How Difficult Is Optometry?

[JackD]

Perhaps i have a bit of prejudice here but it seems like optometry wouldn't be all that difficult of a profession. I mean you people do wonders, i wouldn't be able so see my monitor screen right now if it wasn't for optometrists. However, every time i have gone to an optometrist, it doesn't seem like they need to do that much to get you your prescription. They put some lenses in front of your eyes, ask which is clearer and you're on your way. From my prospective, it doesn't seem like a person would need over seven years of schooling to do it.

With that said, i'm sure i am wrong. There are no doctorates out there which are easy to obtain, so what am i not understanding about optometry? I'm sure i am not unique in my view. What is going on behind the scenes that people like me are not seeing, which makes this profession difficult?

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[optogirl21]

I HATE that the world thinks all that Optometrists do is glasses and contacts. WRONG. That is a TINY part of what they do. We see ALOT of eye disease especially from patients with hypertension, diabetes, etc. People can suffer a large array of eye conditions that can lead to permanent vision loss, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachments etc. Patients can also suffer trauma to the head like an orbital fracture or have tumors that are affecting their vision. The eye is an amazing organ of the body and there is a conditon or disease that can affect EVERY part of it. Its probably harder to see in offices in metropolitan areas where the patient base is teens and young adults with healthy eyes. But where our clinic is here, demographically our patients have alot of different eye conditions. So I hope that helps in changing your view. Its NOT just about glasses!

 

[mupreopt]

I was under the impression that optometry school was easy too (compared to med school) until I came to this board. There are people who thinks that optometry schools are easier. However, I'ver read that it is hard and the first 2 years is comparable to med school.

 

[mthwong]

To state the obvious there is more to optometry than just helping people see. Also optometry school is four years with 2 years of school, and the other 2 years being rotations. There is also an option of participating in a one year residency for specialties which can be:
contact lenses
low vision
binocular vision
sports vision
etc.

Each of the specialties have it's own complications and specific cases that optometrists should be ready to understand and treat. After the regular four years, optometrists are ready for treating everything but not necessarily specialized to handle more complicated things.

In addition to helping people see better with corrective lenses whether it be contacts or glasses, optometrists are also allowed to prescribe medication to treat diseases afflicting the eyes. So at a comprehensive eye exam, optometrists also check the health of your eye. Glaucoma is a common disease that is treated, and cataracts are also something where optometrists refer patients to opthamologist to perform surgery. Optometry is also considered primary care, and bigger health issues or systemic problems can be detected by examining the eyes, such as high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes.

In general, younger people are not as prone to ocular diseases, but with younger patients there may be problems with the eye muscles causing reading problems, which need to be corrected through vision therapy. Older patients are usually the ones with cataracts, floaters, and glaucoma. In some states, optometrists are allowed to perform surgeries and what not, but legislation is different in different areas.

More info can be found at:
opted.org
aoa.org

Optometry school is maybe not as difficult as med school because you're mainly focusing on what goes on with the eyes. But those 2 years of in class learning is about everything regarding the eyes, whereas med school is about the entire body, but then you also have to choose a specialty as well.

 

[optogirl21]

I was under the impression that optometry school was easy too (compared to med school) until I came to this board. There are people who thinks that optometry schools are easier. However, I'ver read that it is hard and the first 2 years is comparable to med school.

The first two years of Optometry school are definately very comparable to med school. I'm in my first year at ICO and i've never worked so hard in my life. We're taking 6 classes, 20 hours per week, plus 6 hours of lab per week, plus open lab assignments, projects, oh and 2-3 exams per week. There is ALOT expected of you as a student here. Third year, time is divided between class and clinic.

Sometimes I wish non-optometry students could spend a quarter or semester with us to see what we have to go through to be the professionals we are.

 

[mupreopt]

projects? Like what?
I just hope I can survive sitting in class all day. Are the seats comfortable? Do you get a chance to stand and stretch before each class? I know sitting in the gym bleachers in high school was painful.

 

[optogirl21]

More like group assignments. But some classes the prof will give extra credit to students who do class projects on a certain topic. Yes the seats are comfortable and you get a 10min break after every 50min class.

 

[KHE]

Perhaps i have a bit of prejudice here but it seems like optometry wouldn't be all that difficult of a profession. I mean you people do wonders, i wouldn't be able so see my monitor screen right now if it wasn't for optometrists. However, every time i have gone to an optometrist, it doesn't seem like they need to do that much to get you your prescription. They put some lenses in front of your eyes, ask which is clearer and you're on your way. From my prospective, it doesn't seem like a person would need over seven years of schooling to do it.

