Might switch from premed to optometry

[desigirl101]

Hey guys,

I'm a junior in college, originally a premed student but now I'm think of doing optometry instead. Is it too late? I've done my research, I know most of the premed classes and optometry classes are pretty similar and my gpa is 3.4 (is that good?), I have volunteering experience, I've got research experience, I've only shadowed one optometrist but he's actually the reason I'm considering switching. This isn't a fallback or something if med school doesn't work out, he honestly just seemed so much happier with his career than most doctors I've shadowed to, and I'd really rather be happy than anything else. But I want advice from people who have experience, are you glad that you're in optometry? I've been asking people and searching through the internet and generally I'm finding positive things but then I find stuff like this: http://www.optoblog.com/2007/01/21/do-not-become-an-optometrist/ and it freaks me out!! So essentially, I was wondering, are you happy you chose optometry? and I know I'm not absolutely ready to apply or anything but is it too late for me to switch to optometry?

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[p0intless]

I switched from premed to optometry and was accepted into SUNY this year. I even sent out my primary application and took the MCATs before I called it quits. I shadowed various physicians doctors at multiple settings and worked in the ER. I ended up becoming disillusioned by the realities of medicine. I did not like the lifestyle (hard to get a good work-life balance) and because of that, the time and money investment became less worthwhile to me. This is why I turned to optometry because I don't mind earning less if it means less job stress and more time to spend with family. Granted the job scenario isnt great in some markets like in parts of California, but I spoke to several optometrists in my area (NYC) who assure me that jobs are plentiful BUT they may not be in your desired setting as many are part-time fill ins which means no benefits, but you can still make 90k+ starting. Many have worked for 2-3 years in retail before moving to a private practice with better pay and benefits and its uncommon to hear of unemployed optometrists. Since my biggest fear was not being able to find a job, I was reassured. You can check BLS data for more objective salary figures and areas of saturation. Overall I am happy with my choice because it is a career that isnt really dirty and you can truly provide a necessary service to society, you dont need to deal with death or sickly patients, and you have far greater work-life balance. Downside compared to medicine would be lifetime income, respect from society and true job security/stability. Also it's never too late to apply. I think the average age of an entering class is 25 and I will be 24 when I start.

You just have to ask yourself what's more important to you when choosing a career. Do you care more about money and respect, then do not go into optometry. Do you want to be a hero, save lives and earn the admiration of your peers and public? Optometry probably isnt for you either since the reality of the profession is that most of the general public doesn't know the difference between opticians, optometrists and opthalmologists and as a result your capabilities and work aren't as appreciated to the extent that they should be. Do you want a career that's exciting and different, presenting new challenges for you each day? Optometry could be for you if you work in research, a large specialty clinic or some private practices but in most commercial practices, optometrists get stuck doing basic routine exams. Or do you want to help others such as by correcting the vision of young children and enabling them to learn in school? Do you want to work a regular schedule, not have to bring any work home and be able to come home to your family at reasonable hours? Do you want a clean working environment and relatively low work stress? Optometry could be for you.

For me, what makes me happy is spending time with my significant other and being able to raise a family. Every optometrist that I personally spoke with obtained this. Work-life balance and being able to help others by providing a necessary service was my primary draw and for me I can take all the other cons of the profession.

In the end do your own research and decide. You can only extrapolate so much from advice given to you by strangers on the internet

 

[paasnaas]

I don't think its late at all. I was originally a pre-med student but I also made the switch to optometry and now I'm attending berkeley for optometry school. I'm a first year student and I am really loving where I am at and I am so happy that I made the switch! In college I knew I wanted to do something with healthcare and I initially chose to go down medical route because I thought it was a better decision; more fields, more opportunities. I spent a lot of shadowing and volunteer hours in the medical setting and later than sooner I found it I was not happy with it. And after I graduated from college I used the next few months to study for the MCAT, and I did take it. But even before taking the MCAT I was not happy with the field I was choosing, I just kept forcing myself to go down that route. And so after my MCAT I really took some time to really ponder and decide what it is I wanted to do because in the end I would be much happier making less but doing something that makes my proud; happiness & fulfillment with a career choice were very important with me. I was neither happy nor fulfilled with the medical setting. Don't get me wrong, Medicine is a wonderful profession and I applaud the people that choose it, but it wasn't something 'I' wanted to do.

In middle school I got my first pair of glasses and have been wearing glasses ever since. I always loved and had a great experience seeing my optometrist growing up. And so after taking the MCAT is when I decided to go shadow an optometrist (a little late, yes). My first optometric experience captivated me. And that experience led to another experience and that lead to many others. The more experience I got in the field, the more it convinced me and showed me how fulfilling optometry can be as a career. And so about a year after I graduated from college is when I decided to choose optometry. At that point I started studying for the OAT and took it twice. So I took 2 years off from graduating college before starting optometry school. And so that's the reason why I don't think its late to switch or apply.

