Current Medical Student considering optometry

[Envix]

Hello all,
So, that is probably a post title that people don't see very often, haha. For a short summary, I'm a 3rd year med student, did well in undergrad/MCAT (3.5/36) as a Biochemistry major, did poorly in med school due to high levels of memorization and regurgitation (I'm much more of a conceptual/analytical guy), am currently on the verge of failing out and am considering other career options.

I know that financially, if I can graduate medical school, there is no question that that is the best option for me to take at this point. However, a big reason I didn't do well is because, though I entered medical school for the "right reasons", I really hated the studying/memorizing my first two years and I really dislike my clinical years now due to how limited my reasoning is due to lack of fundamental knowledge. Mainly, I am considering Optometry because I have always had an interest in it and it would be great to finally do something I might be good at and enjoy, since this would make me happier than anything.

So mainly, my questions for you guys.. first idealogical, then practical.
If I did well in my pre-reqs back in college, but poorly in medical school, could I still do well in Optometry school?
How much memorizing and studying is in optometry school, as opposed to reasoning and application?
If there is a lot of memorizing, would the knowledge I've gained in medical school be helpful?
And finally, based on what I've said, does it sound like Optometry school would even be a good fit for me?

On the practical side..
If I apply, would I be able to apply for entering Fall of 2016? I haven't even taken all the pre-reqs (Looking at Ohio State, since that is where I am now, I am missing psychology, microbiology, physiology) nor have I taken the OAT (or started preparing for it! I probably forgot a lot of OChem since 6 years ago, even though I was very good at it back then). I also have not shadowed an Optometrist, which I would need to do for the minimum requirement as well as to get a recommendation letter.
How big of an issue would my medical school performance be, especially if I fail out instead of withdraw? I can attribute a lot of my hardships to ADHD and depression which would be resolved by the time I apply, but I feel like even mentioning those two things has a stigma to it and I would be better off not talking about it. We don't have classes or letter grades or anything, so my GPA I assume would still be the same as in undergrad.
Would I be able to get loans to pay for Optometry school? I have 100k in debt from medical school, so I could graduate under the 224k lifetime limit, but since I started taking out medical school loans back in 2011, would I be on a timeline that does not allow me to take out any more?
Any other big practical issues that I am looking over?

I am extremely grateful to anyone who reads this posts and replies with thoughts of helping me out, I really appreciate it, and hopefully I'll be able to figure out a fulfilling career

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[catsomgcats]

I haven't applied for optometry school yet so i cant answer half your questions

But it wouldnt be too late to aply for Fall 2016 term. You can start studying for your OAT as soon as possible, you probably won't need more than 2 months. You can take your missing pre reqs this year and shadow this fall.

I know people who applied on the very last deadline (sometime after January) and have still gotten accepted. Your GPA is great too

I have heard that there is a lot of memorizing still (probably less than med school) and that it is still very difficult and time consuming. But I'm sure if you set your mind to it and if you like it then you will enjoy it

 

[optsuker]

When I read your post, my first thought is that PA or NP seems like a better fit.

I had a med school dropout in optometry school with me. He stated the first years are remarkably similar, just way more emphasis on eye stuff.
Neuro & pharmacology came easy for him since it was review and a slightly slower pace. He struggled with optics.
You'd spend less time in cadaver lab, but will do a lot more physics.

It will take a year to get the require courses in & take the OAT.
It could be possible to get into a PA program this fall.

 

[deleted480308]

if you just started third year, you really don't have a lot of experience in what rotations are like (or did you just finish 3rd yr?)

I would suggest getting your personal issues solved before making an drastic and expensive career changes.....they will be affecting your perspective

 

[carolinev]

What about ophthalmology? I say stick it out - don't make any decisions you could later regret
Optometry school is packed into 4 years. It's not going to be easy by any means.

 

[Loptometriste]

I'd recommend shadowing a few optometrists before you totally jump ship. Also, yes, what you've learned in medical school would help for areas such as pharmacology and human anatomy and physiology courses.

 

[Envix]

Thanks for your responses, they are much appreciated! I definitely do need to shadow an optometrist still to make sure I like it and everything, besides it being required of course. Realistically I know I probably won't suddenly make huge life decisions and quit medical school, but it's looking very likely that I am going to be dismissed, so I was inquiring about how realistic it would be. I really love physics and optics and I didn't like cadaver lab, so optsuker's warning to me was actually more encouraging than anything