model faces ethical and technical challenges, such as the need for portable equipment and teleoptometry to avoid "academic tourism" and ensure continuity of care. In conclusion, the territorialization of optometry not only democratizes knowledge but also consolidates an interdisciplinary preventive system where the eye examination is a vital tool for social justice and the biopsychosocial well-being of the Venezuelan population.