I definitely would spend time and ask yourself this question: "what do you want out of a career?". When someone asked me that question a while back, it resonated with me and it helped me really decide that optometry was a great fit. As far as your academics, 3.4 GPA is a pretty good GPA. My overall GPA was about the same and my science GPA was about a 3.1, but I was very fortunate enough to do really well on my OAT. So your OAT score is weighed more than your GPA.

 

[RadixLuminogen]

I think a lot of it depends on whether its a good career choice for you, not so much for other people.

-Do you like science a lot?
-Do you like interacting with many people everyday?
-Can you get through school with relatively little debt because starting at -$160,000 is common nowadays but was almost never the case anytime in the past.

All important things to consider

 

[thecgrblue]

I left optometry school and went to med school. Best choice ever, for me.

Not everyone can hack medical training. If you're wavering at this point then. You probably will not enjoy medicine. However, making your decision of the happiness you perceive of doctors you spent time around is a terrible decision.

The thing that is the most hilarious is "I just want to do the job that makes me happy". You make your own happiness

 

[paasnaas]

I left optometry school and went to med school. Best choice ever, for me.

Not everyone can hack medical training. If you're wavering at this point then. You probably will not enjoy medicine. However, making your decision of the happiness you perceive of doctors you spent time around is a terrible decision.

The thing that is the most hilarious is "I just want to do the job that makes me happy". You make your own happiness

Can you elaborate more as to what made you leave optometry school and go into med school? And when in opto school did you make that decision?

 

[thecgrblue]

Can you elaborate more as to what made you leave optometry school and go into med school? And when in opto school did you make that decision?

- Debt to income ratio for me would've been absurd
- didn't want to narrow my options down to eyes only
- wanted a broader knowledge base
- didnt want to end up have a professional degree and working as a corporate slave
- stopped listening to the BS optometry schools were telling me
- options...there are far far far far far far far more options as a physician.

Those are just a few, most are unique to me so I don't expect everyone to share them.

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

- didnt want to end up have a professional degree and working as a corporate slave

this.
having a high school graduate tell you how many exams you should be seeing and when your hours are = despicable

 

[p0intless]

^What these previous posters are probably referring to is working as an optometrist in a commercial setting (walmart, lenscrafter, pearle vision etc.)
Yes it does suck, there's no doubt about that. In fact I'm willing to bet the majority of optometrists whining about their career are those working in one of these chains. While it's likely that ill be working at a commercial practice after graduation out of necessity for a little while because its hard to find a private practice with no experience, obviously my end goal would not be to make a career at one of these places. Every optometrist I've spoken to has at least spent some time at a commercial practice but all are now in either private practice or at a hospital. All of them are content with their careers and have some to full level of autonomy in their day to day routine.

At the same time, I know of doctors who after medical school, with tons of debt, went into private practice and complains of unsatisfying income and having to see overwhelming amounts of patients to justify their practice and education. What to take from this? It's up to you to make the most of your career. There will be happy and unhappy people in any career you think of pursuing.

Personally, overall I think medicine is a better career. But, its just not for me.

 

[drumstix]

- Debt to income ratio for me would've been absurd
- didn't want to narrow my options down to eyes only
- wanted a broader knowledge base
- didnt want to end up have a professional degree and working as a corporate slave
- stopped listening to the BS optometry schools were telling me
- options...there are far far far far far far far more options as a physician.

Those are just a few, most are unique to me so I don't expect everyone to share them.

But at least some of those things you should've known before applying to optometry schools. Lol good that you're finally on the right track and on the career path that you will enjoy in the future.

 

[BeesKnees22]

Make the switch if you want, but I wouldn't be surprised if you hit a point of great regret. I genuinely hope that you won't regret it and that you'll be happy with your decision.

 

[mathcod]

Sorry. tl;dr (read some of the first post and the linked article) but I felt like commenting somewhat on-topic.

You can make the switch to optometry during this application cycle and you'll most likely get in. I found interest in optometry school over Thanksgiving break during my senior year (was a bio major already and had most pre-reqs done but I was set on continuing in higher education rather than med or any other field), applied to Berkeley before their cycle closed. Interviewed and got rejected, applied to ICO the day before their deadline, interviewed and got accepted. I've met a lot of super smart students and a lot of really dumb students that baffled me how I could have lost acceptance over them. You'll probably do just fine with your background/scores.

The job is pretty easy and I'm generally happy.

