50 hours of shadowing so far.. Enough??

[coolwinner]

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I have recently decided my mind to be an optometrist instead of a dentist during my senior year.. So I don't have such a fancy experience in this field.. (I used to work at a dental office over two years though.. )
My shadowing hours are so far around 50 hrs in two different private practices. I am worried if that looks enough (or at least okay) in the application. 😳

 

[EyeWitness]

I have recently decided my mind to be an optometrist instead of a dentist during my senior year.. So I don't have such a fancy experience in this field.. (I used to work at a dental office over two years though.. )
My shadowing hours are so far around 50 hrs in two different private practices. I am worried if that looks enough (or at least okay) in the application. 😳

What made you switch from dentistry to optometry ? What are yous stats? did you take the dat, taking the oat?

 

[Oogilily]

I think that should be plenty. Most schools don't even have a requirement for shadowing. Mine required 30 and I did 30 and it was good enough.

 

[ODhereicome]

most optometrists will say you shadowed more than you actually did when the write you a LOR too

 

[Absolute Vision]

From the SCCO Admissions Workshop I attended this summer, it would be wise to also shadow different subspecialties of optometry such as vision therapy, low vision, sports vision, ocular disease, pediatrics, so that you can determine where you would like to fit in the realm of the optometric profession. It's suggested that you shadow at least 1 or 2 days with each OD. Also, make sure to shadow both private practice ODs vs retail ODs (Walmart, mall), since most optometry schools will expect you to know the difference between the two during the interview. Be sure to ask a lot of questions during your shadowing experience, and not just observe optometric procedures. According to the SCCO Admission Director, there's no exact formula for the amount of time required for shadowing but you still need to at least shadow different venues of optometry. I'm sure the shadowing requirements will vary for each optometry school, so make sure you contact the admissions director for each school you're planning to apply to for the accepted requirements.

 

[kafireworks0701]

that's plenty enough.
I don't remember explicitly saying how many hours I shadowed for SUNY and NECO last year...