Multiple question thread

[PoopyFaceTomatoNose]

Hello everyone. I have multiple questions. I have been travelling the forums and researching looking for answers but everything I see is pure doom and gloom.

First of all, whats up with all the doom and gloom? The unemployment rate of optometrists is really low. People end up working for some corporate entity all the time, but I don't see how guaranteed pay and benefits are a bad thing. I personally live in Oklahoma, and if I were to get in to Optometry school, I would likely work where ever was hiring and save up a bit then open up a practice in a rural area. Is it just that everyone doesn't want to live in a rural area? Because I actually heavily prefer it.

Another question, I am a typical college student. I've changed my desired career several times. I originally wanted to get a Ph.D. and do scientific research. My little sister got incredibly sick and almost died and I decided, after trying research and hating it on top of everything else, that I wanted to directly help people. I started with the traditional "I want to be an MD!" route, got disenchanted with the medical profession for several reasons, the biggest of which is the time needed and the fact that I don't want a highly stressful job. I decided I wanted to help people in a preventative aspect. I went dental. I took the DAT, did decently (20AA, 20PAT) but then had to sit and seriously consider the fact that I was only going dental because of the high pay. I decided optometry was the best option because I absolutely love eyes! My research was in eyes, and the actual subject matter is the only thing I liked about the experience. I hated the actual carrying out of experiments, but I loved learning about eyes. Every time I learn an little more about vision and eyes I get more and more into it.

Does my story sound like enough, or do I need more? The truth of the mater is that the reason I like optometry is because I want to help people in a more preventative manner and hate the idea of residency training and just the general lifestyle of doctor. I also don't like the idea of paying crazy malpractice insurance. What do I do if someone asks why I didn't go MD and do an ophthalmologist? I'm worried my reasons just seem kind of lame.

Also, quick stats so I can know my chances from you guys. My GPA is 3.8something and may go down a bit this semester. I'm taking a gap year, not entirely sure what to do with it because it was for financial reasons and I need something that pays so that I can apply to optometry schools. I got a 20AA on my DAT, which was around the 85th percentile. I've heard the OAT and DAT are very very similar in all the subjects with physics added so I'm thinking I'll make a decent score on the OAT as well with some studying and revisiting some subjects. My EC's are good. I was involved in multiple organizations, including being and officer in my fraternity, for pre-healthcare professions club and president of Student Government Association at my school. I also served on several university committees (I appointed myself to several important ones because that was one of my responsibilities as student body president). Am I okay application-wise if I work somewhere random and do some shadowing? I have no shadowing as of yet.

Thanks for any and all help!

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[OpticalBlackOut]

Another question, I am a typical college student. I've changed my desired career several times. I originally wanted to get a Ph.D. and do scientific research. My little sister got incredibly sick and almost died and I decided, after trying research and hating it on top of everything else, that I wanted to directly help people. I started with the traditional "I want to be an MD!" route, got disenchanted with the medical profession for several reasons, the biggest of which is the time needed and the fact that I don't want a highly stressful job. I decided I wanted to help people in a preventative aspect. I went dental. I took the DAT, did decently (20AA, 20PAT) but then had to sit and seriously consider the fact that I was only going dental because of the high pay. I decided optometry was the best option because I absolutely love eyes! My research was in eyes, and the actual subject matter is the only thing I liked about the experience. I hated the actual carrying out of experiments, but I loved learning about eyes. Every time I learn an little more about vision and eyes I get more and more into it.

Does my story sound like enough, or do I need more? The truth of the mater is that the reason I like optometry is because I want to help people in a more preventative manner and hate the idea of residency training and just the general lifestyle of doctor. I also don't like the idea of paying crazy malpractice insurance. What do I do if someone asks why I didn't go MD and do an ophthalmologist? I'm worried my reasons just seem kind of lame.

Like many others, you're at the stage where shadowing optometrists is absolutely crucial.
It doesn't help for others to feed you why we chose optometry over ophthalmology, you have to discover that for yourself.
Best thing to do is to gain exposure to the different specialties: VAs, vision therapy, low vision rehabilitation, and specialty contact lens fits.
Go, explore (especially with that gap year) and discover.

Don't do it to pad your application, dedicate yourself to it because you need to make sure this is what you want to do for the rest of your life.

 

[PoopyFaceTomatoNose]

I get your point, I'm just worried my reasoning for not wanting to do an MD doesn't seem legitimate enough.

 

[hello07]

Hello everyone. I have multiple questions. I have been travelling the forums and researching looking for answers but everything I see is pure doom and gloom.

First of all, whats up with all the doom and gloom? The unemployment rate of optometrists is really low. People end up working for some corporate entity all the time, but I don't see how guaranteed pay and benefits are a bad thing. I personally live in Oklahoma, and if I were to get in to Optometry school, I would likely work where ever was hiring and save up a bit then open up a practice in a rural area. Is it just that everyone doesn't want to live in a rural area? Because I actually heavily prefer it.

