Become an optometrist three years after high school?! That does not sound right.

[Neil45]

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I went for an interview with my optometrist last week, and he told me that there are eigth universities in England that offer an optometry degree to students after three years of high school! So that means at 21 years of age, you can become an optometrist(4 years if you want to practice in Canada or US). It is strange though. Considering that a pharmacy degree takes four years to complete in the UK and it is not widely regarded as a doctoral profession. Anyway, I was looking up on one of the universities that my optometrist advised me to look up on the internet, it is called Aston University. Here is a link to the program(http://www.aston.ac.uk/prospective-students/ug/pros2006/lhs/02lhsopt.jsp). It sounds like a very good optometry program. Furthermore, becoming an optometrist after three years of high school will save alot of time and money than if I choose to do the long way which is becoming an optometrist after eight years of high school here in Canada. Does anyone think it is a good idea to apply to the optometry program or should I do the "normal" way and get a Bachelor's degree and then apply to optometry school?

 

[jefguth]

Thats true, three years out of high school in the UK. However, you will have to complete a paid one year observered clinical thing (forgot what its called). If you want to return to Canada you will have to go through the hassle of having your degree assesed for equivalency, and you may even have to complete the bridging program for international optoms offered by UW. I can't remember, but from what I remember the British trained optom. may have some what lower pass rates on the Canadian board exams...there is a link to that somewhere here on SDN.

I would imagine that given the fact they complete all their training in less than 4 hours they won't cover as much basic science as you would by doing a few years of undergrad and then 4 years of an OD. Whether or not thats really important to you as an optometrist is a matter of debate, but I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't completed three years of undergrad before starting optometry then I'd feel pretty damn lost.

Do u know what the tutition is for international students?

 

[Neil45]

I can't remember, but from what I remember the British trained optom. may have some what lower pass rates on the Canadian board exams...there is a link to that somewhere here on SDN.

Do you know which thread the link is in?

but I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't completed three years of undergrad before starting optometry then I'd feel pretty damn lost.

That is one reason why I do not want to join this program. I am afraid that the material covered will correspond to what is learned in the 3 years of undergraduate work. I am having doubts about this. 🙁

Do u know what the tutition is for international students?

My optometrist told me that it is around 9, 000 british pounds.

 

[drmhyde]

I'm going to let you in on a secret. It's not well known, actually, it's been until now a HIGHY GUARDED secret. You can obtain an OD degree 2 ways.

1. a two week course online at the University of Pheniox

2. it comes as a "suprise" in one very lucky box of Cracker Jacks

SHHHHHHH you are sworn to secrecy now.
All the other ones who had to do 8 years would be SOOOO PISSED! 😱

 

[cpw]

I'm going to let you in on a secret. It's not well known, actually, it's been until now a HIGHY GUARDED secret. You can obtain an OD degree 2 ways.

1. a two week course online at the University of Pheniox

2. it comes as a "suprise" in one very lucky box of Cracker Jacks

SHHHHHHH you are sworn to secrecy now.
All the other ones who had to do 8 years would be SOOOO PISSED! 😱

I see someone is back to his old self 😉 Glad to see you back online, Mike 🙂 Hope things are going well for you and your wife post-hurricane.

 

[canuck_OD]

Yes you can get your degree from the UK and practice in Canada. Make sure you go to an ACCREDITED school or else you will not be able to even sit the canadian board exams.

One caveat though, the passing rate for the Canadian boards for international students (and US students) is low. About 35% pass the canadian boards. Your optometrist probably came to canada before we started the nation board exams back in 2000'ish.

Here's a link to the results from 2002 and 2003. It's on the left hand column under results.

http://www.ceo-eco.org/assessment.asp

There are programs now being developped to help "bridge" the educational gap. The results are promising and shows that people who have taken this bridging program have an increased pass rate (though still lower than a waterloo student).

I went for an interview with my optometrist last week, and he told me that there are eigth universities in England that offer an optometry degree to students after three years of high school! So that means at 21 years of age, you can become an optometrist(4 years if you want to practice in Canada or US). It is strange though. Considering that a pharmacy degree takes four years to complete in the UK and it is not widely regarded as a doctoral profession. Anyway, I was looking up on one of the universities that my optometrist advised me to look up on the internet, it is called Aston University. Here is a link to the program(http://www.aston.ac.uk/prospective-students/ug/pros2006/lhs/02lhsopt.jsp). It sounds like a very good optometry program. Furthermore, becoming an optometrist after three years of high school will save alot of time and money than if I choose to do the long way which is becoming an optometrist after eight years of high school here in Canada. Does anyone think it is a good idea to apply to the optometry program or should I do the "normal" way and get a Bachelor's degree and then apply to optometry school?

 

[rpie]

Being able to get a license to practice in the US is extremely difficult coming from a foreign OD school. When I was in education there were many OD’s educated in the Philippines that had immigrated to the US. Many came to the school seeking help in preparing and sitting for the NBEO. I was only aware of one person that was able to pass part 1 but no one was able to pass all parts. In many cases foreign OD’s were advised to re-do their OD education resulting in most people abandoning their hopes to practice in the US because they were unable to get accepted Into a US OD School. What is interesting is that in Malaysia and Japan US trained OD’s are highly regarded, and considered valuable especially to their OD schools. From what I understand they are also paid well.

Say CPW cute Doggy! 👍 What’s his/her name?

 

[gsinccom]

Canada seems to be the place to be for Optometrists...make better money...requires less education. Maybe I should look at setting up shop their too🙂 I've heard that this is one reason that Pacific University (many Canadian students) is now the only school that has more male than female students. All those Canadian men can still provide for their families on an Optometrists income🙂

 

[xmattODx]

Canada seems to be the place to be for Optometrists...requires less education.

?

 

[cpw]

Say CPW cute Doggy! 👍 What’s his/her name?

not my doggie... just liked the picture. 😉

This is my doggie , Tiger

 

[tcw]

Hello,

I have been trying to find out what the differences are between the OD qualification North American schools offer compared with the BSc(Hons)Optometry degree the British schools offer. I already have a BSc from a Canadian University, and am in the middle of an MSc here in the UK. I know that qualified optometrists in the UK can practice in Canada (after passing canadian qualifying exams), but is the BSc.Optometry degree viewed to be inferior tothe OD (when applying for jobs, for instance)? For reasons of pure vanity, I would prefer to have an OD, but it does not seem to be offered here.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks.

 

[canuck_OD]

Hello,

I have been trying to find out what the differences are between the OD qualification North American schools offer compared with the BSc(Hons)Optometry degree the British schools offer. I already have a BSc from a Canadian University, and am in the middle of an MSc here in the UK. I know that qualified optometrists in the UK can practice in Canada (after passing canadian qualifying exams), but is the BSc.Optometry degree viewed to be inferior tothe OD (when applying for jobs, for instance)? For reasons of pure vanity, I would prefer to have an OD, but it does not seem to be offered here.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks.

No Absolutely not. Many if not ALL of best professors I had at Waterloo studied in the UK ... although most had MScOptoms and PhDs and/or FAAOs. Others in the profession won't look at you any differently as well! Just make sure you work your butt off to pass the canadian board exams (and make sure you go to an accredited school).

 

[rpames]

No Absolutely not. Many if not ALL of best professors I had at Waterloo studied in the UK ... although most had MScOptoms and PhDs and/or FAAOs. Others in the profession won't look at you any differently as well! Just make sure you work your butt off to pass the canadian board exams (and make sure you go to an accredited school).

If you go to the UK and get BSc in optometry, could you still be called doctor back here since you don't have a doctoral degree?