Off-topic about pharmacy (not a bashing comment but just my own encounter with it and the fact it was mentioned in the article): My sister is a pharmacist and she earns more than I do but she says her work is really hard and stressful. The reason pharmacists earn so much is because they carry a lot of liability (she's the managing doc over 16 techs and one other doc) she says. She says she cries sometimes after work; she said her friend pharmacist cries sometimes too and that one of the places she externed at had a pharmacist who cried because of her job. I had a pharmacist patient come in for an eye exam today and I asked her she thought it was hard and she admitted to crying sometimes after work. I can agree that the job can be hard because some places like Walgreens and CVS forbid you from being able to sit (so she wears compression stalkings), customers are usually angry/irate, and there are a lot of scammers/drifters/druggies trying to get syringes, narcotics, use stolen prescription pads, etc, and the staff can easily make mistakes that you are liable for.

 

[christinaphan92]

Is there anyone truly happy in any health field??? I was getting bogged down from the negativity in the pharmacy forum..I guess it's kind of encouraging (in a morbid way) to see there is discontent in every field. OT; I was just wondering why I never considered optometry....

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Is there anyone truly happy in any health field??? I was getting bogged down from the negativity in the pharmacy forum..I guess it's kind of encouraging (in a morbid way) to see there is discontent in every field. OT; I was just wondering why I never considered optometry....

Of course, but healthcare is a service industry, which can be stressful and wear people down. Poor job markets in some fields certainly don't help anything. People also tend to come here to vent, so things may skew negative at times. The negativity used to get me down too, but after a while you just learn how to tune certain things out.

 

[Jcrab17]

Is there anyone truly happy in any health field??? I was getting bogged down from the negativity in the pharmacy forum..I guess it's kind of encouraging (in a morbid way) to see there is discontent in every field. OT; I was just wondering why I never considered optometry....

Ya i have noticed a ton of negatives in all of the medical forums lol. It just sounds like student loans are a bummer for most. However, I have watched my dad for 23 years in the field and he loves it. He owns 5 private practices and HATES taking days off. We just had christmas break and he was all cranky and antsy just wanting to get back to work. So it isn't all bad. Some people end up in a better situation than others...but that happens with a lot of things in life.
But YES there are some optometrists out there that love what they do! I hope to be one of them someday

 

[christinaphan92]

Ya i have noticed a ton of negatives in all of the medical forums lol. It just sounds like student loans are a bummer for most. However, I have watched my dad for 23 years in the field and he loves it. He owns 5 private practices and HATES taking days off. We just had christmas break and he was all cranky and antsy just wanting to get back to work. So it isn't all bad. Some people end up in a better situation than others...but that happens with a lot of things in life.
But YES there are some optometrists out there that love what they do! I hope to be one of them someday

I'm not optometry but I just wanted more info on it. I've read two accounts already that students are better off doing pharmacy rather than opt., but if you go into the pharmacy forum, they are telling everyone to NOT do pharmacy period. I guess these people never considered loan repayment programs? Most of the unhappy people are working retail, I think. ANY retail job, high to low, wears you down eventually...

 

[Jcrab17]

I'm not optometry but I just wanted more info on it. I've read two accounts already that students are better off doing pharmacy rather than opt., but if you go into the pharmacy forum, they are telling everyone to NOT do pharmacy period. I guess these people never considered loan repayment programs? Most of the unhappy people are working retail, I think. ANY retail job, high to low, wears you down eventually...

haha unfortunately that is very true. Hell my sister worked at Target and hated her life so....I think people are forcing occupations instead of doing something they have a passion for. Not all, but some. Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[steviey2493]

I really think people who are unhappy might not have the easiest job market either. I am from upstate NY. There are TWO positions that have been open for a couple months at a private practice near me due to people retiring, starting at $120,000. That's awesome. No one really wants to come to 5 degree weather with 8% taxes. Staying here might get me a better job right from the start. Where maybe being in NYC, or Florida, or California, places often viewed as "destinations" might be a bit tougher. Just my two cents. Do your research.

If you want to make 6 figures and have 0 work stress at home,"live" a bit more than a typical person, have a great family life, and still give a necessary service to people then optometry is for you.

If you care about job prestige, making HUGE amounts of money,and don't mind some bad hours or being on call all of the time and being around sick people, go with medicine.

All what you prefer!

 

[realityred]

Easy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.
asy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.

 

[drumstix]

Easy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.
asy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.

thanks for posting the same exact passage two times in a row.

anyways, if you want to talk about the real money, it's in the manufacturing business -- all that equipment that the healthcare field uses... that's where you should go if you want the big dolla bills $$$$$

one simle xray machine in an orthodontist office can cost as much as a small house, and there are many more that are even more expensive.. so let's not compare d*** sizes here because there's always someone who's making more lol

 

[steviey2493]

Easy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.
asy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.

