CRAZY SECOND THOUGHTs! help

[Samus2008]

I am having serious second thoughts about enrolling in optometry school this august. Right now I'm in financial disarray and have a steady job that I don't feel like leaving, it's steady income (not a alot) and I like it. Everything just feels so rushed.

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[UCFopthopeful]

If OD isn't what you really want to do, I would not recommend it. If pharmacy interests you, go to pharmacy school. My mother was a RN for years, and at 45 years old, decided she wanted to be a pharmacist. Now, she's the pharmacy manager at Publix (a supermarket, if you're not from the southeast). So, it's never too late.
You really sound like you think optometry is not for you, and if that's the case, you may want to defer your enrollment before you start sending in thousands of dollars to the school. Just my opinion.

 

[michaelscarn]

If you decide to drop out, tell them to give me your seat!

 

[mulberry]

I agree w/ UCFopthopeful. they're gonna ask you in your interview, why optometry and you're gonna be lying to yourself and we all know it. your answer is because you can't or didn't get into pharmacy school. i'm a bit confused, why did you not apply to pharmacy school? did you not get in? (forgive me if you mentioned it as I skimmed your initial post). your heart seems to be in pharmacy so I suggest you get some part-time work with a pharmacist as a technician or w/e and if needed, up some of your science classes and take your PCATS one more time.

 

[blysssful]

Here's the thing. Its completely understandable for anyone who is about to drastically change the course of their future to have those moments of "WHAT AM I DOING?!?! " Change is difficult, for some more than others. And especially when it comes to a rather finite field like optometry-- most people don't want to fall into the "grass is greener" problem.

BUT... it sounds like what you're describing isn't just a moment here and there but more that you never were very sure to begin with. If that's the case, you should immediately figure out whether this is what you want to do, BEFORE you waste time and money that you won't be able to get back. I definitely agree that your best option is deferment.

Deferment policies will probably vary from school to school, but as a general idea, SUNY's policy has 3 requirements: your "reason" for deferring must be acceptable to them, your cumulative GPA is above 3.4, and your OAT scores are all above 330 (or 340, I can't remember which one). However, at SUNY, and probably with the other schools, there is a deadline for deferral, and you might be promising on your deposit that you WILL actually go there the following year.

 

[qwopty99]

Defer.

Tell them you can't afford optometry school this year, so you are forced to work for one year and will attend next year.

In this economy, I can't see how any school will reject this "reason".

Use this year to figure out your life and see if you can get admitted to pharmacy school. If you do get accepted, then you'll be able to decide which path you want to take.



Slightly OT: Is pharmacy school easier to get into than opt school?

 

[Samus2008]

Defer.

Tell them you can't afford optometry school this year, so you are forced to work for one year and will attend next year.

In this economy, I can't see how any school will reject this "reason".

Use this year to figure out your life and see if you can get admitted to pharmacy school. If you do get accepted, then you'll be able to decide which path you want to take.



Slightly OT: Is pharmacy school easier to get into than opt school?

Slightly OT? What does that mean? im confused.

 

[blysssful]

OT= off topic

 

[jc812]

I'm just going to say it, every other pre-optometry kid wants to anyway.

Please withdraw your seat and allow one true pre-optometry student a chance. If this isn't what you want, save yourself and others time by withdrawing your seat.

Don't get into it, realize a year later that your instincts were right, end up with 30K debt, and end up exactly where you are now.. except jobless.

Why not just follow your goals? Continue working, apply for pharmacy school, then go forward. Isn't it simple?

 

[Oogilily]

Maybe your first problem is not believing in that "fake crap" called happiness. LOL! Sounds like you need a therapist more than this message board . Totally kidding.

I do agree with you in that these message boards are more cynical than you will find in most places. I will also tell you that professors in optometry school are overly optimistic about your future in optometry. I think the truth is somewhere in between (well the truth for most people, for some the truth of optometry is crappy). There are thousands of happy ODs out there. There are some unhappy docs out there. That's just the way it goes. If you don't see yourself being an eye doctor, I would get out of it. If you are unhappy now about your choice, I can guarantee you that you will HATE optometry school. It's very hard work (harder than I thought it was going to be) and if you aren't into it you will struggle.

I don't see why you wouldn't want to persue pharm school when that is what you want to do. Truthfully, I don't really want people that just settled for optometry in my profession. Just take the next year off and work and see about getting into pharm school. You're quite young still, you have time.