Need Advice! Chances of getting in?

[kjpatel10]

Hey guys!

I have a 3.26 GPA overall (not very good I know). I failed OChem I and retook it and ended up with a B. Also, I have improved academically through the years and most recently I finished my junior year of college (both fall and spring semesters) with straight As, with the exception of OChem II lab where I get a B. I have yet to take the OAT and I plan on studying for 3 months about 4-6 hours per day using the Kaplan big book and Chad's videos. I also plan on applying this summer.

The issue I have is that I don't have much experience shadowing, every optometrist I call or visit says they don't allow shadowing (I've asked 9-10). I'm still asking around and I'm optimistic that someone will allow me to shadow, allowing me to rack up 40-50 hours. On some threads I've seen, it seems like this is not enough, and some schools want more. I've also heard that most schools want to see prospective students shadow at more than one place.

What are my chances of being accepted into SUNY, NECO, ICO, AZCOPT, or WUHS?
Thanks in advance!

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[mathcod]

1. Your application is incomplete so it's hard to judge: OAT, pre-req GPA, extracurriculars. Don't worry so much about it, just keep working on improving it.
2. 40 hours of shadowing is in my opinion sufficient. Shadowing one place also sounds sufficient in my opinion.
3. How come you failed orgo, then got a B? What happened differently?
4. Don't give up unless you lose interest in the field.

 

[roush137]

Your GPA isn't that bad if you can pair it with a good OAT and experiences. I wouldn't try too hard to bulk up your shadowing hours, but see what else you can get involved in optometry related. Many optometry conferences allow students, try to attend one. Volunteer at a vision screening (they are always looking for volunteers regardless of experience.) Shadowing is just showing the admissions committee that you are interested in the profession. You won't want to do 40 hours with one doctor. After about a half day, most optometrists say something like "Well, that's about all I can show you as a student."

As for your chances, your GPA isn't a killer, unless your prerequisite or science GPAs are under 3.0. So study hard for your OAT and get as many diverse optometry experiences in as you can!

 

[Xtermination]

[QUOTE="2. 40 hours of shadowing is in my opinion sufficient. Shadowing one place also sounds sufficient in my opinion.
.[/QUOTE]
I agree with mathcod, but shadowing different practices definitely helps, that way get different perspective from different practices such as commercial, private and hospital. I know they loved that while I was being interviewed earlier this year.

 

[rbhakta05]

You should be fine just as long as you keep your GPA up. As far as OAT goes, I studied for about a month and half and did decent, so 3 months should be enough time to fully prepare yourself for the test. Shadowing wise, I've only shadowed at one place and currently work there now in the lab. I think just as long as you get a good grasp about the field and what to expect as an optometrist, it doesn't matter how many hours you have. As stated in the previous posts, they can only show you so much as a student. However, more shadowing hours wouldn't hurt as well.
Assuming you're applying for the 2016 entering class, just as long as you apply early, I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting into an opto school. If you have any more questions, just PM me!

 

[kjpatel10]

Thanks for the responses!