Another Clinical Hours Question

[FormerPhysicist]

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Hi all,

Former lurker here. After graduating UG with a physics degree and bio minor, I decided I wanted to go into optometry. Long story short, I got a tech job in an optometry clinic and have been there for the past year and a half while supporting my wife through nursing school. Over that time, I realized that optometry wasn't for me (too commercialized for the most part) and that I wanted to go to med school to be an ophthalmologist (a decision made after many opthalmology shadowing hours). Without turning this into a "What are my chances" thread, I just wanted to ask: Will adcoms see those 2000+ hours as clinical experience? I spend very little time working the front desk; most of it is spent with patients, since I am responsible for pre-testing/retinal imaging for the most part (the optometrist I work for specializes in eye pathology, although the majority of the patients are just routine eye exams). If nothing else, I held a job that was at least tangentially medical, but I'm curious if this gives me any sort of advantage when I apply.

 

[imcanadaian]

Hi all,

Former lurker here. After graduating UG with a physics degree and bio minor, I decided I wanted to go into optometry. Long story short, I got a tech job in an optometry clinic and have been there for the past year and a half while supporting my wife through nursing school. Over that time, I realized that optometry wasn't for me (too commercialized for the most part) and that I wanted to go to med school to be an ophthalmologist (a decision made after many opthalmology shadowing hours). Without turning this into a "What are my chances" thread, I just wanted to ask: Will adcoms see those 2000+ hours as clinical experience? I spend very little time working the front desk; most of it is spent with patients, since I am responsible for pre-testing/retinal imaging for the most part (the optometrist I work for specializes in eye pathology, although the majority of the patients are just routine eye exams). If nothing else, I held a job that was at least tangentially medical, but I'm curious if this gives me any sort of advantage when I apply.

yes. the key is can you talk intelligently about your 2000+ hours and how it relates to your pursuit of medicine

 

[Josh7]

Hi all,

Former lurker here. After graduating UG with a physics degree and bio minor, I decided I wanted to go into optometry. Long story short, I got a tech job in an optometry clinic and have been there for the past year and a half while supporting my wife through nursing school. Over that time, I realized that optometry wasn't for me (too commercialized for the most part) and that I wanted to go to med school to be an ophthalmologist (a decision made after many opthalmology shadowing hours). Without turning this into a "What are my chances" thread, I just wanted to ask: Will adcoms see those 2000+ hours as clinical experience? I spend very little time working the front desk; most of it is spent with patients, since I am responsible for pre-testing/retinal imaging for the most part (the optometrist I work for specializes in eye pathology, although the majority of the patients are just routine eye exams). If nothing else, I held a job that was at least tangentially medical, but I'm curious if this gives me any sort of advantage when I apply.

Yep, sounds like a good experience as you learned about this specific healthcare environment