Advice for a technican who wants to be an OD

[armoman92]

Hello everyone! I finally signed up on SDN. Glad to be part of the community!
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I was just wondering if anyone here has worked their way into optometry school. I am think about applying for next year, and would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience on their journey to becoming an OD. I just turned 22 years old a month ago.

I would really appreciate some advice on how to fortify my chances for accepted into an OD program. Most posters here give a brief bio, so Ill post mine here as well. I’m going to split mine into two parts, academic and professional.

ACADEMIC

Oh man, here it goes… I’m one of those low GPA but high aptitude candidates. Here is a general breakdown. I started off as pre-med at NYU, but because of some family issues, my studies were not the best. My science classes suffered. I have two semester of gen-chem under my belt, with a B/B- average. I have 1 semester of O-chem, with a C-, 1 semester of physics with an A, and 1 semester of BIO with a B-. I’ve taken AP classes in Bio and Calc AB and BC with 5’s in all three. I was a liberal arts major, and my GPA in those classes is a B+/A-.

In all honesty, those grades don’t really reflect my aptitude. I speak 4 languages, and I am a computer hardware whiz on the side. I am a bit of late bloomer as well, and I am finally finding my motivation to do better in my academic studies. I never really learned “how to study,” but I am getting better as age and responsibility become parts of my life.

After 2 semesters at NYU, I received an Associates Degree (Liberal Studies) and dropped out of the Bachelors program I was in. Since then, I have taken 1 additional semester at CUNY New York City College of Technology, where I got a 4.0 in the Computer Engineering program. I have paused that education as well, because I have to pay rent 🙂.

English is my strongest academic quality. I write, a lot. I have written many a letters for OMD’s.

PROFESSIONAL

I have been in the field for about 2 years now. I am certified through JCAHPO. I am a very quick learner when it comes to vocational training.

I am currently employed as an ophthalmic technician. I work at a LASIK farm, as I like to call it. I’ll leave it unnamed. It’s a part-time gig and I get commission. I took the job in order to devote some time to studying for the OAT. I see about 10-15 patients a day there. I refract all of them, dry, and do a general eye exam on all of them, up to the DFE. The word IOL is taboo here 😀.

I started off, at age 19, at a busy ophthalmology (cornea) practice in Manhattan. I was doing the grunt work (visual fields, checking VA, lensomerty), but I quickly moved up the ranks at my job. I was senior tech when I left (money reasons). I was seeing anywhere from 25 to 30 patients a day there. It was hell, but it sure trained me well. I also had a chance to have subordinates of my own, which is a cool feeling.

Now, I am very experienced. I can operate almost every commercial ophthalmic imaging/biometry machine out there. I read the manuals, which nobody does apparently 😛. I usually end up educating the manufacturer reps on features they didn’t even know about.

I can refract very well too. The surgeons I work for trust my refractions, even for difficult Rx’s and various pathologies. I can preform retinoscopy, which I use to double-check difficult refractions. I do monovision and near refractions a well. I can also refract with patients with huge language barriers as well (lots of hand motions involved, lol).

I can preform Goldmann applanation tonometry, and fit soft contact lenses for easier Rx's (yes, some practices have techs do this). I can preform B-scans (for emergency screening mostly) and I can operate a UBM too.

I am handy with the slit-lamp, in the anterior segment. I understand and apply techniques such as optical sectioning, broad beam illumination, direct illumination, retro-illumination, tangential illumination, proximal illumination and specular reflection. I can catch a lot of corneal defects/abnormalities, even though I may not be able to diagnose all of them. I just have not done any retinal exams, because I don’t see patients after I dilate them.

I am certified by Abbott in operating the VISX STAR S4 IR laser.

To date, I have trained 4 new hires, in becoming ophthalmic techs. Two of them have landed jobs at some pretty prestigious practices in Manhattan with the skill sets I endowed them. I’ve also trained 5 or 6, younger/new OD’s in operating ophthalmic machinery (various OCT machines, mostly). I’ve also trained 2 foreign OMD’s, who came to the USA, in operating ophthalmic machinery (OCT and IOL master/immersion A-scan).

I could go on, but this should give a good idea of where I am at. I can PM my CV if anyone want’s to give me more advice.

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Now, back to why I am posting…

Do you think my professional work can bolster my sub-par academics? If so, to what extent?

Do optometry schools give leeway, or possibly offer exceptions, to their admissions requirements for non traditional applicants like myself?

I could possibly get up to seven or eight letters of recommendation from OMD/ODs. Would overkill here make a difference?