With that said, i'm sure i am wrong. There are no doctorates out there which are easy to obtain, so what am i not understanding about optometry? I'm sure i am not unique in my view. What is going on behind the scenes that people like me are not seeing, which makes this profession difficult?

This is a common misconception and it's understandable.

The process of refraction, that is determining someone's prescription, usually does seem like it is some sort of random trial or error event from the patients perspective. All I can say is that their really is a method to all that madness. Your doctor is also not just trying to get you the most clear vision, they are trying to get you "comfortable" vision as well. It's not helpful to have someone who has 20/20 vision in each eye but gets eyestrain and headaches all day while looking through the Rx.

PM me if you really care to learn more about what's happening.

 

[eyestrain]

The first two years of Optometry school are definately very comparable to med school.

I hate it when people say this, it only pisses off the med students (and probably rightfully so). Have you gone through med school? How do you "definitely" know the two are comparable?

 

[gochi]

I hate it when people say this, it only pisses off the med students (and probably rightfully so). Have you gone through med school? How do you "definitely" know the two are comparable?

Optometry students graduate with higher credits than med students...and it should not piss them off. Just because med school is more competitive than optometry school (somewhat) than it does not mean its by any means harder.

Also, 6 courses does not seem extremely too hard- if it were 10 courses, then I would probably panic. Im sure you have one non-science course ?

Question: How are the labs in comparison to undergrad ?

 

[eyestrain]

Optometry students graduate with higher credits than med students...and it should not piss them off. Just because med school is more competitive than optometry school (somewhat) than it does not mean its by any means harder.

Also, 6 courses does not seem extremely too hard- if it were 10 courses, then I would probably panic. Im sure you have one non-science course ?

Question: How are the labs in comparison to undergrad ?

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. Because you wind up with more credits in optometry school, that makes it harder? Is that right?

Anyway, as I've said before, unless you've been through both, please don't make blanket comparisons of their difficulty.

 

[gochi]

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. Because you wind up with more credits in optometry school, that makes it harder? Is that right?

Anyway, as I've said before, unless you've been through both, please don't make blanket comparisons of their difficulty.

No, like you said, one can't determine if one type of school is easier than the other without having gone to both. But let's face it, the general public thinks differently.

 

[eyestrain]

But let's face it, the general public thinks differently.

Most of the general public wouldn't know their *** from a hole in the ground.

 

[gochi]

We take 10 courses at once here at Nova.

Really.

I'm assuming you would get the summer off, no ?

 

[mthwong]

Really.

I'm assuming you would get the summer off, no ?

The general curriculum at optometry schools is that after the first year there is a summer break, but after the second year, you're already practicing rotations going into your 3rd and 4th year, which is basically working at different clinics in different areas, without a summer break.

 

[optogirl21]

I hate it when people say this, it only pisses off the med students (and probably rightfully so). Have you gone through med school? How do you "definitely" know the two are comparable?

I dont "definately" know if one is harder than the other because of course I haven't been to both. However, what I was trying to get at was that people think Optometry school is "easy" and its not! You can probably agree with that statement as you went to optometry school too right? All I'm saying is that I think people need to respect optometry as a field because of the kind of education we go through. Its not just a 2 year program, its a 4 year doctorate program and we work very hard to get there.

 

[eyestrain]

I dont "definately" know if one is harder than the other because of course I haven't been to both. However, what I was trying to get at was that people think Optometry school is "easy" and its not! You can probably agree with that statement as you went to optometry school too right? All I'm saying is that I think people need to respect optometry as a field because of the kind of education we go through. Its not just a 2 year program, its a 4 year doctorate program and we work very hard to get there.

Is optometry school hard? Yes, I suppose. But you said it was comparable to med school, which you can't say because you haven't done both. That is all.

ps: it's spelled "definitely"

 

[sharpshooter24]

Is optometry school harder than medical school?