Another question, I am a typical college student. I've changed my desired career several times. I originally wanted to get a Ph.D. and do scientific research. My little sister got incredibly sick and almost died and I decided, after trying research and hating it on top of everything else, that I wanted to directly help people. I started with the traditional "I want to be an MD!" route, got disenchanted with the medical profession for several reasons, the biggest of which is the time needed and the fact that I don't want a highly stressful job. I decided I wanted to help people in a preventative aspect. I went dental. I took the DAT, did decently (20AA, 20PAT) but then had to sit and seriously consider the fact that I was only going dental because of the high pay. I decided optometry was the best option because I absolutely love eyes! My research was in eyes, and the actual subject matter is the only thing I liked about the experience. I hated the actual carrying out of experiments, but I loved learning about eyes. Every time I learn an little more about vision and eyes I get more and more into it.

Does my story sound like enough, or do I need more? The truth of the mater is that the reason I like optometry is because I want to help people in a more preventative manner and hate the idea of residency training and just the general lifestyle of doctor. I also don't like the idea of paying crazy malpractice insurance. What do I do if someone asks why I didn't go MD and do an ophthalmologist? I'm worried my reasons just seem kind of lame.

Also, quick stats so I can know my chances from you guys. My GPA is 3.8something and may go down a bit this semester. I'm taking a gap year, not entirely sure what to do with it because it was for financial reasons and I need something that pays so that I can apply to optometry schools. I got a 20AA on my DAT, which was around the 85th percentile. I've heard the OAT and DAT are very very similar in all the subjects with physics added so I'm thinking I'll make a decent score on the OAT as well with some studying and revisiting some subjects. My EC's are good. I was involved in multiple organizations, including being and officer in my fraternity, for pre-healthcare professions club and president of Student Government Association at my school. I also served on several university committees (I appointed myself to several important ones because that was one of my responsibilities as student body president). Am I okay application-wise if I work somewhere random and do some shadowing? I have no shadowing as of yet.

Thanks for any and all help!

From 16 US Optometry schools twenty years ago to now 21 plus Virginia and Kentucky opening in near future. Total of 23 Optometry Schools graduating more and more optometrists every year. Saturation in many cities while salaries have remained stagnant over the past 5- years or so. Optometrists are getting into medical billing etc for additional income. Opening a practice cold depending where can be difficult. You need to shadow as they mentioned above an optometrist in several settings- VAs private- commercial and clinics and see if it suits your desires.
You say now you don't want to become a doctor because you don't like the idea of residency and lifestyle but 10 15 20 years from now you might EAT THOSE WORDS AND REGRET IT. I'm not here to persuade you not to become an optometrist but to caution you on Optometry as a profession ($$$$$$) is in a downward spiral. There are many issues behind this can't get involved with them now but do your homework well before entering a profession that you can see yourself doing for the next 40-50 years plus. With a 3.8 take your MCATS, and apply to med school.
You will be more marketable than any OD. Your return on your investment will be far greater than a typical OD return. Your choice. Choose carefully so you don't end up like thousands of other ODs saying to themselves I should have, could have, would have.

Best Wishes to you on your life journey.

 

[EyeCaptain]

I get your point, I'm just worried my reasoning for not wanting to do an MD doesn't seem legitimate enough.

I really wouldn't worry about this. Admissions committees are more concerned with your reasons for wanting to be an OD than they are with why you don't want to be an MD. They might ask you why you don't want to be an Ophthalmologist, but that may be more geared toward finding out if you've done your research. There is a huge difference between MD's and OD's, and there is a lot of regret on this website from OD's who wish they had gone to medical school. That may be because of the money, or because they chose Optometry school thinking that they would still get to feel and act like an MD and they became disillusioned. Your reasons are similar to mine, and that's OK. Honestly, medical school would probably a better return on investment, but you are obviously concerned with the other aspects. I personally don't want to deal with half the things MD's deal with (I can't speak for all specialties), and I have little to no interest in surgery. I want to do what an OD does, and you have to learn that through shadowing.

There is a lot of nay-saying as well, and it can get extreme on these forums, but keep in mind that there is some truth behind almost all of it. Also keep in mind that it's a big country, and doctors can practice in many different situations. I think a big part of the problem is that people don't want to live in rural areas, like you mentioned, although there's not necessarily a dearth of optometrists in rural areas either. You really just have to go where you are needed. Be willing to relocate and go where the jobs are. I would recommend shadowing as much as you can, and ask about all of the negative aspects of Optometry. You will find some happy OD's and some unhappy OD's (mostly happy, at least in my experience), and you'll have to decide if you will be happy in this profession. Good luck!