No offense to other applicants here, but I have done way more than just shadow. Do you think my skill sets can differentiate me from other applicants, and even possibly put me ahead?

I feel as though I would fly through optometry school, and many OD’s I have worked with have told me the same thing.

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Any advice, comments would be greatly appreciated! If you took the time to read, thanks!

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[Loptometriste]

You mention that you have received mostly A's and B's with one C-. If that is the case, you're GPA is most likely above a 3.0. You will need to retake Organic Chem I because a C- will not count.

If you say you have a high aptitude, then the OAT should not be difficult for you. With above a 3.0, a good OAT score, and your experience, you'll be accepted somewhere. Write a good personal statement. Show that you have experience and certain of the career choice but don't boast. Only use the amount of a recommendations the school requests. Ask those who will give you the best letter.

Having your experience will make optometry school fun, because you will learn a lot of the whys and the information of the diseases more in depth. It will be frustrating sometimes because they might teach you how do something different than how you were trained. If you are open-minded, then it will be fun. Just remember, there are a lot of things in Optometry school that do not directly relate to patient interaction in clinic. You will still have a lot of science/human anatomy and physiology classes as well as several semesters of in-depth optics.

You know you have the desire to pursue it, and I am very happy that I have worked as a COA before coming to school. I have an understanding of what I am getting into as far as the day-to-day life as an optometrist. So on the days that you are struggling to study and have tons of exams coming up, just remember the patients you have worked with before.

 

[OptomGirl957]

Working as an ophthalmic technician definitely is a huge benefit for optometry school. I was one for 6 years before I started. It helps you with patient interaction and a lot of what you will learn in the clinic. The schools know this and will take your experience into consideration for admission.

That being said, optometry school, especially the first year, is NOT at all like being a tech. It is hard academic work and if you do not know how to study now, it is going to be incredibly difficult. My advise would be to retake organic chemistry to improve that grade but to also take a physiology class or two. It will definitely help you in optometry school to have physiology fresh in your head. Use this is an opportunity to practice your studying skills. Do well on the OAT, which should not be a problem if you are self motivated. A high OAT score goes a long way if you have a lower GPA. Only use the recommended number of letters of recommendation for each school. Make sure though that you are getting letters from who the schools specify. For example, some schools specifically require an OD letter and will not substitute one from an ophthalmologist. This is different for each school so just double check. Do not submit more than the recommended number of letters.

Good luck! I'm sure you will be great!

 

[kleronomia]

Hi armoman92,

Just a quick thought. I do not have too much insight yet because I did not start school yet, but I was a certified tech at an ophthalmology practice for the past two years too. At every interview, I did have a chance to talk about my exposure to the eye care field, but I was asked at every interview why I wanted to pursue becoming an OD when I already have so many privileges as a tech (i.e. refracting, testing, GAT). Just something you want to consider and also prepare for before your interviews!

At my interviews, they were still very interested to see if I have shadowed. Work experience is very excellent, but shadowing gives you a different perspective with understanding optometry. There are many different specialities and different settings to see.

Regarding LOR from multiple OMD, assess how many of them can actually give a large range of opinions about you. If you have worked with every doctor in the same respect, then seven or eight letters stating the same things about you will not strengthen your application.

The work experience will very likely set you apart and possibly cushion your academics, but still make sure to show a distinct interest in optometry. Ace that OAT and apply early! Good luck!

 

[ah535]

I asked the optometrists at my clinic about your situation and they said that having a COA is a big foot in the door. I have talked to interns who say that getting their COA helped a lot in optometry school. I hope you get in.

 

[Mewcakes]

You look like you would be a pretty good candidate for admission, the only thing that stands out to me is your lack of a bachelors degree. Some schools will admit you without one, so if you don't plan on completing a BA/BS, I'd definitely figure out which schools those are and work towards their admissions requirements/expectations. If granted an interview, they will likely ask you why you didn't finish at NYU OR CUNY. Your answers may be legitimate (family problems/$$), but then they'll ask how you feel about the OD program putting you $100k+ in debt if you are granted no other scholarships/state seats. They MAY be weary of you dropping out as your debt mounts and you can bet they will probe you on this.

I do NOT mean to be a pessimist, I just know that admissions teams don't miss anything when it comes time to interview you and they will ask you about the things that you prefer not to be asked about. They can read about all your achievements and experience in your essay/application, so they'll ask about the stickier stuff in your interview. I really do wish you the best! I had a low likeliness of admission when I applied and I just graduated, so it can be done. Best of luck!