Great input troll. I'm sure it's that easy. -__-

You forgot to mention that money is clearly your only objective in life, some of us it is not. OH and if you don't OWN your own "family practice" the average salary is about $175,000 just to work there according to salary.com and medscape. So to make your "easy 350k" enjoy getting some start up money after 10+ years of school and then you must become established, when you are already in your 30s.

Some of us will gladly take our 100 grand a year, and enjoy not being called in at random/late hours, dealing with sick people and injuries, and bringing stress home from work. Or the stress of starting your own practice when you are already in debt and 30 years old. I'll still be driving my nice Infiniti around at that salary, don't you worry.

 

[steviey2493]

Easy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.
asy ..look at any employment website there are a lot more jobs available for MD compared to OD virtually zero OD opportunities and max out at average 100 k whereas MD easily averages 350K even in government veterans hospitals where multiple positions are open while if u r lucky u may see one opening for one OD offering 96k starting and even after 40 yes the salary will never be even close.

Oh and according to medscape, last year only 6% of all MD workers made $300-400k. So yeah.

 

[drumstix]

Oh and according to medscape, last year only 6% of all MD workers made $300-400k. So yeah.

he's hoping to be in that 0.06 margin

 

[Taya]

Honestly I LOVE OPTOMETRY I can't imagine doing anything else. But that's me, so take my comment with a grain of salt. You should shadow more optometrists and gather more opinions on the field. There are bound to be optometrists that aren't in love with their jobs. Find out why and if you can live with the negatives. You do not make as much being an optometrist or get as much respect/prestige as a MD/DO while having to deal with similar amounts of debt from school. But it is less stressful, and you work regular standard hours. Can you live with looking at eyes for the next 40 yrs? To me that sounds fun! =) It is never too late to change your mind one way or the other. I know tons of people who went pre-med to opto and opto to pre-med. Heck I had a friend who applied to opto school, got interviews and changed her mind, took two years off to work in the medical field and is now applying to PA programs. Like everyone before me has stated it is all personal preference, and a decision you need to make yourself after gathering as much info as possible. Keep researching and make an informed decision, don't rush into it because you feel like you're running out of time. It is better to think it through now and be confidant in your decision than to change your mind a year into med school or optometry school, especially with the cost of tuition. Best of Luck! =D

 

[EyeCaptain]

Hey guys,

I'm a junior in college, originally a premed student but now I'm think of doing optometry instead. Is it too late? I've done my research, I know most of the premed classes and optometry classes are pretty similar and my gpa is 3.4 (is that good?), I have volunteering experience, I've got research experience, I've only shadowed one optometrist but he's actually the reason I'm considering switching. This isn't a fallback or something if med school doesn't work out, he honestly just seemed so much happier with his career than most doctors I've shadowed to, and I'd really rather be happy than anything else. But I want advice from people who have experience, are you glad that you're in optometry? I've been asking people and searching through the internet and generally I'm finding positive things but then I find stuff like this: http://www.optoblog.com/2007/01/21/do-not-become-an-optometrist/ and it freaks me out!! So essentially, I was wondering, are you happy you chose optometry? and I know I'm not absolutely ready to apply or anything but is it too late for me to switch to optometry?

I would like to echo what has been said thus far in this thread, and also drop my two cents on your comment about optoblog. I'm ashamed that the creator of that blog is an alumnus of the school I am about to attend. You will find the internet riddled with nay-sayers. They are unhappy with their situation and have fashioned their pessimism into a fancy umbrella which they place over the entire profession. Are there unhappy Optometrists? Yep. Are they 97% more likely to unleash their opinion over the internet than happy, successful Optometrists? Absolutely. Don't take the negative online comments you find online (this forum included) as an accurate cross section of the profession of Optometry. Not many successful OD's wake up in the morning with an overwhelming desire to post their success online. They are busy seeing patients. This doesn't mean that every negative isn't true, but keep in mind the profession faces different challenges in different parts of the country. Optometry is a great profession, gather as much information as you can, and decide which career fits your goals.

 

[realityred]

I'm not troll .

 

[realityred]

Definitely shadow both a OD on a Saturday and an MD ophthalmologist who leaves 2x weekly in the afternoon to golf or who takes off early Thurs. for the weekly long weekend off. I've worked at both types of clinic settings. Find a mentor and see which Dr enjoys more down time. If you have family you will desire down time. Ok, yes you can love your job, work 7 days a week, like some ODs I personally know. Whatever, it's your life. Mentorship is the best.