Hiring ODs

[dejablue10]

How important is which school you attended when it comes to practicing in the field? Moreover, do practitioners look at where an applicant attended school as a qualification for the hiring process? I ask because I am in the process of applying to schools, and I fear that enrolling in a program that is fairly new with limited networking will hinder my chances of landing a good job in the future.

Thank you for your time!! Any opinions, advice, and thoughts are more than welcome

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

I'm sure it varies, and I am not in a position to say definitively it does, or it doesn't matter where you go to school. I do think that the most important thing you can do is become a good doctor, and I think that is determined more by the student than the school. You can reach out and connect to ODs around you even if the connection is not directly through the school.

 

[310]

Doesn't matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[undecisiveone1]

So you're saying if I went to Western and was competing for a job against someone who went to SUNY, I wouldn't be at a disadvantage?

 

[Snakedoctor1]

There's no Ivy league of Optometry.

 

[iiii]

I've attended several optometry state convention & asked this very question.

There's a large group of senior OD's that are not pleased with the oversupply of OD's that coming & blame the new schools for making it worse.
Quite a few have said they wouldn't hire an OD from one of the new schools.

Their OAT/GPA numbers are lower which many will interpret as weak candidates getting in.
Others have questioned the quality of the clinical rotations (Dr. Art Epstein stated this is his national newsletter- He lives near Midwestern).

I took it serious enough to not even apply to any of them.

 

[undecisiveone1]

I've attended several optometry state convention & asked this very question.

There's a large group of senior OD's that are not pleased with the oversupply of OD's that coming & blame the new schools for making it worse.
Quite a few have said they wouldn't hire an OD from one of the new schools.

Their OAT/GPA numbers are lower which many will interpret as weak candidates getting in.
Others have questioned the quality of the clinical rotations (Dr. Art Epstein stated this is his national newsletter- He lives near Midwestern).

I took it serious enough to not even apply to any of them.

Can you specify which schools?

 

[Snakedoctor1]

Western, Midwestern, San Antonio.