Well im not in medical school nor optometry school so i cant give an honest answer .

i will say this: i am a grad student from Barry University Masters in Biomedical sciences
1) i have usually 3-5 exams every few weeks "block exams"
2) i have taken classes such as Gross anatomy, Biochemistry Neuroanatomy/physiology, Histology, Pharmacology, Bacterial and Virology and Pathology
3) i have taken at least 11-14 graduate credits per semester.
4) i passed my comprehensive/ cumulative exam which is a requirement for me to get my MS degree

Im not here to flaunt or play show off and if i did in the past, i applogize. i did all this to improve my application outlook to optometry school. my undergrad's performance hurt me in the past even though i did very well in the OAT's. i graduated from my MS with a near 3.5GPA.

here is the truth: neither medical school or optometry school can be compared because they have two different approaches. its like comparing apples to oranges. medicine is more systemic, and optometry school although focuses little on the systemic aspect of the human body, they focus greatly on the eye/ brain and so on.

but i will say this, no Health professional program is a cakewalk, and take my word for it after doing literally my first two years of optometry school at the grad level. with the exception of visual science/ ocular courses i have taken the most difficult didactic courses in any professional program. My grad experiences required just as much dedication as any professional program. yes Optometry school is harder than what i went through, but in all honesty, graduate school especially the type of program i was in taught me one thing: it takes skill, dedication and talent to go through all those 4 years .

if i did not find grad school easy, what makes you think ill find Optometry school or Medical school easy????

 

[vsarge0708]

and take my word for it after doing literally my first two years of optometry school at the grad level.

I will hack your computer and violate it if you say this one more time.

 

[sharpshooter24]

and take my word for it after doing literally my first two years of optometry school at the grad level.

I will hack your computer and violate it if you say this one more time.

so freakin sad..... wow some Optometrist youll turn out to be .

 

[od2bn2009]

and take my word for it after doing literally my first two years of optometry school at the grad level.

I will hack your computer and violate it if you say this one more time.

:salute: Sarge, thanks for saying this for all of the rest of us.

 

[vsarge0708]

so freakin sad..... wow some Optometrist youll turn out to be .

Ditto

 

[sharpshooter24]

OD school is not easy, grad school is not easy, and neither medical school is..

u guys stop saying that OD school is easier than med school and vice versa. they are all hard in their way. and grad school is not anymore easier too.


you have to bust your butts to do well, i had to when i took 11-16 grad credits per semester/ the equivalent to 20 undergrad cretdits....


hey vsarge and od2bn2009, are you happy now... are you going to bash me for what i just said now? man soo much hostility here, talking about being raped by the SDN police.. shesshhh.

 

[gochi]

and take my word for it after doing literally my first two years of optometry school at the grad level.

I will hack your computer and violate it if you say this one more time.

Whoa...how on earth do you have time to hack someone's computer, aren't you already preoccupied with something

 

[gochi]

I dont "definately" know if one is harder than the other because of course I haven't been to both. However, what I was trying to get at was that people think Optometry school is "easy" and its not!

True- 10 courses/sem is difficult.

All I'm saying is that I think people need to respect optometry as a field because of the kind of education we go through. Its not just a 2 year program, its a 4 year doctorate program and we work very hard to get there.[/QUOTE]

Why would you say OD's aren't respected, besides the anecdote on sdn ?

 

[vsarge0708]

Whoa...how on earth do you have time to hack someone's computer, aren't you already preoccupied with something

Well you're not exactly on my christmas list either.

 

[gochi]

Well you're not exactly on my christmas list either.

It would be creepy if anyone was.

 

[vsarge0708]

\

 

[r_salis]

Stop the childish personal attacks, or this thread will be closed.

 

[gochi]

Stop the childish personal attacks, or this thread will be closed.

ok

 

[sharpshooter24]

man and i thought i had problems with people here?

since i started this mess, let me fix if for everyone here, vsarge, od2bn2009, and the rest of you dudes.


ask yourself this question: do you see yourself doing med, dental, optometry school? ask the right questions and maybe you will see something different.

health professional school is hard, i don t care if you are doing med, or optometry. you have 20-30 credits per semester, you have a lot of reading and memorizing to do. you have to interpret stuff in a clinical matter, and so on.

please forgive me if i beat my grad program like a dead horse, but i will say this: i understand personally, mentally and physically why a) health proffessional school is soo damn hard and b) why being a doctor, OD, DDS or pharm is not for everyone, even if they work their butts off. i am willing to accept right now that i may not get into optometry school even when i finished grad school.

i swear on my soul that i got the biggest reality check of my life there. im not trying to cause chaos, confusion, here or spread "dung" as someone said i do.