Applying w/o B.S. ... What are my chances?

[Cerebellum09]

So I would really like to apply this cycle, but am not sure of my chances. I plan on taking the OAT December 29. I guess my big disadvantage is that I'm a lot younger and won't have a bachelors degree. I've finished 108 (qrtr) credit hours so far and need 135 total before next fall. Technically this is only my second year out of high school, but do you think that will matter since I will still have 3 years worth of credits even tho I did them in two? (None are AP credit and all but 6 cr hrs have been taken at the same university after hs.) I should be able to get all my pre-reqs in without a problem. I've worked hard and have a 3.959 GPA. Optometry is really something I want to do, so do you think it is worth a shot? I just finished fall quarter, so I have from now until the end of December to devote to studying. I also have all of the Kaplan material and just started looking at it today...oh and my number one choice for schools is OSU.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

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[kiwi5frog]

So I would really like to apply this cycle, but am not sure of my chances. I plan on taking the OAT December 29. I guess my big disadvantage is that I'm a lot younger and won't have a bachelors degree. I've finished 108 (qrtr) credit hours so far and need 135 total before next fall. Technically this is only my second year out of high school, but do you think that will matter since I will still have 3 years worth of credits even tho I did them in two? (None are AP credit and all but 6 cr hrs have been taken at the same university after hs.) I should be able to get all my pre-reqs in without a problem. I've worked hard and have a 3.959 GPA. Optometry is really something I want to do, so do you think it is worth a shot? I just finished fall quarter, so I have from now until the end of December to devote to studying. I also have all of the Kaplan material and just started looking at it today...oh and my number one choice for schools is OSU.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

what's your experience in optometry? how much shadowing/work have you done?

so long as you have a decent amount of experience in the field and are "in line" to complete your bachelors prior to the start of the next school year, its worth a shot.

 

[advise2u]

Kiwi is wrong. Most opt schools do accept and let people start their studies without a bachelor's degree. OSU has a few of these in every class.
Visit http://www.opted.org/files/public/Profile_of_Entering_Class_2009.pdf. This table shows which schools do this and the percentage of students they are willing to grant this special privilege to.
The only issue in some cases is what they require you to do while in opt school to be granted a bs if at all.
PM me if you'd like more info. Three people in my immediate family have achieved this and thus have saved themselves an extra year of school!

 

[Cerebellum09]

I've shadowed my own optometrist for a day and his partner for another day. I'll probably be back there during my break to get some more shadowing in. They have a private practice in a rural area. Also, I'm setting up some dates right now to shadow the chief optometrist at an Air Force Base's Med Center. I've talked with her once, but am not quite sure what to expect from shadowing...I guess I'll find out in a few weeks. I'm going to try to set up a few more places to shadow. I'd like to shadow someone in retail, and then I have another friend who suggested to me her optometrist who has a solo practice. Any suggestions on how to set these other appointments up? I was thinking walking in in-person might be the best way? Do you think this would be enough shadowing experience? I know the requirement says "10 hrs, at least two different settings," but I wasn't sure if everyone else would have a lot more.

Oh and I did realize I don't actually need a degree, but I wasn't sure about the fact that I'll only have two years of school, not three. If anything, though, I think it was harder to fit three years in two. It would still take me four years to get my degree, though, because I am majoring in biomedical engineering and everything is a pre-req for everything, and classes are only offered once a year. (I think they just want our money...haha)

Thanks for the advice so far!!