What are my chances?

[aznnytezx]

Okay, I am thinking about switching to optometry. I am also not too sure because of job security. So I need help. Right now, I am applying to dental schools possibly. I am still debating if I should withdraw my application and go with optometry.

I have not shadowed an optometrist yet, but I think I am planning to this summer. If I apply this cycle or next cycle, what are my chances for a Texas optometry school. Mentioning that I am a Texas resident.

How many shadowing hours do I need? How many different optometrist should I shadow?

Here are my stats/credentials:

Science GPA: 3.61
University GPA: 3.61
Overall GPA: (From pre-high school, but there was dual credit classes): 3.56

Leadership roles: Two for the university, and one for the community
Volunteer: 150 hours+ at the hospital, 100+ for other communities
Work: No optometry-field related work, but I have been working throughout college to pay for my tuition.

OAT: To be determined, what should I aim for? I am guessing my two worst sections will be reading and physics. As in worst, maybe a 50-60 % tile?

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[EyEnStein 07]

First off, since you are a texas resident you should look at the admissions requirements for UHCO. There is actually a list of average GPA and OAT scores for all optometry schools. But be aware of the fact that different schools have different requirements. Unless you were a biology major or something related, you might need to take an extra course of two.

Check this out: http://www.opt.uh.edu/academics/od/class-profile.cfm

You should aim for OAT scores higher than that. But ofcourse, you want to do as best as you can.

Im not sure about school requirements in general for shadowing or how many OD's you should shadow (you can call and find out) but SUNY recommends shadowing atleast 3 optometrists in different modes. They are not specific on the amount of hours. I personally feel that someone can shadow 3 different optometrists one day each and get more out of that experience than someone who shadows 3 optometrists for a week (each). It really depends on if youre asking the right questions (although this is subjective) and if you truly got something out of the experience.

Also just to put this out there, although many on this forum might advise you to look for another career path or make an argument against optometry... one thing that I think everyone can agree on is that if you must do optometry, the less debt the better. So if you end up at UHCO and pay the instate tuition, you'll likely be far better off than other grads who have 200k+ in loans to pay back.

Best of luck!

 

[optomvt]

Okay, I am thinking about switching to optometry. I am also not too sure because of job security. So I need help. Right now, I am applying to dental schools possibly. I am still debating if I should withdraw my application and go with optometry.

I have not shadowed an optometrist yet, but I think I am planning to this summer. If I apply this cycle or next cycle, what are my chances for a Texas optometry school. Mentioning that I am a Texas resident.

How many shadowing hours do I need? How many different optometrist should I shadow?

Here are my stats/credentials:

Science GPA: 3.61
University GPA: 3.61
Overall GPA: (From pre-high school, but there was dual credit classes): 3.56

Leadership roles: Two for the university, and one for the community
Volunteer: 150 hours+ at the hospital, 100+ for other communities
Work: No optometry-field related work, but I have been working throughout college to pay for my tuition.

OAT: To be determined, what should I aim for? I am guessing my two worst sections will be reading and physics. As in worst, maybe a 50-60 % tile?

This isn't something you should just fall into. I would shadow several optometrists and do your research before attempting to apply to optometry schools.

As far as the OAT goes, research the schools you're interested in to determine what the average scores are for their accepted applicants. For best chances, aim for a 320 or above- although, some schools admit with lower scores, it just depends.