Hi everyone! I've been panicking somewhat about my situation and would love to have some advice on how to go forward.
I was planning to submit my applications for multiple optometry schools (UCBSO, PUCO, SUNY, OSUCO, SCCO) in time for Fall 2016, but I have not had much luck in shadowing for optometrists. To be honest, I probably only have had about 10 hours of shadowing hours for one optometrist, and am struggling to find other places that are willing to let me shadow. Most of the clinics that I've called have declined to do so. I don't have a family optometrist due to the lack of health insurance in the past, and only had my first visit at a clinic last December. Suffice to say, I never had such a uplifting experience in any medical clinic before. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the staff was helpful, and I felt like people genuinely cared.
Sadly, undergrad stuff had kept me mostly occupied for the rest of the school year, and I was studying for the OAT most of the summer so that left me with very little time to do anything else. I got good results to show for it: TS 370 and AA 370. My GPA is 3.85, which gives me a bit of leeway if I were to shadow a lot during Fall term to make up for it. I'm continuing to tutor Chemistry in my university and am involved in a club that helps students with pre-med courses, if that helps at all.
I guess what I really want to know is this: Is it possible for me to be competitive in this situation? I've heard of many people getting in despite low grades and OAT scores because they have accumulated a lot of experience and are passionate about what they do. But what about the opposite? Is it too much to try and cram experience in during these last few months? Please feel free to be blunt, and thank you to those who reply in advance.
I was planning to submit my applications for multiple optometry schools (UCBSO, PUCO, SUNY, OSUCO, SCCO) in time for Fall 2016, but I have not had much luck in shadowing for optometrists. To be honest, I probably only have had about 10 hours of shadowing hours for one optometrist, and am struggling to find other places that are willing to let me shadow. Most of the clinics that I've called have declined to do so. I don't have a family optometrist due to the lack of health insurance in the past, and only had my first visit at a clinic last December. Suffice to say, I never had such a uplifting experience in any medical clinic before. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the staff was helpful, and I felt like people genuinely cared.
Sadly, undergrad stuff had kept me mostly occupied for the rest of the school year, and I was studying for the OAT most of the summer so that left me with very little time to do anything else. I got good results to show for it: TS 370 and AA 370. My GPA is 3.85, which gives me a bit of leeway if I were to shadow a lot during Fall term to make up for it. I'm continuing to tutor Chemistry in my university and am involved in a club that helps students with pre-med courses, if that helps at all.
I guess what I really want to know is this: Is it possible for me to be competitive in this situation? I've heard of many people getting in despite low grades and OAT scores because they have accumulated a lot of experience and are passionate about what they do. But what about the opposite? Is it too much to try and cram experience in during these last few months? Please feel free to be blunt, and thank you to those who reply in advance.
